Home to Sydney for Christmas !

We have sadly left our family in Sydney and returned to Queensland for another 12 months of work....

But the good news is I now have time to update our blog ! It was impossible to do this over the last two months as life was just too hectic while at home. We try to make everyday at home with our family count ! So what have we been up to .... 

Our first week at home we attended our grandchildren's school events and Jessica's final Performance exam recital.

We arrived in Sydney in time to attend our eldest three grandchildren's school Friday Funday and were fortunate to spend some time with each one in their classroom and outside at activities. The following Monday was the youngest ones turn at their preschool Christmas concert and then two separate end of year school assemblies at which our eldest three participated in items and received awards.

Finally it was Jessica's turn to shine at her Performance Exam Recital at college, this was the end of her tertiary studies and the final exam towards her Bachelor of Music. She performed a 45 minute Jazz show of her own making, from choice of songs, musicians, staging, PR etc. It was a wonderful night for her to share with friends and family.

We spent the next few weeks following the family traditions of Christmas and our family summer holiday camping down the south coast of NSW. We travelled into the city to see the Christmas lights with our children, grandchildren and friends, attended Carols events at the Domain and our local Mt Annan Gardens, attended our home church, and caught up with family and friends.

Above : photos taken of St Mary's Cathedral Christmas Lights, Martin Place Christmas tree, and the Pitt St Mall.

Next was the traditional trip to the Tamworth Country Music Festival with a twist ! Our eldest daughter and six grandchildren came up to join George, Jessica and I. This meant we moved into tourist mode and did things we hadn't done in ages in between George's performances.

It was one of the best Christmas breaks with our family ! 

Our final excitement before heading back to work on our next station was our first cruise.

 BUT that's another blog post !!

Life on a Station out of Longreach

Station Activities

While our purpose at the station was to Home Tutor a Yr6 boy through School of Distance Ed, SODE or School of the Air, we were also involved in other activities. 

There was Swim Camp at Longreach SODE for two days, a trip into Longreach one Friday to drop our young boy off ready for Saturday cricket and swim squad, dinner at the pub and George busied himself with different jobs around the station.

Here is a snapshot of our quarters and activities!

A beautiful early morning sunrise, normally around 5am. As I turned to walk back to the house the glow on the oldgate and house was beautiful as well.

Looking back to our quarters and our caravan and ute. 

These absolutely glorious bottle trees are surviving the drought.

 A night out at the pub for dinner.
 Muttaburra is a small town with an old style pub, a small convenience store in the front room of a home where the fruit and veg are brought in on a Wednesday afternoon about 4pm for immediate sale, a community hall and small library.


The older brother had returned home from boarding school for a few days after completing his Yr12 exams and decided we should all go to the pub for dinner on his last night. We had been cooking while mum was away at a conference. He was returning to school the next day, a 15hr drive.

Station Work 

George's job while on the station has been to help with the feeding and watering of stock while everyone is away. 

There is no ground feed due to the long term drought conditions and the weaners and bulls they have left need feeding. The property has Spiky Acacia Bush which is a weed but at this time of year it has a seed pod which is very nutritious. The seed pods are generally too high on the bush for the cattle to reach so George has been cutting the bush down to supply them with feed. He has also been checking water troughs and cleaning them as with the high heat they grow algae. 

He has also managed to herd his first small group of cattle into the yard on his own riding the quad.

Above is a photo of the Spiky Acacia bush seed pod which is very nutricious weed.

Below: our young Year 6 student built this pig catching pen to catch the wild pigs which are such a problem pest on the land.

  

Really ... A Random Breathe Test ?

On our way into Longreach one Friday, dropping our student into town ready for cricket and swim squad on Saturday, we were  stopped for a random breathe test. We were about half way into town, 60kms from Muttaburra and 70kms from Longreach, on a development road that is part single lane bitumen and part dirt. Couldn't believe what we were seeing as we approached the policeman standing on the side of the dirt road.

On being asked if he had been drinking George answered, " we're Govies, we would be shot if we  drank and drove on the job. " 

When the policeman stated, " Going into the big smoke for the weekend ! " we answered, " No, we leave for home in Sydney next weekend," not realising he was meaning Longreach today. 

When realising we were from Sydney he said, " I'm getting closer to the coast, I was transferred from Winton to Muttaburra." It was a very different random breathe test !