Your Page: Readers’ emails and letters

AS ONE READER WATCHES THE BUSH RENEW AFTER THE FIRES, ANOTHER DOES HER BEST TO SERVE HER COMMUNITY AS A NURSE IN MELBOURNE DURING THE PANDEMIC.

TABLES TURN

I’m sitting in my home at Lankeys Creek only a few kilometres from where the Green Valley fire started this January. Our house survived due to a very determined partner, but the 40 or so hectares of bushland we live in was devastated.

It’s late winter now, spring around the corner and the narcissi are out, camellias on the way and today I stopped to watch a scrub wren bathing in the bird bath.

Maggie Mackellar’s article in August resonated with me so much, especially now that we are restricted in our movement due to the coronavirus.

In January we lived in the worst possible place, now we are living in the best possible place where, although there is so much destruction from the fires, there is also hope and freedom to move and appreciate what we have. We are actually very lucky. Alison Cowie, Lankeys Creek, NSW

IN IT TOGETHER

This winter marked two years since my arrival as an immigrant to Australia. My husband decided the best way to celebrate was to embark on another journey – a weekend out in Tilba (in NSW), which we reached after half a day’s drive.

Our home for the weekend was a gorgeous 150-year-old bed and breakfast that stood alongside quaint little cottages selling Devonshire tea, locally sourced woodwork, fresh produce, and this and that. It couldn’t get more picture perfect.

And that’s when we realised there was something amiss, even with so much beauty around. There were just too many ‘Business for Sale’ signs on display outside shopfronts. Right below the surface of this peaceful provincial life was the stark reality of the time that has come to be. Small businesses that form the backbone of local country communities have been forced to wind up.

As I look forward to my third year in Australia, I pray for collective wisdom, resilience and grace. And most of all, I pray for my country cousins. Thank you Country Style for weaving our worlds together. Sujata Chakrabarti, Woonona, NSW

WINNER DUTY OF CARE

As an intensive care nurse in a major hospital in Melbourne, every day since the COVID-19 pandemic began I have confronted unexpected physical and emotional challenges at work. Most of the stress and discomfort is abated by an enduring sense of service to humanity and the courageous responses of my colleagues.

At the end of the day, an over-active mind seeks to process moments and decisions from the day and sometimes restorative sleep eludes me.

Lying on my chaise longue, this morning’s golden sunshine filters through the bay window. I bask in the stillness and joy that comes from reading Country Style. Thank you for inspiring and nurturing me back to me. I feel like I can begin a new day. Julie-ann Martin, Brighton, Victoria

Photography @abbie_melle Styling @kristinrawson For our August cover, Buddy the #kelpie caught a ride in an old Land Rover up to the safari tent @boydells1826 at East Gresford in NSW’S Hunter region. His owners, the Maroulis family, live on the 95-hectare property on the banks of the Allyn River in a 1915 #farmhouse that was trucked there from Sydney and has been lovingly renovated.

INSTAGRAM “There’s a real sense of being on the edge of the ocean, with Pacific gulls swirling and calling,” says artist and owner of @whalesongshack, Ingrid Daniell. With its #firepit and sunken outdoor bath, this is Ingrid’s favourite spot to unwind under the stars. Photography @marniehawson