Wagga Wagga to Worcestershire & back again
Wagga Wagga is in the midst of a heatwave at the moment. We had three consecutive days above 40ºC (104ºF) last week and after a few days ‘respite’ (35ºC and 32ºC respectively) the rest of this week is set to stick in the high 30s and low 40s.
I don’t particularly enjoy that sort of extreme heat. Warm is lovely… but at the moment it’s just downright ridiculous! It’s making me crave the cool, damp days we had back in England just a few short weeks ago…
Well there we go, that’s Christmas over and done with for another year. Adam and I had a wonderfully, relaxing day featuring an almost all-day lunch with my family and his distant relatives in Wagga Wagga…
I can’t quite believe Christmas Eve is here already – with the wedding and our lovely holiday back in the U.K., the last few months just seem to have whizzed by. I spent the weekend deep cleaning the house, finishing up the gift shopping and buying lots of delicious food. Adam and I welcome my parents and brother this afternoon and we’re looking forward to spending some one-on-one time with them all over the coming days.
I sometimes think the build up to Christmas is more lovely than the day itself – am I the only one?! You’ve got time to ease yourself into the festive spirit and special moments manifest themselves when you least expect them. This year I got to experience the pre-Christmas buzz in both Australia and England, so today I want to take you back to early December – when trees were just being decorated and lights switched on and Christmas markets were in full force…
I love wrapping Christmas presents. I know a lot of people don’t – why do you think so many present wrapping services pop up in high streets and in stores during December? For me though, it’s a fun, creative outlet at the end of the year…
I was really excited to decorate for the festive season this year. Last year, Adam and I landed back in Australia just a few days before Christmas and with unpacking the house and settling back into life in Wagga Wagga it was a low priority.
This December, and especially after seeing all the trees, lights and decorations in the U.K, I was keen to make the house feel a little jolly…
Adam and I are now on our way back to Australia after the most wonderful month in England, celebrating our wedding and spending time with friends and family in our U.K. home of Malvern, Worcestershire.
One of my favourite parts of living in Malvern was the town’s proximity to the Malvern Hills and I probably spent hundreds of hours rambling upon them during our 15 months in England. Quite a few of the guests at our wedding spent time in Malvern with us prior to the big day and I was thrilled to be able to share the hills with them…
One of the lovely things about being back in England is having the opportunity to visit the dozens of farm shops that surround Malvern.
Farm shops are usually independently run and generally sell locally grown produce and meat as well as baked goods, pantry staples like honey and preserves, as well as regional beers and ciders. They’re like tiny little farmer’s markets dotted all over the countryside and if you love your food, they’re an utter joy to nose around…
Adam and I have been back in the U.K. for a couple of days now and slowly but surely we’re overcoming the jet lag and starting to settle back into life in England…
A few weeks ago Adam declared he was craving pasta for dinner. I love pasta, so it didn’t take much convincing to get me on board too! It was as the weather was starting to warm and neither one of us fancied a rich tomato or cream based dish. Searching for some inspiration before heading into town to do some food shopping, I started poking around online, looking for something that would meet our pasta craving, without the decadence of a ragù.
I stumbled across a recipe from BBC Food and it was a hit the first night I made it. I’ve since whipped up the same dish a few more times and I’ve got a feeling it’s going to become a firm favourite in our house…
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to travel to an 86,000 hectare wetland in western New South Wales, on assignment with a colleague at work. The Nimmie-Caira is a vast area of floodplain that was formerly farmed, at the very end of the Murrumbidgee River system. Its restoration back to a natural wetland is a divisive project under Australia’s controversial Murray Darling Basin Plan.
Personal politics aside (there are both supporters and detractors of the project), it was was an amazing day I wanted to share with you a little part of the country that often gets forgotten… Continue reading “The Nimmie-Caira”
Wattle and Ash 