Your page: readers’ emails and letters
THIS MONTH, OUR READERS SHARE HOW COUNTRY STYLE HAS GIVEN THEM SOME RELIEF FROM THE DROUGHT AND INSPIRATION TO GO BUSH ONE DAY.
READING THE WEATHER
I must admit, Country Style is the one indulgence I’ve allowed myself during this awful drought, albeit still with a touch of guilt. My heart goes out to all the farmers, like us, at the complete mercy of whatever Mother Nature has in store. It’s come to a critical point where it doesn’t matter how well prepared we are or how well we’ve managed our land, water and animals — we’re still doing all we can just to simply cope and make it through. Thank you to the wonderful public who’ve been so supportive during this time. And thank you Country Style for letting me escape. If only for a few brief moments, I can gaze through your pages over a cup of dam-water tea, consume the beautiful colours and elegant styling, and let them take me to another world. It’ll rain again one day, and our hearts and our gardens will sing. Amy Gunn, CONDOBOLIN, NSW
COUNTRY DREAMER
Drought-ravaged as our land is, it still abounds with beauty. As a child growing up on a farm, I remember the smell of rain as it hit the dry earth after a drought and the regeneration that ensued. Recently, my husband and I meandered around Vietnam. As we took a train trip along the coast, the vast difference of farming there was a sobering reminder of the beauty of our dry land. Vietnam was wet and mostly rice paddies. At each stop, a local would alight the train to sell dried fish or great pots of pho made by local farmers. I pondered how farming communities are fundamental to our survival. Living in the city makes me want to relocate back there. I miss the distinct seasons that become blurred when you live and work in controlled-temperature environments. Country life is special. Noelene Wilson, RHODES, NSW
TURNING THE PAGE
I received my Country Style in the mail just as we were thinking of relocating from our beautiful macadamia farm in the Northern Rivers down to Central NSW. It was then that I realised this magazine has been with me through a lot of decisions in my life. Firstly when I was living in the city and longing for a country life, it sustained me until our dream finally came true. I didn’t bat an eyelid when I changed my name after a fantastic wedding in our garden and now, after trying to decide whether to make a big change, it was there again like an old friend, constant in its arrival each month to support our rural goal. Thanks so much for the inspiration to keep our dreams alive. Karen Lancaster, CORNDALE, NSW
TASTE FOR LIFE
Being an avid gardener and cook, I eagerly await each month’s issue of Country Style to see what will entice me outside or into the kitchen. Your September issue was of great interest, as Tamsin Carvan has recently opened a café and food store in my local area and I can’t wait to visit and taste some of her delicious food. The recipes in this latest issue sound very enticing. Karen Fidler, LEONGATHA, VICTORIA
INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEY
For about two decades, I’ve looked forward to reading your magazine each month with its wonderful stories of sea and tree changes. With our cities becoming increasingly stifled with traffic congestion and crowded living, I long for the day when I, too, can escape to a more relaxed, uncrowded existence. I read with envy and
admiration about people succeeding on the land against all the obstacles thrown at them; about flower producers and floral artists; produce growers and wonderful home-style cooks and chefs; and, lastly, where I hope my niche will be, with artists, potters, photographers and other creatives thriving in regional areas. Thank you for feeding the insatiable appetite that exists in people longing for a rural or regional escape. With each month, your stories inspire and motivate people to take that leap of faith into the great Australian country lifestyle. Sue Shearer, BRADBURY, NSW
TRAVEL COMPANION
The country way of life seemed like a distant dream to a townie like me caught up in the fast lane and chaos of city life. But my husband and I bought a caravan five years ago and then began a new era of my life. I’ve travelled the length and breadth of this vast land of Australia, marvelling at the countryside in its colours, gorges, seascapes and the resilience of the people who inhabit it. No longer do I read your magazine and think of how it might be — for now I’m living it! I read the stories of the people who make this country and now feel part of it. I see the drought, the amazing beaches and the green of the rainforest and know that I have a home wherever we set up camp. And Country Style magazine is always with me as we travel to the next town. Julie Humphreys, GEELONG, VICTORIA
WINNER
GRAND TOUR
I’m sitting on a bus from Canberra to the coast, a large pane of glass framing the dry, drought-affected landscape. Still beautiful in its diversity with grazing sheep, lambs by their side, the occasional farmer tending to their land, the buds and signs of green starting on the naked trees of winter. Spring is in the air, but sadly no sign of rain. I’ve just become a grandmother. My eldest daughter and her beautiful baby girl, Lotte, had stayed at our family home in Pambula. I travelled back to Canberra with them to be there along the way if needed. So now on the bus, I’m reflecting on such a wonderful time while flicking through the September issue of Country Style, taking in the surroundings and going home to a busy life on three acres until the next time my family returns. Through this magazine, I shall teach Lotte the joy of each season and read inspiring stories to her of likeminded people. If I knew having grandchildren was this much fun, I would’ve had them first. Thank you for such a beautiful magazine. Caroline Carlson, BALD HILLS, NSW