From walking to work down Oxford Street in 6 inch heels to walking 80 acres in gumboots to feed animals.

From French polished manicured typing nails to broken and soiled gardening nails.

From boot camp on Bondi Beach to boot camp at the Pony Club Grounds.

From a clean and tidy kitchen bench to one that is covered in produce.

It sounds like a lot to give up but just because you are in the country doesn’t mean you have to give up your style or luxury. Yes you may have more dressed down days than up but you can really still have your piece of cake and eat it too …

For my working days on the farm I have my ordinary black, kick about throw them on comfortable “Blundstone” gumboots. For the days when I have to go out and you are in need of gumboots as its raining and the Farm Field Days will be slippery and muddy walking in paddocks I have my purple slimline “Hunter” gumboots.

Even though I wear gloves my busy hands from gardening, brushing horses or collecting fire wood still get dirty so my nails are kept short and are now coloured instead of French polished.

At boot camp on Saturday mornings my run on the beach may have incurred a few hops over blue bottles. Now my boot camp Monday mornings runs are more like a hop, skip and a jump over horse poo from Sunday’s Pony Club. The flies to say the least have doubled in size.

My kitchen in my one bedroom unit may have had a loaf of bread on the bench now I have endless possibilities of what to do with all the fresh produce that we have lovingly grown. The fantastic community where everyone works together and the barter system that you have with your neighbour exchanging eggs for wine.

What used to be one litre saucepans boiling over with pasta water to my now five and six litre saucepans boiling over with homemade jam or tomato sauce. You do a lot, grow a lot or make do so as not to have to go shopping where just the travel can be an hour and a half.

The only “indulgent” thing I haven’t given up since my move to the country and that is my hairdresser. After nearly 20 years with Keith I will still travel to Paddington to get my hair done. It just may not be as often but I cannot give this luxury up.

So without giving up too much and gaining more than you can imagine I think you can take a city girl and turn her into a country one.

Kellie