Far West Living

Authentically Australian

FWL Magazine Lifestyle Outback Art

In full colour

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Five Minutes With FuzzyArt

words ELLIE RUSSELL  photos STEPHANIE STONE PHOTOGRAPHY

We’re atop the lookout of Fort Bourke Hill with views spanning across the township of Cobar as I watch Ann-Maree Johnson paint a beautifully vibrant (and perfectly proportioned) female nude. Despite the searing summer heat and abundance of flies, it’s obvious Ann-Maree is passionate about art and the way it makes her feel. Her energy is infectious and like me, many have been lucky enough to get a taste at what life is like behind the easel embroiled in a world of colour as Ann-Maree shares her passion with hundreds of like-minded, budding artists across the Far West and beyond.

Born and bred in Cobar, Ann-Maree (pictured above), also known as Fuzz (a childhood nickname adopted due to her curly hair, and now part of her professional trademark FuzzyArt) spent the majority of her life and early years in the Far West. After a short stint in Sydney where she attended art classes regularly, Ann-Maree moved to the Pilbara in Western Australia where she completed further studies at Tafe and obtained her certificate IV in art. Ann-Maree describes the experience of learning, creating and playing with art at this time so enjoyable and likens it to being in Kindergarten again.

“For as long as I can remember my favourite thing to do as a kid was to draw. I used to joke that I was born with a pencil in my hand,” said Ann-Maree.

“Art has definitely always been my passion. I did leave it for a while, life seemed to take other avenues, and I  guess I got busy doing other things, but I found I just wasn’t myself without art and as soon as I picked up a paint brush again it felt like I had come home.”

Ann-Maree specialises in a modern, contemporary style of painting, one in which she said took her quite some time to discover.

“I have tried many mediums over the years and different styles searching for my own style and it really has taken me years to find what I call my ‘style’. I love bright colours and painting subjects that portray a hint of something real without being realistic. I like the person viewing my art to wonder a bit and find things in the piece. Everyone sees something different, and I like that.”

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Some of Ann-Maree’s artworks and works-in-progress adorn the walls of her workplace Belle Visage in the main street of Cobar. Colourful, lively birds, frogs and big-bottomed nudes are splayed across the various canvases in the room.

“I’m personally drawn to the watercolour look, it always catches my eye and I think that is why I’m so drawn to ink. Ink and I have been having an awesome relationship for the past few years, I love the vibrant colours and the unique effects ink can give, it never fails to excite me.”

The story continues…
Read the full article in Issue 1 of Far West Living Magazine on sale now.
Purchase your copy or subscribe here.

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FWL Magazine Outback Style

Endless Possibilities for Team Mudford…

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Palettes of crisp white, navy stripe and a kitchen any cook would dream about are all features of the gorgeous outback farmhouse the Mudford family have tastefully renovated and now call home.

words ANGELA WHITE  / photos CAROLINA GONZALEZ

When Darren and Katie Mudford moved to their new property “Trowell Creek” near Hermidale, 75 kilometres west of Nyngan, they immediately fell in love with the red earth and embracing community, but not so much with the house that became their new home.

“I’ll never forget the first night we spent in our ‘new’ house which was tiny and run-down with one bedroom.  It was a windy night and the doors of the various out-houses rattled and banged as we were wide-eyed and terrified in our new surroundings” Katie said.  “The first thing we did the next morning was take all of the doors off the hinges! It was a great adventure as we had no hot water, no air-conditioning and no television.  We got the hot water working as the summer cooled off, the air conditioner came the following summer after a scorching two weeks of 8 months pregnant and 46 degrees and the television eventually followed after almost three years.”

With the almost impossible task of getting trades people to travel for a reasonable cost, the pair decided on purchasing a transportable six bedroom home and within a short five-month time frame the Mudfords had moved in, a month before their second child was due, considering this their now ‘forever home’.

In 2012 an adjoining property “Urunda” came up for sale and the family, after a cursory glance at the house, decided to purchase it for the value of its land and soil more so than the house that was on the property. With the original plan of giving the house a lick of paint and a new flat pack kitchen for farm employees to live in.

“After settlement when I finally had a good look around, I realised that the house was in very poor condition” Katie said,  “but could see what a beautiful home it once was.  With an in-ground pool and being almost 10km closer to town we decided we would renovate the house for us to move into.  To save on costs, Darren decided he would do all of the renovations with the help of our employees.  The further the renovations progressed the more we discovered needed doing. We had opened up a big can of worms.”

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With the luxury of already having a beautiful home the couple took their time with the renovations and over a three-year period sketched plans, changed doors, walls and ideas countless times in an attempt to get everything they wanted in their renovation.

“Early in the planning stage a friend told me I should get on the website Pinterest for some ideas.  Between Google, Pinterest and multiple magazines I got a really good sense of what I liked and put together a bunch of ideas that would work for us”, Katie said.  “I showed Darren a picture of a pantry that I fell in love with, but it seemed a bit fancy and very out of reach.  That was until we had an amazing English guy ‘Tom the Pom’ working for us who assured us he could build it.  He did an amazing job and it is hands-down my favourite room in the house.”

The original house built in 1949 consisted of three bedrooms, a tiny bathroom, a huge underground hand-dug cellar, outside laundry and verandahs all the way around. Now the home boasts seven bedrooms, including three fully enclosed verandahs, a big family bathroom and ensuite….

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Read the full story in Issue One of Far West Living Magazine on sale now at selected stockists or online here.

FWL Magazine Shopping

Pre-order issue 1 of FWL

It is with great excitement that I announce pre-orders of the first ever issue of Far West Living Magazine are now available online! I have been working SO hard to secure some fabulous advertisers and content for the first issue and I can’t wait to share the magazine with as many people as possible including the many locals who call this region home.

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Pre-orders can be made via the “SHOP” tab on this website or by clicking here to be directed to the store. All pre-orders will be mailed directly to your nominated postal address as soon as the magazine is completed with an official release date to be confirmed for February 2017. Our first issue will be an Autumn issue and will feature some incredible photography, stories, recipes and tid-bits of information about the Far West.

I have been working like a mad woman on the design layout tweaking it daily to ensure the quality of the magazine is at its absolute best!

This project is truly a dream come true for me so to be already receiving so much support from locals who are excited about the magazine is absolutely incredible. Without all of your support this project would not be made possible so if you are passionate about the Far West and our authentic Aussie lifestyle I encourage you to pre-order your copy of the magazine today!

I will keep you all posted on the continual progress and will announce an official date for when the magazine is available to purchase (with some stockists to be announced too!) so keep your eyes peeled!

Also, it is not too late to book an advertising space if you are a local far west business or even a business who services the area! You can download the media kit right here or you can email me directly to discuss rates and ad sizes.

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If you have a story you’d like featured, send us and email right here. We’d love to hear from you!

Farming Families On The Land Small Business

FWL feature: Boots Off Apron On

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When it comes to raising a family on the land in the remote region of the Far West kids don’t miss out on too much. They get to learn some of the best life skills like how to cook their grandmother’s famous biscuits or how to grow their own veggies – but what they don’t get is the traditional style of schooling, instead they attend a special kind of school – the School Of The Air.

Pixie Moses and Bree Wakefield are two local far west women very familiar with School Of The Air (SOTA) and have made it their mission and business to support, promote and grow the Broken Hill SOTA services in their region through the creation of BOOTS OFF apron on, a cookbook celebrating the many tried and tested recipes of families who benefit from the SOTA services.

Pixie and Bree recently spoke with FWL to share a little about how the project came about and why it is so important for us all to get behind this incredible initiative.

For those unfamiliar with the concept of SOTA, it is a unique community of outback families who don’t have access to a primary school close by. With Broken Hill SOTA, teachers in Broken Hill send out schoolwork to families for their children to complete with the help of a parent or governess at home. Traditionally SOTA was conducted over the radio where children would communicate with their teachers via radio.

“Most students have their own schoolroom at home and some even do their work at the kitchen table,” Pixie explains. “We also have a few traveling students whose classroom might be in a different place from week to week. Long gone are the days of lessons via a radio.”

“With the advances of modern technology, our students now have air lessons on a computer. The teacher has a live video stream and is able to call on students via video or microphone to speak to the class.”

“Our kids don’t have to ‘learn to adapt’ to this lifestyle, it’s all they know. It’s what they have grown up with.”

Pixie, her husband and two daughters live on and manage Avenel Station located 140km from Broken Hill where their girls have both completed their schooling through the Broken Hill SOTA. Bree, her husband and their three children live on Banoon Station located 75km from Mildura, Victoria (approximately 4 hours from Broken Hill) which makes them the most southern property in SOTA.

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The two women connected through their roles on the fundraising committee of the Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) for the SOTA in 2014 along with a number of other passionate outback mums.

“We made a two-year commitment and raised a significant amount of money for the school. It was suggested at a P&C meeting that the committee update the school cookbook,” the ladies explain. “The school was celebrating its 60th anniversary in September 2016 and it was decided a new cookbook would be a great way to mark the event.”

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The creation of the book took about nine months and proved to be a huge workload for Pixie and Bree being located 500km from one another. “We spent a lot of time emailing and speaking on the phone. All of the recipes were submitted to us online, along with the photos from the school community.”

“Nothing was more satisfying during that period; than when our internet would start a new month and we’d have a few days of high speed, before it was quickly gone from downloading images and uploading them to the spreadsheet we used to create the book…”

The ladies have credited a fellow SOTA mother (and previous FWL feature story), Jane Smith, for her efforts and help during the process. “At the drop of a hat Jane would style and photograph anything we asked of her. She designed our gorgeous book cover and continues to contribute photos, as we need them.”

“What we have created is worth every late night, the countless hours and all those stressed phone calls to each other.”

BOOTS OFF apron on has proved to be a huge success for the Broken Hill SOTA having sold approximately 2,500 copies across every state in Australia including some sales internationally, and third print run has just been finalised. The book comprises 194 pages (10 chapters) of  beautiful recipes and photography capturing the essence of bush life in the region. From smoko through to dinner time and dessert, the recipes have your household covered!

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“We are constantly receiving positive and lovely feedback regarding the cookbook.  This makes our hard work worthwhile and we are extremely proud of the quality and content of our product.”

BOOTS OFF apron on is an incredibly important fundraising initiative helping farming families to continue to educate their children across the far west with the potential to raise a substantial amount of money for the school. In 2017 Pixie and Bree plan to take the cookbook on the road and will be selling it at a number of different Field Day events in NSW and South Australia while continuing sales through the website and wholesale orders.

It is yet to be decided what the book’s proceeds will go towards for the SOTA but it will be something that will benefit the students for years to come.

“I love the resilience of the people in the Far West,” Bree explains.  “Our seasons can be marginal and although we are having a fantastic season at present, hard years are a given in this region.  The sense of community and support that shines through in good and bad times is amazing and makes me proud and privileged to live and be a part of the Far West region.”

Bree’s top 3 things to do in the far west

  • Our family loves to camp on the Darling River. We spend every Easter on my Uncle’s property near Pooncarie. Fishing and relaxing on the riverbank is the perfect family getaway. It is fantastic to see the lower Darling flowing once again and sustaining those farming families and communities that reside along the river.
  • We are lucky to live right near the Willandra Lakes World Heritage region, specifically Mungo National Park, one of Australia’s best kept secrets. The oldest human remains in the world have been found at Mungo and it is immersed in Indigenous heritage and culture and also the rich pastoral history of the area.  A great educational experience for the kids and we like to take our visitors to Mungo to experience the Great Walls of China sand dunes and wander through the visitors centre.
  • Sharing a glass of bubbly with good friends, while watching the sunset over the Mundi Mundi Plains, near Silvteron, is an indulgence and pure delight.  Known for its panoramic views, this is the ultimate location to view and appreciate the vastness of the landscape.

“As SOTA mums, we are always super busy on our trips to Broken Hill.  An indulgence is more in the form of a quick catch up over coffee during school hours!”

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Featured recipe, Pavlova roll by Rebecca Pearce, Gumpopla Station

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • ¾ tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • ½ cup toasted desiccated coconut
  • 250ml cream, whipped
  • 1 ½ cups sliced fruit eg. banana, strawberries, kiwi fruit
  • Cornflour

Pre heat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a tray and line with baking paper. Grease paper and sprinkle with cornflour, shake off any excess. Beat egg whites until peaks form. Add sugar slowly, beating continuously. Blend in vanilla essence and vinegar.

Spread evenly on tray. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Cook in a moderate oven until golden. Allow to cool. Turn cold pavlova onto baking paper, spread with cream and fruit along the middle. Using the baking paper, carefully roll up, use the baking paper to help place roll on to serving plate. Use any fruit that you like.

Garnish and serve with leftover fruit and a sprinkle of chocolate.

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[ Photography credits to BOOTS ON apron off ]

Pixie and Bree and all of the mothers (and fathers) who’ve helped create  BOOTS OFF apron on are real gems of the Far West area and what they’ve created is a credit to their hard work. To purchase the cookbook and show your support follow the links below.

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To celebrate the FWL feature of BOOTS ON apron off we’re GIVING AWAY a copy of the cookbook to an FWL follower! Head over to our Facebook and Instagram pages to find out how you can go into the draw to win!

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If you have a story you’d like featured, send us and email right here. We’d love to hear from you!

Lifestyle On The Land Small Business

FWL Feature: Millinery Darling

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I’m finding it is not unusual to come across some pretty talented people in the far west region, after all, uncovering this talent was a big influencer for me to create Far West Living. Today’s feature is shining a spotlight on one of these special locals.

Having known Leah for some time now, I am not surprised at how talented she is across a myriad of things although, I have to admit, when she shared her passion project with the world back in 2013 I had no idea she possessed the incredible millinery skills and creativity she does!

I think it is fantastic we have such varied talents on offer in the area, particularly those women juggling many “hats” (pardon the pun) including ‘working mother’, ‘caring wife’, ‘farm hand’, ‘business woman’ and, in Leah’s case, milliner.

On Delta Station, comprising some 140,000 acres just downstream from the village of Louth on the Darling River, Leah Le Lievre, her husband and parents in law run a Merino sheep and Hereford cattle operation. Leah has been a local to the Cobar and far west region for the majority of her life and having spent some stints in Sydney and Wagga Wagga, found herself drawn back to Cobar.

“Both my parent’s families have been in Cobar for five generations. You’d call us ‘Iron Ringers'”.

Leah moved to Delta Station in 2011 when she married Sam, they now raise their two children on the property and emerse themselves in life on the land.

Besides her duties as a working mum and regular helper on the property, Leah started her own online business in 2013 called Millinery Darling, designing and hand making hats and head pieces, a skill that blossomed out of a lack of being able to source original pieces stocked in stores to wear to local race meets.

“I didn’t want to go to a race meeting wearing the same as someone standing next to me. If I didn’t like outfits that were in shops, I’d sew my own, so it was only a matter of time before I started making my own headpieces too”.

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In the early stages, Leah admits she made some “rookie” errors when making her own pieces using a hot glue gun to secure her designs. “This is a big ‘no no’ in the Millinery game. I’ve since learnt the fine art of hand stitching everything. There is some glue used, but very minimal amounts, mainly to secure a stitch.”

Leah is dedicated to her passion and has attended the International Milliners’ Forum in Wagga Wagga twice to ensure she is learning from the very best in the industry. Leah also credits Waltraud Reiner, formerly of Torb & Reiner in Melbourne, for some of her tuition as Waltraud travels to remote areas of Australia teaching classes in millinery where Leah has been lucky enough to fine tune her stitching and finishing techniques.

“For me, I love to learn the traditional methods [of millinery] and then as many of the top Milliners will say, ‘let the materials talk to me’. Each type of material we use has a different purpose and behaves in different ways.”

Since 2013, Leah has seen some significant growth in her business and has started to perfect her technique and find her spot in the millinery marketplace. “I’ve lifted my prices a little, due to the increase in skill and the final product I’m able to deliver now. This means less headpieces created per month but it means the quality is there and my customers are happy with that and so am I.”

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At present Leah is not a full time milliner and in addition to her millinery business, she offers her skills in business consultancy to locals within the region which helps with a little extra income as her millinery business and clientele develops. She is hopeful by Spring Racing Carnival next season that she will be offering her millinery services full time.

Despite all of this, Leah’s family are first and foremost graziers and the property and working on the land is their livelihood. Leah’s passion and her business consultancy has helped inject cash into the running of the household particularly in times of drought, which is so common in the far west area. Leah’s location is also unique in that her home is quite remote, which can often prove to be challenging when running an online business, but not impossible.

“Running a business from the bush has only one hurdle; weather. If it rains, our mail run gets put off. That means that sometimes I drive to the Post Office, which is 110kms to Bourke or 150kms to Cobar (one way). That’s not so bad though, as it means the kids get a milkshake and I have a coffee.”

“…Running a millinery business from the bush isn’t too different to a lot of other milliners. We [milliners] all request photos of your outfit and sometimes if you have a square of fabric from a custom outfit we’ll ask you to post it to us and we incorporate it into your headpiece. I’d say, living out bush means we add only a couple of days extra on postage, but if we’re organised, that doesn’t matter.”

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Having grown up in the region and having a passion for the area, particularly the unique village of Louth, Leah says her favourite thing about living in the far west region is the people. “We know each other, help each other out and respect and accept each other for our differences. Especially in our local district. I love Louth. I have a shirt a bunch of girlfriends and I screen printed ourselves and wore to the local races a lifetime ago – before I met my husband. I still have it. I can’t believe I ended up moving here!”

Leah is a big supporter of shopping locally and loves the connection the local shop owners in Bourke and Cobar have with their customers. “If there’s enough interest, they’ll stock the items. For example, we couldn’t buy nice ladies shoes in Cobar after our local shoe store closed, so Nara at The Kidz Boutique is now stocking shoes such as Walnut. I’m also a regular at Gumnuts [Gifts and Homewares] in Cobar. Trudy has done an amazing job there – I can buy anything my heart desires and purchase most birthday gifts there plus Kim always makes the perfect coffee so I’m usually browsing whilst I wait for my coffee. The girls at Carole’s of Bourke also listen to their customers. They stock natural fibres in their clothing ranges, such as Goondiwindi Cotton.”

Millinery Darling

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Leah’s top 3 things to do in the far west

  • Farm stays at Trilby, Idalia or Rose Isle where you can fish and swim in the Darling River
  • Lunch at Shindy’s Inn at Louth
  • Hike through Gundabooka National Park (located between Bourke and Louth)

 

[Photography credits to Troy Ruttley, Louth Races and Millinery Darling]

Where to find out more about Leah and Millinery Darling

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If you have a story you’d like featured, send us and email right here. We’d love to hear from you!

Off The Beaten Track

Off the beaten track: Mount Grenfell Cobar

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I’ve been meaning to visit Mount Grenfell for months now but with all of the rain we’ve had in the Cobar area recently it has pushed these plans back several times until yesterday! Along with my sister and our friend I finally got to complete the mountain climb and bush walk and it was beautiful.

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If you haven’t heard of Mount Grenfell, it is a National Park tourist destination located west of the township of Cobar. Traveling 40km west of Cobar along the Barrier Highway is a gravel road turn off, and another 30km along this road into bushland you’ll come to the Mount Grenfell historic site’s picnic area.

As a Cobar resident, it is tradition that as part of our primary schooling we take a trip out to Mount Grenfell to see the Aboriginal artworks still present on the large cave-like rock formations on the property. I hadn’t revisited the site since my trip as a child and it was a really nice experience to return to the national park as an adult with fresh eyes and a new appreciation for this beautiful part of our region.

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Thankfully the weather was pleasant for our bush trek yesterday which took us approximately 3 hours to complete (with a short stop for lunch atop the mountain). Although yesterday we were lucky with pleasant weather, I wouldn’t recommend attempting the trek in the heat of the summer, although experienced bush walkers well equipped with water might be okay.

At the base of the mountain are two separate areas where you can view traditional, original Aboriginal artworks said to be of the Ngiyampaa people who originally occupied the area before European settlement. It’s incredible to think how old these paintings are and to imagine the Ngiyampaa people settling here by the waterhole and semi-permanent rock pool.

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The trek up Mount Grenfell is not an incredibly challenging one. I would highly recommend taking the time to climb to the top as the views of the surrounding bushland are beautiful and worth the walk. While overlooking the area and taking in the incredible views it was almost hard to believe we were so close to our small town of Cobar. It is serene and a beautiful representation of authentic Australian bushland.

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Where to find more information about Mount Grenfell

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Lifestyle Shopping Small Business

FWL spring fashion edit

A new season is finally upon us and although the rain has been beautiful – I can’t wait to see more of the typical spring/summer weather here in the far west. I’ve been dreaming of the smell of fresh roses in my garden (which are finally blooming this week, yay!), the sound of birds in the early mornings and the longer, warmer evenings spent in my yard or on the front verandah watching the sky turn pink as the sun sets.

Summer can be tough out here in the far west with the Celsius reaching well above 40 more often than not, I think that’s why I love spring time so much! We often get a taste of summer without the searing heat and it’s a chance to come out of winter hibernation and start enjoying the outdoors again.

With a new season comes new opportunities to venture into our towns and savour a little bit of retail therapy! I have to admit I am a bit of a shopaholic and really enjoy seeing regional boutiques dress their shop windows with the new season’s finest. I thought it would be the perfect time to share with you a little taste of what’s on offer in the far west in terms of spring-time fashion.

I’ve put together a spring fashion edit for the ladies sourcing all of the products from local far-west businesses so you can support your local region when shopping for a new spring outfit, or even discover new stores from the region!

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Boom Shankar dress | Frock On Boutique, Walgett
Ace of Something hat | The Country Collective, Nyngan
Rare Rabbit stud earrings | Gumnut Gifts & Homewares, Cobar
Status Anxiety leather clutch bag | Eclectic, Broken Hill
Eb & Ive sandals | The Kidz Boutique, Cobar

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Alessandra linen shirt dress | The Country Collective, Nyngan
Barkly Belle hide earrings & Eb & Ive bracelets | The Kidz Boutique, Cobar
Elk cutch | Frock On Boutique, Walgett
Louenhide sandals | Carole’s Of Bourke, Bourke

I’ve linked back to each of the regional stores in which you can contact for more details on any of the products featured or currently in store.

I have to admit, I much prefer shopping in smaller boutique stores rather than shopping in the larger department stores in the city. I always seem to find the best, eclectic pieces in these places! I also love the idea of keeping my money local where I can.

What are your favourite shopping destinations in the far west? There are so many and I have only touched on a few! If you’d love your favourite store to be featured, get in touch here and let us know!

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Lifestyle On The Land

FWL feature: The Shady Baker

Today we’re sharing our first ever FWL feature which I know you’ll love!
Say hello to Jane Smith of The Shady Baker…

 

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Along with my husband, Terry and our two children, Annabelle and George, I live on Scarsdale Station, east of Broken Hill in NSW. Scarsdale is 24800 hectares and is a family owned operation where we run Merino sheep and Hereford cattle.

I grew up on a sheep station in the Ivanhoe area of NSW so I have spent almost all of my life in the far west region.

In 2011 I started to share some recipes and photos on a friend’s website and it then occurred to me that I could start a blog independently and so The Shady Baker was created. My blog started as a way of sharing recipes and photos of my vegetable garden and baking. Today on my blog I share snippets of our life including the wide open spaces, stock work, animals and of course, baking.

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For me, The Shady Baker provides a little space for me to gather my thoughts and photos and put them together as a way of documenting everything that I am grateful for. It acts as a journal of sorts and I often look back through old posts to find things that I have baked or to see when I planted my tomatoes the previous year.

My blog is also a contact point which over the years has provided a starting point for many projects and more importantly, many friendships. In the future I hope to continue to share my part of the world and our way of life through my blog. Finding a community of like-minded people through blogging continues to amaze me and I hope this always remains. Blogging has also linked me to many other people who share my love for baking sourdough bread.

Living in the far west region we have access to plenty of wide open spaces which I love. From a photography point of view I am always observing the changing light and distant horizons that we are so lucky to experience.

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Our children are immersed in rural life and they are learning life skills every single day including stock work, horse riding, motorbike riding, raising vegetables and seeing where their meat and other food originates from.

One of my favourite things to do is to cook outdoors and luckily we have many paddocks where we can light a fire and cook a simple meal, whenever time permits. In our part of the far west region we are lucky to have some unique attractions and businesses and shopping locally is something that I am committed to.

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Jane’s top 3 places to visit in the far west region

  • When I make my weekly trip to Broken Hill I can always be found kick-starting my day at the Silly Goat located at 360 Argent Street. The hard working crew are serious about their coffee and food and there are plenty of good vibes that overflow onto the street.
  • Willy Nilly Art is a vibrant art gallery and retail space located at 415 Argent Street. Amanda Johnson creates bold artwork which is unique to our region as well as gifts, cards and interesting wares with a local flavour. This shop is appealing to both locals and visitors: look for the colourful old push bike parked out the front.
  • Right now, following welcome rainfall, it is possible for me to mention the Menindee Lakes. The lakes are bursting back into life and whether you are into fishing, swimming, camping or just day tripping this area is spectacular right now. As we recently discovered, it is also a great place to introduce inland horses to the water.

[Photography supplied by Jane Smith]

Where to find more about Jane and The Shady Baker

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Lifestyle

Far West Living is here…

Aerial photo Budda Station Tilpa

I am incredibly excited to finally share my newest “baby” with the world, Far West Living.  For those who don’t know me, my name is Ellie Russell and I am a freelance graphic designer based in Cobar in upper north west NSW. I am a born and bred local to this area and over the years have moved to and from Cobar on several occasions for study, work and travel and something keeps bringing me home.

There’s something about this place that makes it special and unique. To some people it may seem like the very ends of the earth with its vast red dirt, isolation and open plains as far as the eye can see. To me, it’s home to so many brilliant, talented and creative individuals who often don’t realise how precious and incredible their stories are. It’s the place I call home.

I want Far West Living to not only be an amazing vessel for tourism in our region, but to also uncover the hidden gems housed here. I created this project as a way of showcasing and shining a spotlight on the many people who inspire, educate and excite me and I know will excite you too. I plan to regularly share the stories and photos of these residents through the FWL blog, and soon, the printed publication.

Throughout my experience working in printed publications previously in the realms of rural and regional news, I have often seen a trend where our area can be forgotten, not intentionally, however the area doesn’t get as well represented as I believe it should. We plan to give the far-western region the recognition it so deserves.

FWL captures authentic Australia – the people, the places, the landscapes, the animals…. everything that makes this region so beautiful.

I hope you enjoy taking a walk across the far west with us and plan a visit some time soon. x

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Aerial shot Nelyambo Homestead Tilpa

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