She grew up in Sydney, forged a career in the media and has spent 17 years travelling for television’s Getaway. Now Catriona Rowntree reveals her other life on the land with her young family near Lara.
Words: Michelle Herbison
Pictures: Tommy Ritchie
Television personality Catriona Rowntree is as comfortable at home on her family’s property overlooking the You Yangs as she is in front of a camera.
Perched on a beautiful handmade rock wall cuddling a baby lamb, the Getaway star muses on her life journey since marrying Lara district farmer James Pettit four years ago.
“This is the first time James has let me hold one of the lambs here,” she grins.
The couple have lived in the property’s renovated bluestone managers’ quarters since their “rollicking big country wedding” in 2008.
They now share the home with their two adorable sons, Andrew, three, and Charlie, one, while James’ parents live in the property’s main homestead.
Catriona, a self-described “city chick from Sydney” never expected a life on the farm in her “wildest dreams”.
“I never would’ve thought I’d marry a farmer,” she admits, “but I found that, if you follow your heart, that’s when the really juicy things in life happen.”
Flick to page 28 of GC’s spring edition to read why Catriona loves calling Lara home.
