Myella Farm Stay

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14th July 2008 - Myella Farm Stay in Barabela

We got picked up from our hostel ealry in the morning and then picked up Hannah from Sweden who arrived late on her Greyhound bus.

After an hour we arrived at Myella Farm which is pretty much almost in the outback - it is just the beginning of the red dust which you get in the centre of Oz.

First thing we were shown was how to cook toast on the campfire and how to pour the water from the kettles that hang over the fire 24/7.

We had to change into old farm clothes for the day - very flattering!

We had brekkie and then we were taken to the stables where we were given a horse for the duration of our stay. My horse was called Barnaby he was absolutely huge. I am a bit afraid of horses after riding one called Shirty on a school trip to the Lake District who wandered down the hill side away from our group. So I hope Barnaby is nice to me. Amy had a lovely strawberry blonde horse called McCafferty, Hannah had a really stroppy white horse, Trigger. We walked round the yard for a while to get used to our horses and then Shane our instructor took us for a 2 hour ride.

We rode through the red dust fields first which was just amazing, the sun feels so strong so we were very grateful for our long sleeved shirts. We saw 3 black headed pythons on our ride which was awesome. Aparently it is pretty rare to see them so we were very lucky. We did a circuit back through long grass fields and you could see groups of kangaroos and wallabies sheltering under trees for shade.

After the ride you have to take the saddle off your horse, wash them down etc......Barnaby kept trying to bite me when I was washing him....bad Barnaby.

After a very healthy lunch it was time for the dirt bike lesson. Amy was clearly a natural. After a few laps round the track she was off on the farm route. I on the other hand was deemed a danger to myself and others and was not allowed off the practise track. Kids of 12 and up are allowed to ride these bikes so I was a bit upset...Trevor my instructor was brutal and just kept shouting at me to 'change gear', 'brake', 'stand up' etc.....

I was absolutely exhausted in the afternoon so I had a cat nap while Amy was still out on the bike. Hannah got back from her 4 wd tour of the farm and then we went to see Clyde and Bernie the calves....aw they were soo cute.

There is also a tame kangaroo here - cue lots of photos of me and Amy with the kangaroo, Cutie.

After dinner that night we all had a very early night. Not worked this hard in ages!

Lucy x

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Photos

Hannah and Amy
In their farm clothes he he

Lucy in Farm Clothes
No comment!

Black headed Python
We rode through Snake Ridge where we saw this python

Lucy and Clyde
Lovely Clyde who kept escaping to eat the garden plants

Lucy and Amy
In our cabin at Myella