Our Team

strong, skilled, committed, passionate & proud

"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." (Michael Jordan)

 

Elizabeth and Alex Tickle are prime examples of those people who somehow just make it happen.

Regional Lifestyle magazine has evolved through Elizabeth and Alex’s long-term interest in quality lifestyle magazines, the rural way of life and their passion for regional communities and the people and businesses that make them so unique. Their dream has quickly been made a reality, from the first serious discussions in December 2012 to the first edition being on shelves in June 2013.

Elizabeth Tickle – Publisher, Editor & Advertising

Elizabeth has spent her professional life in education as a teacher, facilitator and in executive roles. She has always had a passion for the communications industry and has held a range of media and communication positions throughout her career, within her community and beyond. Elizabeth has relished the opportunity to collaborate with local councils and businesses to promote the beautiful regions across New South Wales and Southern Queensland.


Alex Tickle – Publisher, Distribution & Advertising

As a fifth generation grazier, Alex has spent a lifetime on the land and has a natural affinity with the rural way of life. With a strong background in breeding commercial and stud cattle and Australian Stock Horses, he has enjoyed a number of industry highlights throughout his time. He’s passionate about the heritage and people that makes regional New South Wales so unique, and thrives on building quality relationships with newsagents and stockists through his distribution role.

Click on any team member's image to read more.

Zora Regulic

Zora studied Creative Arts and graduated from University to pursue her career as a Designer, Art Director and Creative Director on various publications ranging from newspapers to news magazines and lifestyle magazines.

She also loves getting her hands dirty on the farm she and her partner own on the beautiful mid north coast of New South Wales.

Zora Regulic

Art Director

ANNA ROSE

Since late 2021, Anna has brought her journalistic skills to RLM, first as a writer, then later as its proofreader and sub-editor.

Having been part of The Northern Daily Leader newspaper’s editorial staff in Tamworth for close to 30 years, she brings a wealth of print media experience to this publication.

Anna has also written several books, mainly biographies of country characters and ordinary people with an extraordinary story to tell. These include entertainer Terry Gordon OAM, bush poet Ray Essery, transport legend Cec Healy and Australia’s king of country comedy, Chad Morgan OAM.

ANNA ROSE

Sub-editor, Proofreader, Writer

Murray Hartin

Murray ‘Muz’ Hartin stumbled into journalism after winning the inaugural Bush Poetry competition at The 1987 Tamworth Country Music Festival.

One of Australia’s most popular yarn-spinners -with offerings such as Turbulence and the haunting Rain From Nowhere - Muz spent nine years with The Northern Daily Leader covering everything from sport to court.

He went full-time with his entertainment career in 1996 but returned to his hometown of Moree in 2001 for 12 months as editor of The Champion while also writing humorous columns that appeared in The Newcastle Herald, The Albury Border Mail and The Northern Daily Leader.

Back in Moree, Muz has just finished a term on the local Council where he quickly discovered “it’s a lot easier whinging from the outside”.

Muz is a people person who writes with rhythm, colour and bounce.

Murray Hartin

Guest Features Writer

Jennifer Harden

Jennifer hails from Young NSW by way of Connecticut USA.

Having majored in Anthropology at uni she started her career working in museums straight out of school. As years passed she added one Australian husband and three kids to the picture. She found herself drawn to capturing snippets of their lives with honesty and humour through words and pictures.

Life in the Australian countryside has her charmed and Jen finds a wealth of inspiration in the light, land and cultural curiosities it has on offer.

Jennifer Harden

Home & Style and Wedding Writer,
Photographer, Social Media

Kate Boshammer

Kate is a website and graphic designer, and digital consultant.

Kate is based on the land, and is involved with her husband in their stud and commercial beef cattle operations. She also has a background in rural journalism, having written for local, state and national publications.

Kate held the Art Director role for the first 10 editions of Central West Lifestyle, and today supports the business through management of its website and online systems.

Kate Boshammer

Website Developer, Advertising Designer, Writer

Sally Marceau

Sally has over ten years' experience as a graphic design professional, working in the Local Government, commercial and not for profit sectors.

Sally's passion for design is based on her interest in all design mediums. From magazines through to interior design – she is inspired by the world around her.

When she's not designing, you'll find her spending time with her husband, two daughters, playing tennis and drinking coffee in her home town of Wagga Wagga.

Sally Marceau

Advertising Designer

Melissa Dunkerley

With a Bachelor of Design (Hons) from the University of New South Wales, Melissa launched her career in integrated marketing with agencies, The Kinetic Agency and BMF. She transitioned to freelance graphic design upon moving back to the Western Plains in 2017, where she balances her professional life with a rural lifestyle. Melissa enjoys spending quality time with her family and participating in scent sports with her dogs.

Melissa Dunkerley

Advertising Designer

HELEN TICKLE

Helen has lived in both rural and metropolitan areas and has a background in agriculture, banking, education and small business.

She has enjoyed a long involvement with many business and community groups, serving on committees and boards at local, regional, state and national levels. Helen has been a Past President and active member of the Tamworth Business Chamber and an active member of many community organisations including Rotary and U3A. She has been a Councillor on the Tamworth Regional Council for the past sixteen years, including a term as Deputy Mayor.

In her spare time Helen enjoys the outdoors, travelling and playing Bridge. Helen will continue to combine her community, professional and life experiences to achieve the best possible outcomes for rural and regional areas.

HELEN TICKLE

Strategy and Distribution

LYNNE WALKER

Born and raised in rural New Zealand, Lynne married an Australian and moved across the Tasman thirty five years ago and went farming with her husband in the New England. As well as farming and raising two children Lynne was the Northern NSW Co-ordinator for Australia’s Open Garden Scheme for ten years and has been writing for national and international magazines for over twenty years. She loves telling the stories of our rural community, most of whom she says totally underestimate themselves.

LYNNE WALKER

Garden Writer

LIZ TICKNER

Liz has been a writer or more than 40 years, beginning her journalism career in Canberra and working in newsrooms in Melbourne, Perth and throughout NSW.

She has headed a Sydney news bureau and edited regional and daily newspapers across NSW.

A multi-award-winning journalist with a Masters of Journalism degree, Liz escaped the city in 2013 and now writes from her home in the Bega Valley.

Liz lives on 17 acres at the foot of Mumbulla Mountain with her chooks and cat, a property she shares with kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, possums and abundant birdlife.

Her extensive veggie patch and the kitchen are her “happy places”.

LIZ TICKNER

Writer

Lorraine Hills

From classing elite wool, to judging chutney and pickles at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, Lorraine Hills is a farming woman to the core. She has an undying passion and an enviable knack for country cookery, and is an icon of versatility and genuine talent. “Farm visitors are always a joy and to be able to cook and share recipes from the past with them is a pleasure.”

Lorraine Hills

Writer

Zenio Lapka

Zenio was born in 1957 at Crown Street, Sydney to Polish/Ukrainian parents. He grew up and was educated in the then, outer western suburb of Bass Hill. Zenio always had an interest in a variety of visual/graphic arts, then along came the two great loves of his life; his wife Lorraine, and photography.

Over the past forty years he has worked as a freelancer and on staff for some of the major media organisations in Australia as editorial photographer.

In 2002 Zenio and Lorraine made a tree change to the Central West, where he was employed by Rural Press/Fairfax Regional Daily in Bathurst for twelve and a half years. Zenio enjoys working on freelance assignments with Regional Lifestyle Magazine.

Zenio Lapka

Photographer

SUE CURLEY

Sue is a Disability Consultant, a Crisis worker with Lifeline, an International Yoga and Pilates instructor - and a Celebrant. Confession: it’s hard to beat the joy of a marriage, or the honour of reflecting on a life ‘farewelled’. People’s stories are irresistible!

Creative writing is integral to Sue’s life – as a tiny girl crafting ‘stories’ with new words, through pen-pals across the globe, health research writing, government reports, through to ceremony script writing and Eulogies.

Travelling (with husband, John) is an enduring passion. Sue’s sanity tip? ‘Playing’ in the garden or catching up with friends for a walk.

SUE CURLEY

Writer

John Curley

John was a successful merino, beef cattle and irrigated lucerne farmer at Wellington NSW. He also loved "numbers". So as a mature student, studied Accountancy (whilst sailing his yacht around the eastern coast) – taking a farming sabbatical. Achieving Dux at UNE, John subsequently completed his Masters in Tax (Uni NSW). Becoming a principal with Peacocke Accountants – John has grown that practice over many years. John particularly loves assisting clients with overall strategy, correctly structuring the business and optimising profit – using cloud technology. Spare time? You’ll find him cycling!

John is delighted to support the success of the (exceptional) Regional Lifestyle Magazine.

John Curley

RLM Accountant

Anna Conn

Anna loves country living with her husband and two young boys on their sheep and cropping property near Wellington NSW. Whether it’s as a rural reporter for the ABC or a media adviser to a longstanding Federal Member of Parliament, Anna’s career background in communications and media has shaped her to be a conscientious and adaptable professional with a wealth of experience.

With degrees in Public Relations and Business from Charles Sturt University, plus a Master of Communication from Deakin University, Anna believes in lifelong learning. When she’s not putting pen to paper, Anna adores the simple pleasures of time spent with her children, horses, dogs and poultry.

Anna Conn

Writer

Elizabeth Grant

Elizabeth has over 30 years experience as a journalist in regional NSW and has also worked in marketing and administration roles.

She lives near Temora where her family operate a broadacre cropping enterprise. She enjoys family time, gardening, travel and is actively involved in the local community.

With a deep appreciation for country life, she loves to share the stories of people and places that reflect the diversity, opportunities and lifestyle of our rural communities.

Elizabeth Grant

Writer

ASSOC PROFESSOR SOL QURASHI

Associate Professor Sol Qurashi is a Sydney trained and based Hip and Knee Surgeon. Sol has been in practice since 2010 when he established ‘The Hip and Knee Clinic’ at Harbourcity Orthopaedics. He is one of the pioneers of enhanced and rapid recovery methods in joint replacement surgery in Australia, having performed almost three thousand hip and knee replacements with over two thousand using minimally invasive methods, Sol is highly experienced in this sphere of orthopaedics. When he is free, Sol enjoys time with his family, surf and work in the veggie patch.

ASSOC PROFESSOR SOL QURASHI

Health & Wellness Writer

NICOLE BONFIELD

Nicole is passionate about travel and seizes every opportunity to add to her ever expanding list of towns, cities and countries visited. She is one half of the Bontaks Travels team, the other being her husband, John Baltaks, and together they are continuously planning their next destination and adventure.

The sharing of their journeys began in March 2007 with a travel blog, which was an easier way of keeping family and friends up to date with their adventures than sending postcards! Social media platforms soon joined that form of ‘sharing’, and now she also shares her stories with the readers of Regional Lifestyle Magazine.

NICOLE BONFIELD

Travel Writer

JOHN BALTAKS

John was born in Sydney to Latvian parents who had escaped WWII and settled in Australia. His passion for what he can create with a lens is matched by his desire to wander the world, capturing moments of people and places beyond his neighbourhood. He is one half of the Bontaks Travels team, the other being his wife, Nicole Bonfield, and together they are continuously planning their next destination and adventure.

Having retired from full time work, John has more time on his hands, which has allowed him to extend his passion for capturing moments in photography to rendering them in the medium of watercolour painting. He has also discovered a joy in fixing clocks!

JOHN BALTAKS

Travel Photographer

Catherine Player

Originally from West Wyalong, Catherine has resided in the Central West town of Orange almost long enough to be called a local.

Catherine has a background in accounting, business, resource writing and development and education but admits that writing and the arts are her first love. A keen musician, Catherine plays in Central West venues most weekends which has further cemented her love for the people and the places of the Central West.

Cath is also a talented artist (Firebox Art by Cath Player), having recently discovered her natural flair.

Catherine Player

Writer

Elizabeth Swane

Elizabeth is a member of one of Australia’s best-known rose growing families and is the daughter of rosarian Ben Swane. Elizabeth worked at the family nursery, Swane’s Nursery at Dural, for 25 years until its sale in 2000.

She has worked as the Horticultural Consultant to Burkes Backyard Magazine, been a regular gardening presenter on the popular talkback show ‘Weekends with Simon Marnie’ on ABC Radio 702 in Sydney and has written for several national gardening magazines.

Elizabeth Swane

Garden Writer

Robert Bruce

Although Robert was born and raised on the land, he now works as a photographer from Orange in the Central West. He has been a very happy in this profession for over 30 years.

Photography has taken him all over Australia, capturing a mixture of rural real estate, portrait, wedding, and sports photography. In 1987 he met the famous Australian photographer Max Dupain who taught him how to see and use light, and to understand the importance of perspective in photography, he was very lucky to have had such an accomplished mentor at that time.

Robert Bruce

Photographer

MARTYN PEARCE

Martyn is an experienced journalist, newspaper editor and writer based in Yass Valley, NSW. Originally from London, he has enjoyed a long career in the newsroom writing for many newspapers and magazines both in Australia and the UK. He now manages public communications for a national peak body, produces podcasts and runs a social enterprise art gallery. Martyn is a firm believer in the power of regional communities as places that can create opportunities, find solutions to problems, and pull together for the common good. He is an advocate for the arts, Yass Valley, and giving back to local communities.

MARTYN PEARCE

Writer

Jane Sanderson

Jane is a teacher, based with her husband on their Collie property. Her teaching qualifications span early childhood, primary and secondary, with further postgraduate studies currently being undertaken.

Jane is passionate about breeding stud and commercial beef cattle, studying, riding horses and reading. She is enjoying her involvement with the magazine through showcasing fabulous rural and regional weddings.

Jane Sanderson

Weddings Writer

JENEL HUNT

Jenel began writing for a daily newspaper on the Gold Coast but a move to the country guided her to a gentler way of life. She has written and edited small specialty magazines, with the occasional stint on country newspapers.

A degree in business, hard won while working full time, was most valuable in showing that her most fulfilling life was to be found in the written word and community music.

JENEL HUNT

Writer