All finished on the cattle station! Hoo-Ray!!!

10-03

Mustering the biggest mob!

The mob mustered today was around 1000 head and we pretty much got them in with no drama!

10-04

A agent named Mick came out to inspect and take pictures of the cattle and put there profile on the auction website were they are sold. We had to weigh them in the crush while he checked them over. I had to bang-tail about a hundred of them to be sold later and this time I was told that was the last of bang-tailing for sure this time! 

10/05

Firestorm!!!

During the afternoon we were tailing the cattle out in the paddock as they were gazing a storm was approaching and all of a sudden ben spots some smoke about a km away. Before you know the wind starts right up and the fire is well over the treetops so we rush the cattle back home to the yards as fast as we can and fill up the tank for the firefighter and then, thank goodness, it started to pour down rain and put out the fire!

10/06

Dan left today so it was the first sign that the mustering was coming to an end even though we did still have a few more paddocks to do.

10/07 - 10/12

A little of this, a little of that!

10/13

Maryvale muster

We woke up extra early this morning and hit the road to muster Ben’s cattle he has on adjustment on another property. We got them in and drafted the lot. We set up thier homemade branding trailer and put it through it’s paces and it worked well. Ben is very proud of his creation!

10/14 - 10/17

A little more of this, a little more of that!

10/18

Booked my plane ticket and had another big storm

I booked my flight out of Queensland the day after my last day of work! Just have to hope the weather stays fair the day before we head into townsville. I got some pretty cool picks of this storm approaching and once it was here. It was a doozy.

10/20

Bull muster mayhem!

We mustered the bull paddock and of course the last one we muster goes great until just before we get back to the yards, one last little creek crossing and the bulls take off every witch way into the prickly bushes and we scramble all over to try and regroup the mob. I thought we did a good job of that and got the mob into the holding paddock. We had to go back to get the few that made a quick escape into the prickly bushes and rounded them up with no problems. While I was holding the bulls on the trough I got a great picture of a hawk flying overhead with the moon behind him in the blue sky, very cool picture.

10/21

2nd kill

The beast we killed this time was in the yards from the muster the day before so Ben just shot him right there and we cleaned him in the shade behind the shed!

10/22

Another day in the meat house!

Made sausages all day long and went into Richmond for some jazz fest and it was a marching band from the army. It was a good time though.

10/24 - 10/26

Last days on the cattle station

Sprayed some prickly bushes with poison in 39c heat!!! Not very fun at all, but I will remember that forever!!! Did some other odd jobs including more spraying in a cooler 35c! Not really a great last two days of work in the Queensland outback but I was almost free so it didn’t phase me at all!

10/27

Back to civilization 

At 6am drove 600km’s into Townsville, flew 1700km’s to Sydney and then took the train 160km’s to Newcastle and arrived about 10pm. Whew! Big day of travel eh! It was so nice to be there and sleep in there awesome super comfy guest bed!

10/28 - Present

Just catching up on some well deserved rest! Also eating chicken and seafood and NO beef! haha

Shane and Pam’s place

I stayed with Veronica’s Mom and step-dad for a week or so catching up on some well deserved rest, also so eating chicken and seafood and NO beef! haha. Helped out around the place while I was there too, doing some sanding, rake and cut the lawn and kept the place tidy. Went for a few runs in the park and walks down to the mall, they live in a great location! I had time to catch up with everyone and make some plans for the future! New Zealand it is!

Continued: Home, home on the range!

09/11

1st time milking a cow and found Jordon Jr. (maybe)

I milked a cow first thing in the morning and I always thought it would be really easy and I was wrong! It’s a lot harder than one would think, I have a new respect for all the people who have told me they had to milk cows every morning when they were growing up! Later on that day Alex and I were out fixing a few wire gates and came along a little abandoned calf and he distracted the little guy while I sneaked up behind him and tackled the poor little guy with all my weight when probably I could have used an eighth or less!!! We brought the malnourished calf back to put with the milking cows and other motherless calfs hoping he would start feeding and he did! Alex said they would name him Jordon and then said he still might die if he drinks to much milk to fast, so I said we couldn’t name him after me until we knew he would live for sure. 

09/12 - 09/14

Cut the hair and beard and sported a mustache for a day

I decided to trim the beard and while doing so I tested out a few different styles while taking it off and went to dinner with a shaved head with full beard to get some feedback! It was varied! I shaved the rest off except for the stash and wore it proud all day long while I was being constantly harassed. The helicopter came out to muster for the last time this day.

09/15

Maxwelton dip

Three road trains showed up early this morning to take the wieners back to Meriula. Because they have to cross the railway line the cattle have to be dipped in some poison incase the have ticks on them. The guy who runs the dip needs to change professions because he is extremely mean to the cattle with his electric cattle prod.

09/17

Richmond spouse hunters ball

We went into town for the big ball and was a pretty good party but was the most expensive party I’ve ever been to! Cost me $80 to get in and all that was included was some food! I never found a spouse either, haha!

09/23

Jordon Jr. and I

We left Debella this morning and I said goodbye to Marie, I picked up Jordon Jr. and got a few pictures with him who looked healthy and was doing just great!

09/25

Leilavale Muster and railway cross

With two paddocks to muster up at Leilavale we spent a week or so back up there and to get the cattle back to the yards we had to cross them over the railway line which was a little different and added some excitement knowing a train could come over the hill at any moment and we would have to act fast to get the cattle of the line. They went across the line the best they’ve ever gone the guys said, and I said it must have been the Canadian presence! We had to cross the line with cattle four times and no trains came which was good. The last couple times I was on horseback getting them across the line and on my very last ride with my horse Mighty! I conquered my fear and went for a few gallops for the first time since I fell off!!!

I stayed on the horse this time but I still felt a little unstable with that saddle, thank goodness I had no more riding that horse! 

09/28

1st time branding a calf and last of the bang-tailing (so I was told!!!)

With the last mob in the yards I bang-tailed the last of them and we figured I did between 4000 - 4500 cows!!! WOW That’s a lot of tail cutting! I asked if I could brand a couple calfs so I did! Just have to cut a couple testicles out and stick my arm up a cows but to preg-test one then I’ve done it all! No thanks, I’ll pass on those two!

09-29

Ride in a road train

The plan was to get a ride in a road train from Leilavale to Meriula, but I ended up going from Leilavale to the second gate, about a km away! We were bringing two trucks back and I had to drive one. The road train driver was a nice guy and even got out to take some pictures of me in front and sitting in the drivers seat!

09-30

Debella lick run on my own

Ben and I had to go up to Debella for the day, Ben had to do some bobcat work and I was to put out three tons of lick for the cows. (Salt lick is mainly protein because the grass is protein deficient). I had been on some runs previously but still needed Ben to make out some maps for me cause the lick drums were hard to spot sometimes.

Pictures on Facebook!