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Are we there yet? YES.... Essex Downs Adventure begins March 15th 2014.

This is a brief summary of our time at Essex Downs, Richmond. A 40,000 acre cattle station that was originally a 200,000 acre sheep station in days gone by. Sally and John Witherspoon are the owners and this year is a tough one for them. The property is drought stricken John or Spoon says they have had their share of good years but this is definitely not one of them. Sally wants us to enjoy our time and experience new adventures. We want to lend a hand. It is working out well to date as you will see.

Always, there is the central crisis of the drought, life and death situations as far as the animals are concerned, the tough decisions on selling them or perservering for days, weeks or months, the survival of the business, the vastness, sadness, the harsh natural beauty of the outback and ever present attitude for striving to success boosted by the overwhelming comaradery, pulling together, working your butt off in harsh conditions and each day interspersed with laughter, a knock off drink or two, sharing of stories and satisfaction of a job well done. The other characters are Jen and Grub - Station Contractors, Beck and her little 3 year old daughter Tayla.

As we arrive, a load of cattle are transported to another nearby property (1 hours away). The activities are on-going and wether it be day, night, week day or weekend has no relevance. The jobs are to be done. The job is not gender specific either and everyone works side by side.

Grub brought loads of hay (donated to drought relief) from down near Bowen (12 hours drive away) on the Kenworth semi.

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All machinery and vehicles have to be checked and fixed before doing any trips or any work.

Jen and Spoon engaging their mechanical brains and know how.

Water and food must be taken on all trips in case you get bogged or stranded remembering the paddocks are 10,000+ acres and many kilometres from the homestead. Possibilities are great especially as the black soil instantly changes to quoggy mud, even after a few moments of rain or water slippery and boggy. No matter how prepared... theres always the unexpected....

Sally and Terry It is what it is...gotta do what you gotta do!

There are a couple of grasses Mitchell and Flinders good nutrients for cattle and there are only a couple of varieties of trees. The main vegetation is a ridiculous South African Acacia prickle tree which thrives and is covered in large, sharp, unforgiving cruel thorns. It was brought in by the governement for sheep nutrition but with the sheep long gone, the plant has taken over. However, they say that Sally and Johns cattle have survived by eating the leaves of the thorny Acacia which they say has 40/50% of protein that cattle need.

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The drought relief hay is also saving the day and providing feed for the 600+ cattle and a dozen or so horses that have not been sold or relocated.

Jen showing us how.... Terrys tractor lesson with Sally

Sally and Cathy off to feed some cattle.

So the crisis means mustering - its an early start (some mornings start at 5.00am and work may not finish till well into the night).. Our first muster... Captain coaches, Sally and Spoon and the gang is all ready ...

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The days so far are hot, dry and dusty, sometimes so still there is not a breath of wind, and most afternoons the big blue skies become a mass of clouds and everyone is tempted into thinking that perhaps rain is a possibility... but so far only a few drops have landed despite massive winds whipping up the dust from miles around, lightening bolts, deafening thunder and a variety of rainbows which keep the promise of rain alive.... The nights are cooler and when the full moon shines, everything is touched by its silvery light, when there is no moon, it is definitely the pitchest of black except for the massive diamond like stars in those big big outback skies.

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Jen took this amazing photo from on top of the hay on the semi ... wouldnt you think there would be rain in that for us ...

Beck also captured the essence of Essex Downs ...

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A few drops of rain make it boggy and oh so difficult... just another challenge out here ... The sanctuary of the homestead... perhaps 100 years old, echoes of days gone by and the wealthy lifestyle of the golden fleece sheep days are ever present, though in a shadowy melancholy form. The only patch of lush green is the lawn area surrounding the homestead, making it an oasis for the weary workers and the troubled bosses... where the trials and tribulations of the day dissipate (momentarily) into the cool of the night. Sprinklers are 24/7 and trimming the lawn is a very satisfying task (especially when Jen delivers a beer or 2 or 3!) ... affectionately we are calling it Spoon and Sallys Country Club...

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A dawn start and drafting is todays main activity...Vegie juice and smiles and then lets get cracking.

All in a day the ever-present and never - ending cattle chores, feeding other animals, checking bores and hay, fixing any leaks, mechanical maintenance and repairs, cooking and general household duties... as mentioned all of the above just must get done and none are gender specific or assigned exclusively to a particular person though obvious experience and expertise is apparent in these fair dinkum Aussie workers ...

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You gotta do what you gotta do!

Planning the day - Our first drafting day ya gotta do, what you gotta do (Put aside the moral dilema and just do it Cathy says to herself). The decision to sell 40 or so cattle meant they had to be sorted the property has a computerised set of scales and everyone had their specific jobs to do.. there were a couple of wild cows and one in particular had everyone hopping Terry moved faster than a speeding bullet and at the end of it Beck was literally hopping on the nose of the wild cow - and both were hopping mad!

Then theres the ear-tagging, the book-work, loading onto the doubla and another long return trip to Townsville for Grub and Jenny.

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The weighing room (Schindlers List) Take your positions ...

One mean old mad cow one good whack on Becks leg and Terry moved faster than a speeding bullet!

Shadows of days gone by...the old shearing shed and quarters of the once thriving 200,000 acre sheep station in the early 1900s. Kelly Maloney was part of the shearing gang here at Essex Downs back when wool was a pound for a pound.

Memories buried in the twisted wind blown sheets of tin, the old discarded beer bottles after their busy days shearing and the big old stove where many a hearty meal was cooked.

The shearing shed now has a sole resident - Mr Fox ...

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Creatures co-inhabiting Essex Downs with us include cattle weaners, heaffers. calves, wet cows, dry cows, steers, bulls, strangers (ones from neighbouring stations), dingos, birds, ducks, and the following -

Just a few zillion billions of bush flies Kangas watching the muster

Millions of butterflies and moths and loads of well fed green frogs

Small lizards.......work dogs, Malibu (Becks pig-dog, and Boy , Jens cattle dog (Boy enjoying a moments relief from the flies), birds and horses.... maybe a snake or two.

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Oh yes... and why you dont hear from us via our IPhone... the best place for reception is up the windmill ... you can see Jen trying to download an upgrade for me... and me on a rare occasion receiving voice messages.

The other nearby property (90 minutes away) Balcomo has free flowing artesian water and so thats where a lot of the cattle have been relocated to.

The water is around 50 degrees at the source and has very strong pressure. A series of trenches criss cross the

property providing continuous water for livestock and unfortuneately also enabling the Acacia to thrive. There is an orchard type impression and a false impression of a lush environment because of these sinister prickly trees. The station owners are waiting for a biological break through in order to reduce or maybe eradicate them in the future.

On our return from the property we saw first hand the most colourful BIG outback sky at sunset and no words or images can describe the magic of being engulfed in the majesty of that moment. We were however able to capture the following unique property signage a nearby cattle station calle Sarre the sign decorated with dingo carcasses... it sure is another world out here!

The end of each big day has its wind-down time where people catch up, share stories and a beer or 2 before tea (dinner being the mid-day meal. Tea usually beef in one of many culinary forms.Tea

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Many times things are not as they seem

a romantic candle lit tea... no a wide spread regional blackout! Th

- Jen and Grub relaxing and watching the latest Bond Movie...no their first sleep for days having been like a yo-yo driving to and from Townsville and Bowen for hay and to deliver cattle.

Terry checking out the Royal Flying Doctors Dental Service yes- he made appointment for dental work in a couple of days.

A break in the day from the busy day at Essex Downs no out and about at Richmond ....

Jen ordering fish and chips or chicken sandwich at Richmond cafe .... no ....you guessed it a beef pie!

And so the adventure continues...

love from all of us ...

Drawing of all of us courtesy of 3 year-old Tayla Pemble