When people go on a reality TV show to find the love of their life, it doesn’t always end in a baby announcement and a full-blown commitment to each other. But when Clare Hockings decided to try to find her life partner on Farmer Wants A Wife in 2023, well, things kind of ended that way. Clare was raised in Scone NSW, Australia’s horse capital. And later in the country music capital of Tamworth. She worked in childcare and the local stockyards and spent her weekends with her horses. So she knew what she was getting into when she decided to look for love with a farmer. And when she met farmer Brad from Cootamundra, she was pretty smitten. But at one point, Clare wanted to leave the show, but Brad asked her not to. And lucky he did that because when the final episode of the season went to air, Clare was already living with Brad, and she was pregnant! Clare and I talk about everything from finding love on reality TV to what happens when you find out you're pregnant in a relatively new relationship, and what the first eight months of rural motherhood have been like for her.

Our incredible winter podcast sponsor Cable is offering an exclusive 15% off discount on all full-price styles on their website! Visit cablemelbourne.com and use the code MOTHER15 for your discount, this offer is only available until the 30th of November.

Motherland will be back in your ears on Monday October 7 with a brand new Spring season!

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I met Deb Frecklington at Beef Week in Rockhampton this year at a cocktail party, and before she knew it, I’d roped her into sharing her story for the first time like this. Deb is a proud Queenslander who grew up on a cattle property. She’s worn many hats throughout her career including producer, and, politician. Amongst it all, she’s a mum to three girls.

Deb has served as the Leader of the Opposition, and the Shadow Minister for Agriculture just to name a few roles. She’s currently the State Member for Nanango and Shadow Minister for Energy and the Cost of Living, Shadow Minister for Water and the Construction of Dams and Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing. It’s a mouthful, and a handful, but throughout her career and humble beginnings, her values have been quite simple.

Family has always been her driving force. This isn’t a chat about politics (thank god!), this is a conversation about Deb’s personal journey including her love of the land, her passion for encouraging rural women to follow their dreams, and her remarkable family journey. This is her story.

Aside from knitwear and luxe wool coats, our winter podcast sponsor CABLE also specialises in other natural fibres, such as silk, Tencel and cotton - used to craft beautiful dresses and matching sets, perfect for a special occasion or event. Click HERE to shop.

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Meredith Boddington, or Merry, as she likes to be called, went through her 20s and 30s looking for Mr Right. Raised on a sheep farm near Naracoorte in South Australia, Merry trained as a teacher. Her work took her across South Australia and into Victoria. But still no Mr Right. And then she met Wayne. A farmer who was also from Naracoorte. It turned out the person she had been looking for for all those years was a bloke from her country town! Merry and Wayne hit it off instantly, and after they got married, they knew they wanted a baby. So, they went to the local GP, who sent them to Adelaide - a 4 hour drive away - to see an IVF specialist. Merry was approaching 50, and knew it wasn’t going to be easy. After 12 rounds of IVF and an egg donor, Merry fell pregnant at 49. Max, her son, is now 15 years old, and Merry joins me to share her remarkable story, and to give hope to those who still haven’t found the one. This is her story.

With 19 retail stores and counting, our winter podcast sponsors CABLE have cemented themselves as a leading Australian womenswear brand for premium woollen knitwear and coats, luxurious daywear and quality everyday essentials. In addition to locations in Victoria, NSW, SA, WA, ACT and TAS, you can also find CABLE in over 40 independent fashion stockists across Australia, and 18 in New Zealand.

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