Letters From Home

In this episode of Nailing Homesickness, Amanda Ferrari chats with Phoebe, a Year 10 boarder at Methodist Ladies’ College in Melbourne, who began boarding at the start of Year 9 after growing up on her family’s farm in northern Victoria.Phoebe reflects on the early days of boarding - leaving a small country school where she’d been since kindergarten, adjusting to city life, and navigating the overwhelm of new faces, routines and expectations. She speaks candidly about the challenges of that transition, but also about the opportunities that drew her to boarding in the first place.From throwing herself into sport and co-curricular activities, to learning when to seek company and when to take quiet time for herself, Phoebe shares thoughtful, practical strategies for managing homesickness and settling in. She also highlights the importance of staying connected to home - nightly phone calls, photos from the farm, and knowing that those country friendships are still there when she returns.This is a reassuring and uplifting conversation for families considering boarding school, particularly those starting in Year 9. Phoebe’s story is a reminder that while the leap can feel big, growth, independence and lifelong friendships often follow.If this episode resonates, you may also enjoy our conversation with Archie from northern Queensland, who boards in Brisbane and also began boarding in Year 9 - a powerful companion listen from the opposite end of the country.A big thank you to ⁠⁠⁠Little Big Dairy Co⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring our Nailing Homesickness miniseries. A family owned and operated dairy that brings fresh milk to your fridge. 

In this episode of Nailing Homesickness, we meet Nouvelle, a Year 8 boarder at Canberra Girls Grammar School, whose upbringing in an Australian Defence Force family has shaped her ability to adapt, connect and grow.Having moved frequently throughout her childhood, Nouvelle shares how boarding school offered something deeply valuable - stability and a sense of belonging. While she began boarding with excitement, homesickness arrived a few weeks in, reminding her just how much she loved and missed her family. What followed, however, is a story of resilience, self-awareness and growth.Nouvelle speaks candidly about the strategies that helped her through: staying busy, getting involved in sport and co-curriculars, building friendships across year levels, leaning on trusted staff, and staying connected to home through phone calls and handwritten letters. She also shares how boarding helped her develop strong time-management skills - something she never expected but now values enormously.This episode is full of reassurance for new boarders and their families, reminding us that homesickness is normal, it does pass, and it often sits alongside incredible personal growth.As a companion to this conversation, we also recorded a beautiful interview with Nouvelle’s mum on Letters from Home, sharing the parent perspective of boarding school within a Defence family. Listen here. A must-listen for families navigating change, distance and the early days of boarding school.A big thank you to ⁠⁠Little Big Dairy Co⁠⁠ for sponsoring our Nailing Homesickness miniseries. A family owned and operated dairy that brings fresh milk to your fridge. 

In this episode of Nailing Homesickness, we hear from Isla, a Year 10 boarder who made the move from a farm near Dubbo to St Catherine’s in Sydney this year.With her first year of boarding still fresh in her mind, Isla shares what she found hardest about leaving home - her family, her dog, her sport and the familiarity of farm life - and what helped her through those early moments of homesickness. From getting involved in boarding house activities, to staying connected with family, to bravely trying something completely new in rowing, Isla’s story is both honest and reassuring.We also hear from Isla’s mum, Emma, in a heartfelt voice note reflecting on the year from a parent’s perspective. Emma speaks openly about the nerves of sending a child away for the first time, and the joy of watching Isla flourish - academically, socially and personally - through the structure, support and opportunities boarding school has provided.This episode is a gentle reminder that homesickness is normal, community matters, and with the right support, boarding school can truly open up a young person’s world.Perfect listening for families preparing for boarding school, and for students who need to know they’re not alone.A big thank you to ⁠Little Big Dairy Co⁠ for sponsoring our Nailing Homesickness miniseries. A family owned and operated dairy that brings fresh milk to your fridge. 

Today on Nailing Homesickness, we’re heading to a little place near Oaklands in southern New South Wales, not far from Albury and Yarrawonga, to meet Harry - a Year 8 boarder at Scotch College in Melbourne.Harry grew up working on the farm, helping his dad in the header or chaser bin at harvest, and boarding wasn’t just a new school - it was a whole new world. In Year 7 he found himself four hours from home, missing family, missing the farm, and trying to keep up with the academic step-up that comes with a school like Scotch.In this conversation, Harry talks honestly about those early days: the tears, the tough moments, and how getting out of his room, joining in activities, playing cricket with the other new boarders, and talking to his mates and parents made all the difference. He also shares how surprise care packages from Mum, regular phone calls, and simply “having a crack” at everything helped him move from just coping to actually thriving.If you’ve got a boy who’d rather be in a header than a classroom right now - or you’re a parent worried about how he’ll handle the transition - Harry’s story will feel very familiar and very reassuring. A big thank you to Little Big Dairy Co for sponsoring our Nailing Homesickness miniseries. A family owned and operated dairy that brings fresh milk to your fridge. 

In this episode of Nailing Homesickness, we’re heading northwest of Dubbo to chat with Lara, a Year 9 boarder at Hurlstone Agricultural High School - one of Australia’s most unique boarding schools, complete with a working farm right on campus.Lara’s boarding journey wasn’t something her family had planned. In fact, boarding only came onto the radar at the very last minute while they were exploring high school options. Since then, she’s navigated homesickness, friendship changes, new routines and the challenge of moving away having known no one.In this episode, Lara shares the gentle, practical ways she keeps herself grounded - from distracting herself when homesickness creeps in, to calling home regularly, to throwing herself into rural youth and show teams on the school farm. She talks beautifully about discovering her own confidence, handling friendship ups and downs, and realising she’s capable of far more than she expected.A big thank you to ⁠Little Big Dairy Co⁠ for sponsoring our Nailing Homesickness miniseries. A family owned and operated dairy that brings fresh milk to your fridge. 

In this episode of Nailing Homesickness, we’re heading a very long way from Brisbane - all the way to a cattle station in the Northern Territory, four hours south of Katherine, at the well-known Newcastle Waters.I’m chatting with Clementine, a Year 9 boarder at Stuartholme School in Brisbane, who first started boarding in Year 7. She’s one of three sisters - all boarding, all at Stuartholme - which I’m sure will make a few rural parents clutch their hearts… and their calculators.In this episode, Clem talks about what it’s really like to leave a tiny primary school and suddenly find yourself in classes twice the size of your whole school, in a city that’s close to two days travel from home. She shares honestly about homesickness, that fear of missing out on what’s happening back on the station, and how she’s learned to say “yes” to new opportunities - from tennis and netball to those very early rowing mornings.Clementine also gives some beautiful, practical advice for younger boarders: why it’s okay to feel homesick, why it’s okay to not feel homesick sometimes, and how calling home, talking to other boarders, and leaning into boarding routines and study support has helped her find her feet.If you’re a parent wondering how your child will cope so far from home, or a soon-to-be boarder listening along, I think you’ll find a lot of comfort and courage in Clementine’s story.A big thank you to ⁠Little Big Dairy Co⁠ for sponsoring our Nailing Homesickness miniseries. A family owned and operated dairy that brings fresh milk to your fridge. 

Today on Nailing Homesickness we’re chatting with Archie, a boarder at Brisbane Boys’ College who never – and I mean never – imagined he’d end up at a boarding school.Archie grew up in Gladstone in central Queensland, with strong country roots and a tight-knit group of mates. Boarding school wasn’t on the radar at all… until a BBC athletics scout spotted him at State Championships and started calling his dad. What followed was months of family conversations, a very reluctant mum, and a big decision that saw Archie start boarding halfway through Year 9 - right in the middle of rugby season.In this episode, Archie talks about the hardest parts of leaving home: missing his mates, his parents, and grandparents who’d just moved to be closer. He shares how jumping straight into sport, saying yes to a new game he’d never played, and getting around “the boys” in his dorm helped him settle, find his people, and ease the homesickness.He also speaks beautifully about how staying in touch - calling his mum every single night and keeping up with mates back home - has helped him feel like he truly belongs in both worlds.If you’ve got a teen who’s unsure about boarding, or you’re a parent hesitating on that big decision, Archie’s perspective will give you plenty to think about - and a lot of reassurance.A big thank you to ⁠Little Big Dairy Co⁠ for sponsoring our Nailing Homesickness miniseries. A family owned and operated dairy that brings fresh milk to your fridge. 

Western Australia’s size brings opportunity - and enormous challenge. In this episode of our capsule series Around Australia with the ICPA, Amanda Ferrari is joined by Jane Cunningham, President of ICPA Western Australia, to unpack the realities of accessing education across one of the largest and most sparsely populated states in the country.Jane shares how distance, travel costs and limited services shape schooling options for WA families - from early childhood through to boarding school, distance education and tertiary pathways. She explains the vital role of WA’s Schools of the Air and the School of Isolated and Distance Education (SIDE), and how targeted advocacy has led to new programs supporting maths and science in multi-age regional classrooms.The conversation also explores some of WA’s biggest pressure points: a declining boarding away-from-home allowance, cancelled school bus services, lack of transport support for School of the Air families, inclusion and disability support within residential colleges, teacher shortages driven by housing availability, and the urgent need for whole-of-government solutions across education, transport, housing and health.It’s a powerful reminder that for families in Western Australia, education access isn’t about choice -it’s about fairness and of course, equity. Above all else.If you would like to join the ICPA in your state, visit www.icpa.com.au⁠.If you didn’t catch Amanda’s conversation with Moira Lanzarin, President of ICPA Northern Territory it’s well worth a listen. Moira’s acknowledgment of the vast distances of NT life are mirrored here with Jane from WA. Two enormous parts of Australia that while sparsely populated pack above their weight for Australia’s economic prosperity.

Throughout the year, we’ve been following the work of the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association - the ICPA - across Australia. In these short episodes, we’ll be catching up with each State Council President to hear how their delegations to Parliament have gone, what motions were carried from their State Conferences, and the wins and challenges they’ve faced along the way.These conversations are a chance to celebrate the tireless advocacy of rural, regional and remote families who continue to champion equitable access to education - from early childhood right through to tertiary.Today we’re in South Australia, where engagement is surging - this year’s conference saw a record 29 motions. Belinda Hatcher shares how SA families are pushing for practical change: extending AIC support to start at preschool, valuing distance-education supervisors with a dedicated allowance, and reviewing the State Education Allowance (currently just over $5,000 and indexed) toward a fairer model that recognises real costs. There’s targeted work under way too - from airfare subsidies to help kids get home from boarding more affordably, to increases in school travel rates, to a common-sense tweak to the PATS scheme so geographically isolated families can reach the care they actually use. And in early childhood, new links with Child & Family Health and the RFDS are closing gaps for young mums and little ones across the South Australian outback. It’s all about one goal: support the family, and you keep the community.So, wherever you’re listening - in the ute, on the road, or out on the station - I hope you enjoy this snapshot of the ICPA in action in South Australia.If you would like to join the ICPA in your State visit www.icpa.com.au

Throughout the year, we’ve been following the work of the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association - the ICPA - across Australia. In these short episodes, we’ll be catching up with each State Council President to hear how their delegations to Parliament have gone, what motions were carried from their State Conferences, and the wins and challenges they’ve faced along the way.These conversations are a chance to celebrate the tireless advocacy of rural, regional and remote families who continue to champion equitable access to education - from early childhood right through to tertiary.Today we’re in Queensland, where advocacy runs like clockwork: State Council treks to Brisbane three times a year - August, November and March - to follow through on motions and keep doors open. As President Wendy Henning explains, the focus is practical and wide-ranging: real childcare access wherever families lay their heads (including stock camps), cutting red tape so teaching principals can actually teach, and ensuring home tutors in distance education have proper curriculum support materials - not wall-to-wall screens. Queensland’s also working to widen subject access for regional high-schoolers, strengthen VET and post-school pathways (including residential college options amid the housing crunch), and tackle transport gaps like kindy conveyance. The wins aren’t always flashy, but they’re real: seats at reference group tables, agencies inviting ICPA to their own table, and a united push - state and federal - to finally recognise the home tutor role in a state where 12 shires have no secondary school. Slow burns that lead to lasting change.So, wherever you’re listening - in the ute, on the road, or out on the station - I hope you enjoy this snapshot of the ICPA in action in Queensland.If you would like to join the ICPA in your State visit www.icpa.com.au.

Throughout the year, we’ve been following the work of the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association - the ICPA - across Australia. In these short episodes, we’ll be catching up with each State Council President to hear how their delegations to Parliament have gone, what motions were carried from their State Conferences, and the wins and challenges they’ve faced along the way.These conversations are a chance to celebrate the tireless advocacy of rural, regional and remote families who continue to champion equitable access to education - from early childhood right through to tertiary.Today we’re heading to the Northern Territory, where vast distances mean many kids must board interstate. As Moira Lanzarin so clearly puts it: if we support families with practical, flexible boarding allowances, we don’t just help a child - we keep whole families in the Territory. That stability flows through stations and small businesses, strengthens local workforces, and invites classmates and alumni back to live, work and lead in the NT. When families can educate their kids, access health services and stay connected, our remote regions don’t just survive - they thrive.So, wherever you’re listening — in the ute, on the road, or out on the station — I hope you enjoy this snapshot of the ICPA in action.

Throughout the year, we’ve been following the work of the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association - the ICPA - across Australia. In these short episodes, we’ll be catching up with each State Council President to hear how their delegations to Parliament have gone, what motions were carried from their State Conferences, and the wins and challenges they’ve faced along the way.These conversations are a chance to celebrate the tireless advocacy of rural, regional and remote families who continue to champion equitable access to education - from early childhood right through to tertiary.Today we’re in New South Wales - a state that’s “positively urban” on paper compared to some of our other States across Australia, but where families west of the ranges still juggle distance, patchy services and long drives. As Annabel Strachan reminds us from her home a couple of hundred kilometres west of Bourke, meaningful support keeps families on the land: that means practical allowances for students who must live away from home, removing barriers like means-testing where distance leaves no choice, and recognising the cost of getting little ones to preschool. It also means smart, local solutions - turning very remote one-teacher schools into pop-up education hubs that can flex for preschool and secondary needs, so kids can learn face-to-face with support. During this conversation Annabel shares some exciting news, news that sends powerful signal that the voices of families from rural and remote regions are being heard where decisions are made.So, wherever you’re listening - in the ute, on the road, or out on the station - I hope you enjoy this snapshot of the ICPA in action in New South Wales.If you would like to join the ICPA in your State visit www.icpa.com.au

Tamara Nixon is a sixth-generation farming mum from Oaklands in the Southern Riverina, balancing life on the land with the big-hearted reality of parenting three children away at boarding school in Melbourne. In this episode, Tamara shares why she believes so deeply in boarding - the resilience, diversity of opportunity, and the powerful sense of community it can create.But she also raises an issue more families are quietly noticing: particularly in places where it’s distances aren’t so vast like Victoria, boarding houses can empty out on weekends - and that shift can change the culture of belonging we often celebrate. Tamara talks frankly about what that means for boarders who stay, how schools can and have rebuilt community after COVID, and why honouring rural roots (and even agricultural pathways) matters more than ever.If you enjoyed this conversation, you might also love our Nailing Homesickness episode with Tamara’s son Harry, a student at Scotch College in Melbourne.

What regional boarding gives bush families - confidence, community, and opportunity.This episode takes us to Macquarie Anglican Grammar School (MAGS) in Dubbo for a milestone moment for them at the end of last year: the first cohort of boarders to complete the full six-year journey from Year 7 to Year 12 at this growing regional boarding school.First, Amanda chats with Eli Kinscher, Director of Boarding, about what it means to lead a regional, co-ed boarding community - and why boarding closer to home can be a game-changer for rural and remote families. Eli paints a picture of MAGS’ unique rural boarding campus just outside town, the rise of weekly boarding, and the culture they’ve built with families over the past decade.Then we hear from Abbey Medcalf, a boarder from Tottenham who completed Year 12 last year, reflecting on small-town life, early homesickness, finding her people, and the opportunities that helped her grow - from sport and community connections in Dubbo to her next big dream: studying Music Performance in Sydney.A warm, honest listen for any family considering boarding - especially those hoping for opportunity without feeling worlds away from home.

Special announcement: Since recording this episode, The Hon. Bronnie Taylor has been appointed Chair of the national charity Motherland. We’re thrilled for Bronnie and proud to support Motherland and their incredible work for rural and remote women across Australia. Congratulations, Bronnie!In this warmly honest episode of Letters from Home, Amanda sits down with Bronnie Taylor - oncology nurse, farmer’s wife, mum and proud rural woman - for a conversation that feels like a cuppa at the kitchen table. This isn’t about politics; it’s about the heart-work behind good policy and the everyday grit of life in the regions.Bronnie reflects on growing up across countries, finding her feet in a frosty little hamlet at the base of the Snowies, and discovering - like so many of us - that community lifts you when you let it. We talk boarding school from both sides: the way it shaped Bronnie’s courage as a teenager, and years later, how it shaped her mothering - homesick nights, the power of a school nurse’s timely call, and the “second families” that come from carpools, long weekends and shared netball courts.There’s plenty of laughter (red sports bloomers, train trips and questionable IDs), but also the truth rural parents know well: that love can look like letting go, and opportunity sometimes means distance. Bronnie pays tribute to the glue of rural life - women who organise, advocate, bake, budget and keep the wheels turning - while reminding us that our kids can leave the front gate and still carry home inside them.If you’re weighing up boarding, missing a child at boarding school,  or cheering one on from hundreds of kilometres away, this episode will feel like a letter in your mailbox on a long week. Press play, take a breath, and walk a little taller with us.

In this heartfelt episode of Letters from Home, Amanda sits down with Sarah Ryan, farmer’s wife, artist, and creator of the iconic Quandialla Candle Co. Broadcasting from her family’s merino stud in southern NSW, Sarah shares her beautifully honest story of raising three children in a tiny village school, navigating the drought years, running a creative business from a backyard studio - and ultimately embracing the realities of boarding school life.With one son now graduated and working as a jackaroo, another in Year 11, and her daughter freshly into Year 7 at a Sydney girls’ school, Sarah reflects on the full arc of the boarding journey. She talks about the hopes, the fears, the tough moments, and the quiet victories that have shaped each of her kids -  and her as a mother.This conversation explores:• Choosing between regional and metropolitan boarding schools• The emotional shock of the first drop-off• Parenting from afar (and how communication has changed)• When to step in -  and when to “go floppy”• How family dynamics shift when one child leaves home• The resilience, tolerance and life skills boarding school quietly builds• The unique grief rural parents carry - and why we must talk about itSarah’s warmth, wisdom and humour make this an incredibly grounding listen for any family on the boarding school path.Her message is clear: trust the process, trust the schools, and trust that your child will grow in ways you can’t yet imagine.A must-listen for rural, regional and remote parents preparing to let go - just a little.Take a look at Quandialla Candle Co. here!

In this two part episode of Letters from Home, we’re joined by Tannas Godfrey, whose story is one of quiet determination and incredible adaptability.Tannas grew up on North Stradbroke Island, where life revolved around the surf club, small-town friendships and salt-sprayed independence. But when school on the island finished at Year 8, her parents made a brave decision that would change everything — boarding school. What began as a practical solution to a long barge commute turned into the first step of a remarkable journey.From Ipswich Girls’ Grammar to a career in the Australian Army — serving in logistics, deployment operations and even United Nations work — Tannas’ path took her far beyond the surf breaks of Straddie. Yet, like so many of us, love drew her back to the bush. She swapped military bases for life on a remote property near Cunnamulla, then further west again into the Northern Territory.Now a mother and former School of the Air teacher, Tannas shares her lived experience of raising children in isolation, choosing boarding school, and the emotional mix of pride and ache that comes with it. Her reflections on transition, confidence, and finding the right school fit are full of wisdom for any family standing on that edge of change.This is a story about resilience, belonging, and the power of saying yes to the unknown.Enjoy my conversation with Tannas Godfrey.

In this two part episode of Letters from Home, we’re joined by Tannas Godfrey, whose story is one of quiet determination and incredible adaptability.Tannas grew up on North Stradbroke Island, where life revolved around the surf club, small-town friendships and salt-sprayed independence. But when school on the island finished at Year 8, her parents made a brave decision that would change everything — boarding school. What began as a practical solution to a long barge commute turned into the first step of a remarkable journey.From Ipswich Girls’ Grammar to a career in the Australian Army — serving in logistics, deployment operations and even United Nations work — Tannas’ path took her far beyond the surf breaks of Straddie. Yet, like so many of us, love drew her back to the bush. She swapped military bases for life on a remote property near Cunnamulla, then further west again into the Northern Territory.Now a mother and former School of the Air teacher, Tannas shares her lived experience of raising children in isolation, choosing boarding school, and the emotional mix of pride and ache that comes with it. Her reflections on transition, confidence, and finding the right school fit are full of wisdom for any family standing on that edge of change.This is a story about resilience, belonging, and the power of saying yes to the unknown.Enjoy my conversation with Tannas Godfrey.

Some families spend generations in one postcode. Paddocks and fence lines become the story of a life. Today’s guest, Kate B*, has lived a very different rhythm - one defined by movement. As a Defence Force wife, Kate has packed up her family nine times in just over twenty years, moving interstate and overseas, sometimes with months to plan… and sometimes with only six weeks’ notice, like the posting to Singapore when she was 30 weeks pregnant. Canberra. Sydney. Back again. New houses, new schools, new doctors, new everything - again and again.If you’re listening from the bush, where we often don’t move at all, this is a window into another world - and a reminder that the ache for belonging lives in all of us, whether we stay or go.What struck me most about Kate is her quiet courage. She’ll tell you she’s an introvert, yet every move required her to become the family’s front-runner for connection: standing at the school gate to chat, volunteering in classrooms, arranging those early playdates, phoning other parents she’d never met and saying, “Let’s grab dinner so our girls can feel at home.” She built village after village so her kids didn’t have to do it alone.And then there’s the way she makes “home” travel with them: the same furniture, the same candle scent lit on day one, the same beloved plants that the kids ask for when the boxes arrive. For Kate’s family, home isn’t a street; it’s the people and the rituals that move with you.When the constant relocating began to pinch most sharply - especially for high school - Kate and her husband offered their daughter something different: boarding. Not because home didn’t hold, but because friendships and learning needed a steady place to land. Their daughter chose it, after a try-out night in the boarding house and plenty of honest conversation. And while the first goodbye stung, what followed surprised Kate: deeper daily connection. Morning check-ins, an afternoon debrief, and then a sacred daily phone call, uninterrupted minutes that many families living under one roof never get.You’ll hear the nuance in Kate’s story: one child naturally resilient, another still building those muscles; a mother who’s had to put herself out there even when it felt unnatural; the professional sacrifices of moving every couple of years; and the unexpected gifts - confidence, cultural horizons, friendships forged in unlikely places. You’ll hear practical wisdom too: that there’s nearly always a way to get involved, even from far away - zooming into P&F meetings, turning up to the annual parent dinner, finding guardians you trust.This conversation is for anyone weighing big decisions about their child’s schooling and sense of belonging - especially our rural and remote mums who don’t move much at all but who know, deeply, what distance feels like. Kate reminds us that stability isn’t always about a fixed address; sometimes it’s the steady love and the brave phone call that make all the difference.*full name withheld 

In the second half of our conversation with Kimberley Wilson from Rutchillo Station near Julia Creek, we pick up where we left off - talking about her daughter Cadence, a bush kid turned medical student whose journey began in a tiny schoolroom on the family’s outback station.After almost two decades as a home educator, Kimberley has seen education evolve across the airwaves and through the seasons. In this episode, she shares how that dedication - and her own teaching background - helped shape Cadence’s path from the station classroom to Fairholme College in Toowoomba, and now to studying medicine at James Cook University.We also talk about the realities of remote life: farewelling children for boarding school, the challenges of distance, and the quiet strength it takes to keep children on track from hundreds of kilometres away. Kimberley opens up about her ongoing advocacy with the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association and her hopes for fair, accessible education for every rural and remote child.It’s a heartfelt continuation of a story about family, endurance and the opportunities that grow from even the most isolated corners of Australia.Read:It’s The Ultimate Collaboration: Rural Boarders x Agricultural AdvocacyListen now wherever you get your podcasts. If, like Kimberley, you’re a family based in remote north-west Queensland then keep an eye on our Mount Isa Boarding Schools Expo page - we’ll be back up there in November next year and schools are registering to join us.