Catriona Rowntree has spent her life travelling the world but home is where her heart is and for the last 24 years that heart has been very much in the hands of farmer, James Pettit.
The Getaway star has managed to keep her family out of the spotlight during her three decade-long career but the love she has for her hubby and two sons bubbles up in the occasional interview or Instagram post, letting her fans share in her fairytale story.
How did Catriona Rowntree meet her husband?
Pettit and Rowntree were set up by one of Rowntree’s friends.
“My best friend gives me a call and she says, ‘Catriona, I’ve met the one. His friend is having a birthday party for him and I want you to come’,” Rowntree told Channel 9.
But it wasn’t a party at a fancy hotel or bar in Sydney. Rowntree found herself on a farm in Victoria and the moment she saw Pettit she knew she was in trouble.
“I just nudged my girlfriend and went, ‘I approve,'” she said.
At the time, Rowntree was living in Sydney and the idea of upping roots and moving to a country farm wasn’t top of her agenda. But in the end romance won out and the pair got engaged in 2007.
The following year on April 5, 2008, the pair exchanged wedding vows and it was time for Rowntree to fully embrace the country life.
“I had to change states, I had to give up everything to marry this guy,” she said. “The moment I married I became a part of this team.”
Is Catriona Rowntree still married?
Pettit isn’t on social media and Rowntree tends to focus on work-related posts but the pair are still very much together as seen in a cute selection of photos she shared for his recent birthday in March, 2024.
“Happiest of birthdays to this hunk of burnin’ love. He’s not on Insta so I can let rip with the pics (do you detect a theme in ours? 🤔) but he’s a good egg is this one, broke the mould and all that…here’s to a day of love and cuddles,” she wrote alongside them.
She also shared with Channel 9 how Pettit keeps the romance alive.
“His idea of romance is organising the rams to join the ewes so that they have their babies on my birthday, he thinks that’s beautiful,” she joked.
The pair have been married 16 years. “ain’t love grand,” Rowtree shared on a photo to mark their anniversary last year.
How many children does Catriona Rowntree have?
The couple share two sons, Andrew, 15 and Charles, 13.
When Andrew was born, both Pettit and Rowntree were both 39 and aware of the challenges had they made the decision to delay having a second child.
“I’m in my late thirties so I didn’t want to muck around,” Catriona told Woman’s Day in 2010, while she was pregnant with Charles. “While that baby changing table is out, we may as well put it to good use!”
Baby change tables are long gone for the pair now and in December 2023 Charles graduated from primary school.
“That’s a wrap for Charlie, couldn’t be more proud,” Rowntree posted on Instagram at the time.
“I was sure when he excelled at maths he must’ve been swapped in the delivery room, however he’s apparently a natural in front of the camera, so all is well in the world. Sending hugs to all parents feeling a little emotional, over their little ones moving on.”
Where does Catriona Rowntree live?
Rowntree spent much of her life travelling somewhere exotic for her job on Getaway, and pre-pandemic would travel 42 weeks a year.
Covid changed all that though and her full time home now is a sheep-and-grain property near Little River in Victoria.
She also owns an apartment in Melbourne. “Who doesn’t love a city escape? I am sure we will put it to good use,” she told Domain.
