Rachel Hunter “Why I'm Never Alone”

Returning to her spiritual home of India ahead of her 50th birthday, Rachel Hunter invited The Australian Women’s Weekly to join her. Over several days in the colourful region of Rajasthan, the Kiwi icon bared her soul, giving her most intimate interview. She tells Emma Clifton about heartbreak, the beauty of ageing and why women shouldn’t fear being alone.

- Emma Clifton

I can only assume that when Charles Dickens wrote the sentence, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” he was also attempting to do a magazine cover shoot in India during the hottest week on record. A small team of us have descended upon Rajasthan, the colourful, soulful heart of the country, to celebrate the release of Rachel Hunter’s debut book – part travel diary, part wellness manual, based on her life-altering experience shooting the first series of her TV show Tour of Beauty.

It was a job that not only changed Rachel’s direction in life, but also introduced her to India – a country that has held a special place in her heart ever since. So of course, where else could we shoot our cover for this very special issue?

As we set up to do the very first shot with Rachel, a quick succession of unexpected yet hilarious events begins, each of which makes it clear that this will be shoot unlike any other.

Our week in India turns into the one that breaks all previous temperature records. So hot that mandatory curfews are enforced in parts of Delhi. So hot that water starts to run out. So hot that every local we chat to chastises us for picking the worst week possible to visit Rajasthan. So hot, in fact, that we can only shoot from 5am to 8am, or late in the evening, or we risk heatstroke.