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Published: June 30th 2008
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I arrived at Brisbane early Thursday morning hoping for better weather! Instead I got rain and had to wait in the airport for 4 hours to be picked up as there had been a mix up!!
Onwards and upwards, the guy from Outbackpackers was really nice and took me to my hostel then on into town to sort my visa and phone sim etc. I then got to meet up with the rest of the people on the same course as me. We spent the next few days looking around Brisbane and having a bit of a rest before Monday and the start of our training. How wrong were we!! because of all the rain the ranch was flooded and they were unable to run the course so we had to wait a week!!
I managed to keep myself busy though. Me and a couple of the others walked out to Mt Coot-tha and then up it. A bit longer than we had anticaped after Sarah directions of its just up this street and then turn onto here and we are there!! The Street was about 5km long! lol A good day though and great ice cream at the
top of the Mt!! Well deserved I think!
Among other things we went to Southbank market, took the CityKat up and back down the river and ambled through the Botanic gardens. We also went to the cinema to see Sex & the City which lightened everyone's mood after a good laugh!!
A week later and we made it to Goomeri and the Training ranch. It was such a good laugh, well worth the wait. Our trainers were really nice and very informative but a good laugh at the same time. I was lucky to be on the course with a great bunch of people. The first day was pretty much travelling there and meeting everyone, lunch and a look around. Tuesday was when all the fun started! We learnt to tack up a horse and get to a trot. Not that I was very good and to be quite honest, was quite happy just walking and so was my horse! He just didn't want to move, probably not a bad thing in hind sight!! lol Then the best bit of the day, I got to drive a tractor!!
Wednesday I was supposed to be riding a motorbike unfortunately
the 'wheels were to big' lol I couldn't sit on it and touch the floor!! Nothing to do with the fact I'm too short of course!! Hasten to say I wasn't allowed to ride so got to play on the quadbikes instead!! In the afternoon they let me loose with a chainsaw!! Thursday was 4wd and quadbiking which was fun and we had a bit of a race at the end and the girls beat the boys!! God we're sooo good!! lol Friday was our last day and we got to muster and draft some cattle. Probably my favourite day of the week as we got to use the skills we learnt in the week and work in a team. Ooh nearly forgot to say in the course of the week I managed to get myself a job!! yipee
Saturday we all said goodbye and for me a 22.5 hr bus ride to Winton where I was going to work. Russell my new boss picked me up Sunday afternoon. Lets just say I can see grass paddocks from which ever way I look and thats it!! If you want remoteness come here!! lol In all seriousness though its a
nice place and the people I've met so far have been great.
I've actually been here for 2 weeks already, time is just flying!! Since being here I've helped muster and draft various cattle either to be sent to the meat works, feed lots, or to other farmers. I've helped with some heffer's who were preg tested and also various cattle to be tagged. I've also helped out in general from mowing the lawn which was a lot bigger than I thought, it took my 1.75hrs to do (I told Russ he needs an electric one! lol) to helping out in the house. I visited one of Russ' neighbours last week who have a baby kangaroo and calf which I got to feed. We spent the best part of a day there which was good as they had some family over and we all sat around chatting and drinking!!
The last few days I've been on another farm where Russ had cattle which needed to to carted back to his place. Same thing helped to muster and load them.
Well thats about me for now. Hope you're all ok. Em x
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