Gillian Swinton grew up watching her grandmother maintain a family farm in Northern Scotland - and used her experience to cultivate the rural lands of New Zealand.

Now based in Central Otago, Gillian and her partner Hamish live on a 2.7 hectare property - embracing their own journey of living a self-sufficient and more simple life.

Gillian has shared her own story of homesteading with tips and tricks in her new book The Good Life.

"All of a sudden, we've got two-and-a-half hectares and sheep and bees - and it snowballed." 

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Gillian Swinton grew up watching her grandmother maintain a family farm in Northern Scotland - and used her experience to cultivate the rural lands of New Zealand.
Now based in Central Otago, Gillian and her partner Hamish live on a 2.7 hectare property - embracing their own journey of living a self-sufficient and more simple life.
Gillian has shared her own story of homesteading with tips and tricks in her new book The Good Life.
"All of a sudden, we've got two-and-a-half hectares and sheep and bees - and it snowballed."&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your Sunday morning listening covered with The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB.

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Gillian Swinton: author of 'The Good Life' opens up about her experience homesteading in Central Otago

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/eef3576e-1ee9-4d7e-86c3-b2cc001639f5/transcript

From prison to med school: Dr Timoti te Moke opens up about rough upbringing that led him to healthcare

Dr Timoti Te Moke became a doctor at age 56, but it wasn't an easy road to get into medical school.

Before he started at Middlemore Hospital, he endured a childhood filled with abuse, time in state care, in prison and eventually gangs. 

He detailed his journey in his new book, The Unlikely Doctor, and says he wrote it to shine a light on the barriers holding Kiwis back from reaching their potential.

"There are a lot of people that could be where I am, but due to the barriers that society put in place, they are not able to do this. Essentially, what my book is looking at is the potential this country could have if we realised that these are the barriers we have in place." 

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<h2>From prison to med school: Dr Timoti te Moke opens up about rough upbringing that led him to healthcare</h2>
Dr Timoti Te Moke became a doctor at age 56, but it wasn't an easy road to get into medical school.
Before he started at Middlemore Hospital, he endured a childhood filled with abuse, time in state care, in prison and eventually gangs.&nbsp;
He detailed his journey in his new book, The Unlikely Doctor, and says he wrote it to shine a light on the barriers holding Kiwis back from reaching their potential.
"There are a lot of people that could be where I am, but due to the barriers that society put in place, they are not able to do this. Essentially, what my book is looking at is the potential this country could have if we realised that these are the barriers we have in place."&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Best of 2025: Dr Timoti Te Moke opens up about upbringing on the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/1eeb6944-65e2-4a3a-a620-b3cd00299074/transcript

'It wasn't a difficult yes': Helena Bonham Carter talks new role in Four Letters of Love 

Since launching into the spotlight in the 1985 film A Room with a View, Helena Bonham Carter has gone on to lead a memorable acting career full of iconic roles.

Between The Crown, Sweeney Todd, Fight Club, the Harry Potter franchise and Ocean's 8, her film career has no shortage of iconic performances.

Her latest work is a starring role in the new film Four Letters of Love, alongside Gabriel Byrne and Pierce Brosnan.

She says the variety of roles she's taken on has been 'extraordinary'. 

"There's been a lot of moving things, it's not been boring...I just did whatever was new."

LISTEN ABOVE

<h2>'It wasn't a difficult yes': Helena Bonham Carter talks new role in Four Letters of Love&nbsp;</h2>
Since launching into the spotlight in the 1985 film&nbsp;A Room with a View, Helena Bonham Carter has gone on to lead a memorable acting career full of iconic roles.
Between The Crown, Sweeney Todd, Fight Club, the Harry Potter franchise and Ocean's 8,&nbsp;her film career has no shortage of iconic performances.
Her latest work is a starring role in the new film Four Letters of Love, alongside Gabriel Byrne and Pierce Brosnan.
She says the variety of roles she's taken on has been 'extraordinary'.&nbsp;
"There's been a lot of moving things, it's not been boring...I just did whatever was new."
LISTEN ABOVE

Best of 2025: Helena Bonham Carter talks career and Four Letters of Love on the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b3e3733c-09dc-4d0b-9363-b3cb00296969/transcript

Cook time: 10mins

Prep time: 30mins

Serves 6 people

INGREDIENTS: 

6 eggs
pinch of salt
250 gm caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
10 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
50 gm melted butter

2 punnets strawberries
300 gm fresh cream
1 tsp vanilla paste
2 tbsp icing sugar

METHOD: 

For the Sponge:
Whisk the eggs and salt until well combined, add the sugar and vanilla paste and turn up to high. 
Continue to beat until the thick.

Sift flour and baking powder together. 
Fold lightly into egg mixture. Fold in butter. Pour equally into two 20cm greased spring-form cake tins. 

Bake at 200 for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned, turn out onto racks and allow to cool. 

Whisk the cream, vanilla and 1/2 the icing sugar, whisk until firm and set aside. 

Take the strawberries and remove the green top and cut the large ones in half. 

To make the cake. Place one cake as a bottom onto a platter, then cover with 1/2 the whipped cream and 1/2 the strawberries. Place the top cake on and then the remaining cream, strawberries and finish with a dusting of remaining icing sugar. 

Cook time: 10mins
Prep time: 30mins
Serves 6 people
INGREDIENTS:&nbsp;
6 eggs pinch of salt 250 gm caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla paste 10 tbsp plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 50 gm melted butter
2 punnets strawberries 300 gm fresh cream 1 tsp vanilla paste 2 tbsp icing sugar
METHOD: 
For the Sponge: Whisk the eggs and salt until well combined, add the sugar and vanilla paste and turn up to high.&nbsp; Continue to beat until the thick.
Sift flour and baking powder together.&nbsp; Fold lightly into egg mixture. Fold in butter. Pour equally into two 20cm greased spring-form cake tins.&nbsp;
Bake at 200 for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned, turn out onto racks and allow to cool.&nbsp;
Whisk the cream, vanilla and 1/2 the icing sugar, whisk until firm and set aside.&nbsp;
Take the strawberries and remove the green top and cut the large ones in half.&nbsp;
To make the cake. Place one cake as a bottom onto a platter, then cover with 1/2 the whipped cream and 1/2 the strawberries. Place the top cake on and then the remaining cream, strawberries and finish with a dusting of remaining icing sugar.&nbsp;

Mike Van de Elzen: Christmas Strawberry Sponge

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/2019a042-3c79-47d8-907b-b3c2016c4bf3/transcript

Gillian Swinton: author of 'The Good Life' opens up about her experience homesteading in Central Otago

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