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Stories from Roseville
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Behind The Scenes of Roseville Gatherings
Jaime and I have never been particularly shy about facing a challenge, and starting Roseville Gatherings was no exception. We’re both people who are happy to dive into the deep end, usually with a reasonable amount of confidence, a few ideas about how things might work and a belief that we can figure out the…
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Something New Is Taking Shape At Roseville
When you have several different projects on the go, it seems there is always something new taking shape at Roseville. And the last few weeks have been no different. Do I wish that one day it would just rain all day so we could stay inside, watch a movie and do absolutely nothing? Yes. Is…
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Life in Guyra: The Places We’re Starting to Call Our Own
When we first moved to Guyra, I knew the names of a few places around us. Adjusting to life in Guyra brought many new experiences and discoveries. Armidale. Uralla. Walcha. Glen Innes. I had heard of them. We had driven through some of them. We’d visited a few places in the New England before we…
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The Things I Didn’t Know I Needed About Country Life
Four months into country life, I’m discovering that the things I love most were the things I never thought to look for. It has to be said that there was some trepidation on my part about moving to the country — and more specifically, moving to a small country town. If you haven’t followed along…
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Spring is Arriving at Roseville
It is incredible what just one week can do to a garden. Spring is arriving! We left Roseville to head back to Sydney for a week and returned to discover that spring had well and truly decided to arrive while we were gone. We came home to beautiful yellow daffodils appearing everywhere. Photos honestly don’t…
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The Unexpected Community Behind Under Guyra Skies
When we embarked on this journey, and if you have been following along, it has been a bit of a journey in more ways than one — and I mean that in all seriousness. Lives have changed, paths have been taken and somehow, after fumbling through parts of life and wondering where we would end…
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So… Are We Country People Yet?
Someone said to me the other day “so, are you country people yet?” I had to laugh because we have been told that a general rule of thumb when moving from the city to the country is that even after 15 years since moving, you are still not considered a local. But somewhere over the…
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Our Country Kitchen Renovation – Finally Starting to Feel Like Home
Our country kitchen renovation is now entering month number 2.5 but we aren’t counting the days, actually, we are but it is starting to feel like home. It has certainly taken slightly longer than expected not because there were any problems but just who knew a flat-pack Kaboodle kitchen came with more pieces than the…
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Sharing Roseville with Fellow Garden Lovers
One of the things we’ve discovered since moving to Guyra is just how generous gardeners are with their time and knowledge. Whether it’s advice over a cup of tea, a cutting shared over the fence or welcoming complete newcomers into the gardening community, we’ve met some wonderful people over the past few months. This week…
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Coffee, Cake & Country Roads – Discovering Our Favourite Cafés in New England NSW
One unexpected thing we have discovered since moving to the New England region is just how much time we’ve spent in cafés. To be fair, renovating a kitchen immediately after moving house probably had something to do with it. But somewhere between morning coffees, long lunches and country drives, we’ve also discovered that cafés are…
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Four Seasons and Frosts – What We’re Learning About Gardening in New England NSW
After a few busy weeks of kitchen renovations, Highland cows arriving, family visiting and a house full of activity, we are slowly starting to understand another important part of Roseville — the garden. Gardening in New England is unlike anywhere else, and it’s an exciting new adventure for us. One thing that has become very…
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A Full House at Roseville
There is nothing quite like inviting family to stay when you have just moved in, with no kitchen sink, half a kitchen installed, and a level of confidence that may not entirely match reality. Like everything since arriving at Roseville, we dived straight in and had a full house at Roseville. Every day has been…
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Fresh Eyes and New Garden Beds at Roseville
Some weeks feel like everything suddenly starts falling into place. After months of planning from Sydney, renovating, unpacking boxes and wondering what life at Roseville would actually look like, this week felt like one of those weeks. The kitchen is slowly taking shape, Hamish and Fergus have settled in beautifully, new friendships have appeared in…
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A New Chapter at Roseville – Dad Moves Out and the Highland Cows Move In
We have certainly hit the ground running this week. I don’t think we have sat down for longer than three minutes at a time and being in pyjamas and asleep by 9.30pm has become the norm, which is completely unheard of in our household. The time finally came for the next chapter of Roseville, that…
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Our Country Kitchen Renovation – Progress, Dust and Deliveries
There is something to be said for moving into a house and immediately starting a country kitchen renovation before you have even properly unpacked. We arrived at Roseville to find dust flying, walls disappearing and a growing appreciation for just how many rats may have been hosting nightly gatherings inside the kitchen. Thankfully, their tenancy…
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Before Roseville – Our Complete Country Home Renovation Reveal
Nothing prepares you for a complete home renovation, particularly a dilapidated farmhouse where you cannot move through a single room and nothing appears to have been repaired since electricity was invented. Embarking on a country home renovation certainly brings its own unique set of challenges and surprises. Before we could begin renovating Conholt, I became…
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Autumn Days and the Seasons of Guyra
One of the things that attracted us to the New England region was the promise of four distinct seasons, and the seasons of Guyra each have their own unique charm. Coming from Sydney, where seasons can sometimes feel more like subtle suggestions than actual weather events, the idea of proper autumn colours, frosty winters, spring…
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A Day Trip to Tingha – Museums, Wine & Unexpected Finds
This week, we made our way back up to Guyra to carefully transport the new door and window that need to be installed before the kitchen gets ripped out. What made the trip even more enjoyable was joining the Guyra Garden Club for a day trip to Tingha Museum and Toppers Mountain Winery. Tingha is…
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Adjusting to Farm Life – The Excitement, Chaos & Unexpected Purchases
One thing nobody tells you about adjusting to farm life is the absolute rabbit hole you disappear down researching things you never once thought you needed… but suddenly become completely essential. We’re currently back in Sydney collecting doors and windows for the kitchen renovation so everything can be installed before the new kitchen arrives—which feels…
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Our Country Kitchen Renovation: The Start of the Journey
One thing that quickly becomes obvious when HelloFresh is no longer an option and you suddenly have actual meal prep time on your hands, which I do enjoy, is this: you need a decent, functional kitchen. It was time to consider that Roseville needed a kitchen renovation. As much as I love the rustic charm…
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Things I’m loving in the New England Region (So Far)
The sunset above is where most of our tomorrows exploration ideas begin,—right here at the back of the paddock, watching the sun go down and planning where to head in the New England region next. There is so much natural beauty—and many unique little shops and attractions—through the New England region. The next research priority…
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Getting Use to the Little Hiccups in a Country Lifestyle Change
It’s funny how we humans love a plan. Not just any plan—a very specific, carefully imagined, “this is exactly how it will go” kind of plan. But sometimes life throws you a curveball like deciding moving from Sydney to Guyra. And the moment life dares to freestyle? We get stressed, annoyed, mildly dramatic… you know,…
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Moving from Sydney to Guyra, NSW: Life at 4,364 ft
It’s funny how life turns out sometimes. If someone had told my 20-year-old self where I’d be at 47 and moving from Sydney to Guyra, I would have laughed… and laughed… and probably ordered another margarita while laughing. But here I am, making the move from city life to a small country town, and it’s…
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A Sunday catch-up from Roseville
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