In partnership with Onitsuka Tiger

For much of her life, Natasha Liu Bordizzo has been in motion. The Australian actor has spent years moving between sets across cities and countries, thanks to a job that has taken her everywhere from Australia to Los Angeles and beyond. Now, she’s pressing pause – at least for a little while – and putting down roots in New South Wales' Northern Rivers.

A month into this new chapter, Bordizzo is trading skyscrapers for a mountain in her backyard, and the hum of city life for very loud frogs. It’s a slower pace, but not an inactive one. Her days are filled with practical tasks – long walks, journaling, reading, long walks and plenty of time outside, often in the TAI-CHI OG from Onitsuka Tiger, which has become part of her new everyday uniform. “Being here, above all, gives me the present moment,” she tells RUSSH.

That sense of presence extends to the way Bordizzo thinks about movement, too. Having practised martial arts from a young age, she has long understood physical movement as a way of processing whatever is happening internally. It’s a fitting philosophy for a shoe like the TAI-CHI OG, with a design that takes cues from the world of martial arts, and for Bordizzo’s own life, where getting dressed often means choosing pieces that can move with her. From climbing a gum tree to digging out drainage pipes, an easy, functional sneaker like the TAI-CHI OG makes sense.

Below, Bordizzo sends postcards to RUSSH from her new home in the Northern Rivers, reflecting on slowing down, staying grounded and finding her way back to the present.

What does being here in the Northern Rivers give you that life elsewhere doesn’t?

I’m settling into a rural property on the Northern Rivers! I moved in around a month ago, with the vague plan to spend some time here, and some in LA. I’ve always wanted to live away from cities and it’s never felt possible with work… but I finally just took the leap! It’s hard to summarise what being on property far from skyscrapers does to someone’s nervous system. I fall asleep to the chorus of very loud frogs; a constant hum from the pond. I wake to the sharp calls of whipbirds. It’s hard to have a single intrusive thought when the living world around you is constantly saying, “Look! Be here! Be with us!” The day is full of purposeful tasks that are out in the sunshine, and I’ve already vastly improved upon my skill set involving drills and other tools. The view of the mountain looks different every hour, and I’m constantly stopping mid-task to see what type of bird is making that call, or how the clouds look that evening. Being here, above all, gives me the present moment – less time in my head and more time alert to the world around me.

What does switching off actually look like for you? Is there a ritual, place or part of your day here that signals it’s time to slow down?

I’m pretty spontaneous since you kind of have to be in this industry, but I like to protect a few rituals in my mornings and my late evenings as best I can. On mornings during days off, I’ll usually journal (with a coffee of course) and then write a little vision board for the day including a to-do list and probably a few little doodles in the corner. Doing this brings some structure to each day, since every day is different with my work. Ideally, I like to do all of that without a time limit, or even really knowing what time it is. Switching off for me involves losing track of time whenever I have the luxury to.

Los Angeles and the Northern Rivers operate at very different rhythms. What do you value about moving between those two worlds?

Getting to have a bit of both worlds means I don’t take anything for granted from either. Living rurally of course means giving up many conveniences. On my next trip to LA, even getting to order a food delivery will be such a treat. And I love that I won’t be taking any seemingly small thing like that for granted.

Has spending so much time away changed the way you see this part of Australia – or what you appreciate about being here?

Absolutely. I’ve been lucky enough to have my work take me all over the world, but after all the wild experiences I just craved simplicity and quality time with my people.

Small town NSW reminds me of where I grew up in Sydney when I was kid, before all the apartments and fast food restaurants came in. There are more local, small businesses; you get to meet the people putting the food on your plate, and there isn’t a hundred cafes and restaurants to choose from; there’s just your few local joints. Which I love. In a world of too much, of so much noise, I’ve craved less less less.

When your work requires you to constantly be somewhere new, what are the things that make you feel grounded wherever you are?

Journaling, reading fantasy (escapism!), FaceTiming my people, essential oils, walking around the neighbourhood I’m in, and bringing my own bedsheets.

Do you approach getting dressed differently when you’re here? What do you naturally reach for when the day is slower and there’s nowhere in particular you need to be?

When I'm at home, comfort and functionality are everything to me. I want to be dressed in clothes and shoes that can take me anywhere from relaxing at home, to brunch with a friend, to digging out drainage pipes by the shed. There's certain clothes, like the faded lilac Onitsuka Tiger set I wore, that feel like that: comfortable enough to be sweatpants, durable enough to do tasks in, cute enough to feel spunky in!

You grew up practising martial arts. How has that relationship with movement shaped the way you move through life beyond the physical discipline?

Growing up practising martial arts taught me a lot about discipline, processing emotions and patience from a young age. Even at my most 'emo' stage of adolescence, I always felt a complete energy shift after a training session; the movement wasn’t just physical, it shifted everything within me mentally and emotionally as well. I think it taught me that emotions and energy need outlets, whether it be a workout, a cry, a stretching session or a long walk. Movement keeps everything from getting stagnant; your thoughts and emotions included.

The TAI-CHI OG draws from a similar history of martial arts and movement. Does that connection give the shoe a different resonance for you?

It's such an iconic sneaker. The pop of colour that immediately brings Bruce Lee and of course Kill Bill to mind paired with the sleek minimalist design just feels like a timeless homage to classic martial arts style. It adds an agile touch to any outfit. Martial arts and movement has been such a formative part of my life, so wearing something that brings a touch of that aesthetic into my day to day is really satisfying.

How does the TAI-CHI OG fit into the way you actually live when you’re home as opposed to your LA style personality?

It fits seamlessly into my day-to-day. The timeless, unfussy profile of a shoe that can be pulled on for anything from quick city errands to nimble tasks on the property, out in the elements.

What’s a small pleasure or ritual you’ve rediscovered by spending time here?

More play! Especially outside. I’ll find random moments in the day to have a swing on the rope chair, climb the lower branches of our big gum tree or even kick a football around. I forgot how important being a kid in that way is.

If this postcard could capture one feeling from this quieter chapter of your life to take back with you when you leave, what would you want it to be?

Remembering that everything is connected. That we are part of this big beautiful nature, not separate from it.