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Published: January 17th 2007
Middalya Homestead
A beautiful sunrise After a 15 hour Journey the day, Which I’ll have to say was pretty uninteresting, as bus journeys are known to be. I arrived late that evening in Carnarvan, where I was picked up by Doug and taken back to the local motel where the rest of the family are staying.
After a good nights sleep, it's up early to have breakfast and meet everyone again. Doug then heads back to the station while Me, Tiff and the kids do the shopping before leaving the town behind us and head into the outback, to Middalya Station.
All the kids seemed really pleased to be heading back and couldn't wait to show me their home. On the journey there, I told a lot about what to expect. The station it's self is half a million acre's. Their nearest neighbor, Wandagee, is half an hour away. The nearest bitumen is 82km's away. Middalya is 250km away from the nearest town. All mail and supplies comes out to the Station once a week. So if something is forgotten, you either make do, or it's a five hour round trip. Middalya has been in Doug's family for generations. Where they farmed sheep up
Out on the Station
this calf is just a couple of days old until and few years when they made the decision to change to cattle.
After turning off the Bitumen we travel for another hour on a dirt road with nothing but red dirt and bush to see. When finally we arrive at the Station, it is almost a surprise to see a human presence, in the middle nowhere.
After being shown around and settling in to my accommodation, which is known as a donger . A sort of static caravan. It’s nice as it is a little away from the main homestead. I wasn’t on my own though, The bathroom was also home to a few local tree frogs who had decided to take up residence. They not only enjoyed living in the toilet but also the taps and shower. Always make sure you flush first, check under the seat, and when brushing teeth, run the tap first as you might end up with a frog on your toothbrush instead of toothpaste.
That evening I got to know the Hearman family over dinner. The next day it was an early rise to start my first day at work. Which was pretty much cooking, cleaning, general housework and looking
Bird Life
Young Spotted Harrier? after the kids. I think that’s all that needs to be said about the job, anymore information won’t make for interesting reading.
But I will say that as it was the middle of summer, most days the temperature was souring towards 40°C and upwards. On these days the pool became a sanctuary for everyone. One day the temperature topped the scale at 49°C.
Although the homestead is miles away from anywhere I surprised to find that they always had visitors. If it wasn’t the neighbors, it was the dogger, Jim and his wife Kim or maybe the roo shooter, nick. Or any number of people for that matter.
While I was there. I was totally amazed by the amount of wildlife that there is around the Station. There was always loads of kangaroo’s to see at dusk. Lizards basking in the sun and a amazing amount of birds. I loved watching the Rainbow Bee eaters diving into the pool. One day a young harrier flew into the garden. He was so dehydrated that he spent that entire day sat under a sprinkler. He recovered after a few days and flew off again. Also had a close encounter with
monitor lizard
This one was almost 2 metres long a snake. one evening As I was on my way to bed I noticed a snake coming out from underneath my donger. As I knew tiff and Doug were still on the veranda chatting to Nick (the roo shooter). I gave them a shout. Before I knew it Doug came racing armed with a gun, shortly followed by Nick. When they spotted my snake, they just laughed and told me it was only a carpet python. Thank god, I wasn’t sure if it was a poisonous one. Although I did a bit concerned the following night, when I found the same snake in my shower strangling frogs. Fortunately I didn’t see him again after that. I prefer to shower with the frogs.
About two weeks after I had arrived at Middalya. There was another arrival. This time it was Hayley. the new governess for the kids. As it was the start of the new school year. Instead of normal school. The kids have a governess and do a lot of their school work over the internet. Although the two nine year boys are identical twins. They both completely different in their personalities and it’s great to see that both
Roo Shooting
Me having ago. But don't worry only shooting heads out of a bush. love different things. Ben is made about machines and very loving. Where as loves birds and also winding up his brother and sister. Both love reading and seem to eat books. Alix their younger sister who is four going on thirteen loves clothes and all things pretty just like most young girls. As for the new governess, Hayley, it’s nice to have someone share the donger with. We get on really well.
About a week later Nick invited both me and Hayley out roo shooting for the night. At about eight that evening both pile in to the front of Nicks Ute not really knowing what to expect. As Nick drove along, he was also moving a spotlight around searching for kangaroos whist still managing to drive in a straight line. Amazing I would ended up in a bush doing that. We don’t any roo’s until we reach the dams. Where Nicks suddenly spot a large male. Having stopped the car he used the spotlight to stop the Kangaroo in it’s tracks. Grabs the gun off the dashboard and shoots it in the head, dead. I’ll have to say that seeing something alive suddenly get knocked off it’s feet
Doug and the boys
Putting in a new water tank by a bullet to the head, then watching it lying twitching on the ground, was enough to satisfy my curiosity and I’m pretty sure Hayley felt the same. But we had a long night ahead of us. Despite the fact I personally didn’t like the roo’s get shot. I understand that it’s nick’s job and he doe’s it well. He was very humane and the animal’s did not suffer. He was also very knowledgeable about the stars and gave us astronomy lesson at some point during the night.
As we were driving around one of the dams we noticed that an unfortunate goat had managed to get itself stuck in the mud. Hayley set about trying to get it unstuck by managing to get stuck herself. Much it our amusement. Nick ended up pulling the goat out, while I helped Hayley. After several roo’s had been shot Nick pull over and proceed to gut them and cut off their limbs and heads. The rest the night continued in this fashion. At about three in the morning the eye lids were starting to droop so armed with pillows me and Hayley jump on the bonnet of the Ute for a
valentines day
Flowers from Richie. wow! snooze. while nick is busy gutting. After which it’s time for a lesson in shooting. Nick sets us up shooting roo heads out of a bush. After having a bit of trouble looking through the lens. I managed to hit it on first shot, much to my amazement. After a few more shots. It was time to hand back the gun. And carry on with the rest for the night. We finally make it to bed at six in the morning.
Unfortunately a stomach upset that I have been suffering from since December started getting worse while I was at Middalya. Originally I had just been burping a lot and thought it was from eating to much acidy food. Then I started getting diarrhea as well. Not fun. After a phone call to the royal flying doctors I’m put on anti-biotics which start to made thinks a lot worse. So Tiff dragged me down the hospital where they gave me loads a blood tests and what have you. To discover nothing. So I now have to an ultra sound and see a gastroenterologist when I return to Perth. Big pain In the arse. Mean while I’m living off pasta,
cereal and anti-acid remedies till then. But hey, I’m still having fun.
On few occasions Doug has taken both me and Hayley out around the station to see the cattle and the landscape. Which is amazing, I look at the red dirt and see pretty nothing to eat a far as the cattle goes yet they are surviving. The major problem they have is water. Which seems to be a constant battle. Everyone is praying for rain. Doug has already had to put another bore and tank in, to help as the dams are starting to dry up.
One Wednesday morning walk in to the kitchen to find Doug chatting to the mail men. He points to the sink where there was massive bunch of flowers. Richie hadn’t forgot about valentines day. Amazingly he had managed to get the flowers delivered to the middle of nowhere on the right day. I was gob smacked as they were so beautiful. I just had to make sure the ants didn’t eat them for me.
The following week Tiff received a call from the roadhouse at the end of the road. They had lost half their staff and were a bit stuck on what to do. As it happened Tiff and the family were going away for the next down to Perth. So if I was up for it I could work at the roadhouse for the week or stay at the station. Up for a change of scenery I agreed to help out. So it’s off to Minilya Roadhouse for the next week.
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Zavia Mcphee
non-member comment
hi great photo best ute for hunting in How much did your hunting set up cost!!!!!