16.7

In this issue of Australian Country we are gearing up for the festive season, with our setting the scene feature dedicated to an ourdoor cocktail party. We’ll be bringing you a gorgeous photo essay inspired by a bush Christmas and a lovely cool Yule feature about a family living a Georgian townhouse in Kent in England’s home counties. On the road back in Australia, we meet Perth hills artist Liz Dumont at her historic home and studio and learn about living more sustainably in a strawbale house at Gemalla near Bathurst in NSW. Our travel feature takes us trekking at Arkaba in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, while our producer profile heads to Queensland’s Lockyer Valley where Mary Hayes runs Vitulus lowline cattle stud. Our fashion story has a nautical bent and we go off the rails with TV host and railway buff Scott Macgregor at Ruwenzori, his retreat in the bush in Mudgee, NSW. Chief cook Sue Stadler rolls out her favourite asparagus recipes and we bring you some inspirational and aspirational ideas for remodelling your kitchen as well as loads of decorating and collecting ideas.