February 5th to 29th At Essex still

    Well!  a leap year - No different to any other year really, just a day longer.
     Not much to impart to you.
    The weather has been very hot, 40+ at times, very dry and all the good work of the rain earlier in the year has almost been undone already, the paddocks are looking brown again and plants and grasses are dying once more, I hold my hat out to all outback farmers for enduring conditions as these.
   

Cherry tomato @Essex

      But, despite the dry, I have managed to keep a vegetable garden going, not a flash one, but producing a few things for us to eat fresh. I have to skite and include a couple of pictures. I have had to make sure I water 3 times a day and some have not made it, but I have 2 nice pumpkins that hopefully will be ripe soon, and cherry tomatoes that are doing well. Sweet corn is gone but managed 3 sweet cobs from them. So - its possible to eat fresh out here, if you put the effort in!!

A nice butternut almost ready

Vegetable garden @ Essex

Dot+Yip in the paddock

Other than gardening and walking the puppies, not much happening. We are doing some maintenance on the bus and readying for departure at the end of March.

     Catch you further down the track, where-ever we may be!!

5th January to 4th February Essex Downs

     We are still bumming our way around Essex Downs. All is great but not a lot of news to impart.
   
     We have had some friends visit from the coast, I think they enjoyed the hot and dry weather compared to the coast which is hot and humid.

Gail&Me in the paddock@Essex

My good friend Gail spent a few days with us mid month, thanks for coming mate, and early February Gill and Steve spent a night on their way to Victoria.
    Not a lot has happened over the month, A few photo's of the local wildlife and strange things I see while out walking the puppies.

Patterns in the sand after
rain @ Essex

This is what I found after the rain had ceased, where the water had traversed its way making little rivers in the paddocks, it left behind this pretty pattern in the soil, making an artwork on the land.

1 of millions of caterpillars
after the rains

Then we had outbreaks of all sorts of insects and moths and bugs. Here's one of the variety, these caterpillars came in a couple of different colours and grew to about 3 inches long, littering the ground everywhere, millions of them, just walking along you couldn't help but squash them under foot.

Bearded Dragon

     We came across this bearded dragon
while out wandering around the place with the dogs. He(?she?) was a spirited little creature and was going to bite the noses right off the dogs faces, but I wouldn't let them hurt it and managed to get this picture.

A kamikaze Locust

A couple of weird acts of nature.
     The locust had been fairly thick for a while, eased off now though. Must have been a bit too quick on the take off this one, it has stabbed itself on the barbed wire, right through the top of its head. (OUCH)

Prickly acacia tree sap
shining in the morning sun

This little gem glinting in the morning sun is sap, dripping off the prickle bush - prickly acacia - (which abounds all around the station) which has turned into a golden glob of beautiful hard gum.


     Nature always continues to amaze me, like the (dead) tree outside the window at the cottage, well it really looked dead, but when it received a little moisture, it went from dead branches to full leaf in only 8 days, astounding!

     February here already, time is flying as usual. we'll be here 'til end March most likely. Catch all then.

21st Dec. 2015 to 5th Jan. 2016

     Happy 2016 to all

The cottage on 19th December 2015

The cottage on 3rd January 2016

                        Christmas came and went without fanfare. We took a trip into Richmond on Wednesday 23rd to stock-up well, thinking that we may be marooned here with rain on it's way, maybe on the weekend. I took a photo on 19th of the cottage and the lovely green lawn I have been nurturing,(left) then on 3rd January this year (right), the bougainvillea has come along nicely with addition of rain.

The landscape before rain

     
     The landscape changed dramatically after Christmas. Picture on the right taken on 21st December, is of a part of the station land, very brown and dry. 

Puddles everywhere at Essex after good rain

     Then the next picture, on the 27th,  tells a different tale.

     

      On Boxing day, late in the afternoon it started to rain, it rained all night and through most of the next day. We got 85mm overnight and a further 42mm the next night, making things very wet and sticky. 

Muck like Glue on my feet!

     The black soil here turns to muck after a little rain, this amount made it stick like glue to my boots and the pups feet, much to Dots dislike, she and Yip plodded along the paddock like draught  horses, lifting each foot with agitation, I was the same, it just builds up under your feet and won't come off with out actually scrapping at it with a stick or similar. YUK!!  All is good though, just another of life's experiences.
     

Essex Downs homestead after rain

     The photo of the homestead on the 27th shows a little what the ground is like when it rains.

     We had follow up rain a week later and the grass is growing faster than a well fed weed.
     

Dawn of a new year-2016

     The New Year arrived, as it does each year, but this one is nice and damp to start, the sunrise on our first walk of the year was pretty. There was a further 52mm rain over the weekend. It isn't drought braking rain as yet, but you can hear people smiling everywhere.

Dot+Yip on wet days

     When its wet the puppies get to spend a lot of time inside which Yip isn't too keen on, Dot loves it, all day in bed! Their daily bones are consumed in the laundry, then back to bed.

Horizon to the south on 2nd Jan 2016

2nd of January after 30mm rain in the morning the sky to the south looked fearsome! Nothing to it though and no rain since.

     All things are good. The puppies are catching their own dinners, having a fantastic time while doing so. Yip is the chief hunter with Dot backing up when she steers them back to the homestead.Then it becomes our job to do the necessary from there.
     The country is looking very different to a couple of weeks ago, green! so nice.

December 1st to 21st at Essex Downs

Just taking things easy since I last blogged.

Stacking hay at Maroola 

     
     On the 5th we took a drive to Maroola, a station owned  by Essex Downs owners, sister. It was a fairly long drive south west on gravel road. We had directions to get there but took longer than one would if you knew where you were going. The roads are good now, wouldn't travel them after rain, just wouldn't get through. We arrived to find them very busy picking up a load of hay that had been cut the day before, so Jim gave them a hand. Had a bit of trouble with the loader first up but got it fixed O.K. The stock needed feeding as well, they have a machines for most jobs around the station and it was all pretty simple. The cattle looked in good condition.

feeding the stock at Maroola

     We had lunch with Betty and Ces then left them to their hard work for the afternoon. There wasn't anything that we could help them with at this time. We took a different route back to Essex Downs via Maxwellton and Richmond. The trip was a bit longer but the road was better (I think). We had a reviving drink at the local in Richmond and took the pup's for a swim in lake Fred Triton, arriving back late afternoon.
     

Some of the mob on Essex

Nearing the entrance to Essex we saw a small mob of cattle on Essex property, about a dozen of them. Took some photo's hoping to identify them at a later time. Turned out they belong here and are the one's missing since our arrival. They looked in good nick, must be finding enough feed to sustain them well.

     Walking the paddocks here I discovered a bunch of rocks with fossils in them, they were scattered around a bit in 2 separate piles.No idea what they are at all, fascinating find. 

 




 These pictures show a small sample of the better looking ones.
 
     We have been into Richmond  on occasion to restock and have a look a round. It is a very friendly country town, willing to help out in any way if needed. We even got credit at the local past office when we asked them to send us an item in the mail as we weren't going in to town for a while, no problem, the article arrived in the next mail delivery and we paid for it next time we went into town. Now that's service!

     We have moved onto the managers cottage at the station, it is air conditioned and we no longer have to endure the high temperature days sweltering it out, temperatures of 45 degree are much easier to handle now. Any outside jobs that haven't been completed by 10 or 11 o'clock wait until late in the afternoon or the next day.

Outback makeshift Spa Pool

       
     

     I have shifted my outback spa pool to it's new location and enjoy it cool during the day as a swimming pool and add hot water from the artesian bore early evening to relax the tired body. Ahh!! such luxury!

One of the many great sunrises at Essex Downs

    
      The sunsets and rises are as spectacular as ever, this one was a bit later in the morning. U-beauty!

     Life goes on, every thing is good. 

16th Oct to end November - Essex Downs

Gidday,
     
     A bit light on news of late. last I blogged back in mid October, We were at Essex Downs station, south of Richmond, Queensland, we're still here. It is extremely hot!!! up to 45 degree celcius, OUCH!! but apart form that all is well. Getting my head around the vast distances in this part of the world and the Outback in general, 65.000 acres with two paddocks being 20,000 each, PHEW!! that's huge. Another curiosity to me, is the distance travelled to clear the mail box, a 12km round trip down the driveway and back twice a week. Ha Ha.
     
     We had some rain on the 30th October, about three quarters of an inch. When it rains here we go no-where, the black soil around here goes to slop when wet. Jim had to go down the driveway to find a tradesman and show him another way to the homestead, WELL!! poor little Suzuki jimny was devastated, mud many inches thick all under the wheel arches and everywhere. Luckily most of it dropped off when it dried out. Moral to the story? don't attempt to drive anywhere when it has rained, but - it dries out fairly quickly too.
    
      A bit of a drama unfolded when a big buck kangaroo decided that it
wasn't going to hop away when the dogs tried to chase it, instead it chased the dogs! Dot got a bit battered and bruised with a nasty gash to her belly, nothing life threatening, luckily. Yip was too nimble to get caught. Jim had a shot at it, but it ducked and took off, too fast to have another shot. Couple of days later, taking our late afternoon walk, the bl*#dy thing had a go at me!! It had a broken front leg. I ended up on the ground with a few nasty scratches on my backside - I live to tell the story, Big buck 'roo though,
 - DID NOT!! - it's  balls are still hanging on the barbed wire fence and the puppies were well fed for some time on fresh kangaroo meat.
     
     I have a spa! the water here is artesian, comes  out of the ground HOT! The bore supplies the household with water and there is plenty of it, don't wait to have a cold shower though. I set a huge tub beside the veranda and filled it from the bore - hot spa water - it cools over night but I just empty a bit out and refill it with the hose water, which is hot. 

     That 's our lot at present, thoroughly enjoying being here, getting a bit lazy, not a lot to do around the place, just take care of what is here, water the lawn and mow it when it grows, havn't needed to mow much yet, just as well as the mower is cactus, leaves us with a whipper snipper to do the job - all good.
     
Some photos to look at.

rain west of Essex Downs

Goanna - a Local visitor

Sunset at Essex Downs

                                                         The sunrises and sunsets are absolutely beautiful, I could take many a picture but have just a couple to look at. Apart from the kangaroos the wildlife is not much, this goanna turned up a couple of weeks ago. The birds are many and varied, getting more abundant as the lawn greens up and more insects are being attracted by our lights at night. Nature is an ever increasing wonder to behold!
     



      Another shower of rain on Friday 27th November with about half and inch. Need a lot more to do any good. That's life isn't it? can't control the weather.
    
                      Catch all when next I blog, maybe not 'til the new Year.
                                 Merry Christmas to all 
     

October 8th to 16th Lending a hand

          Thursday 8th
     We spent 10 days at Pallamana and now making our way to Richmond to Essex Downs. First a couple of photos I took at Pallamana after I last blogged.

Pallamana front gate

quiet stock at Pallamana

The first is the entrance to the station.


    The stock here is pretty quiet, these 2 were around the homestead a lot, along with some of the younger stock that had been fed here.

Dry country at Pallamana

     Then this one, a piece of the land on the station. So dry, but pretty in outback scenery terms.

    BACK TO THE STORY

     We left early and did a larder/fuel stock-up in Charters Towers, making Pentland by mid day where we stopped for a few minutes to catch up with John at the fruit/vegie stall. I purchased some more fresh goodies and one of his beautiful home made fruit cakes.
     We continued to Prairie where we camped behind the pub for the night.
          Friday 9th

Lo-o-ng Qld roads

     On the way to Hughenden this morning I couldn't help but take this photo through the windscreen of the bus , I had almost forgotten how long and straight the Queensland outback roads are.
   

Dry east of Hughenden

Or the dry country-side. there ain't much out here, but  a little grass to fed the stock at least.

Through Hughenden without stopping. About 40km west we pulled into a rest stop area to find we had a puncture. BUGGAR!! Well, change the wheel and continue to Richmond.

Essex Downs

    
     Lake Fred Triton was first stop on arrival, a swim for the pup's. Found Richmond Motors to get the tyre fixed, only the joint was closed for the day with the mechanic in Hughenden.
      Oh well,we will get that chore done later. Made our way south 40km to Essex Downs.
     The drive to the homestead is 6km of black soil track. All O.K. in the dry weather but apparently impassable when it rains. We found the homestead, a place to park and plug in to the power. The whole place is very run down, it's been vacant for some time and is in need of some TLC.

         Saturday 10th

Essex Downs homestead

     Finding our way around, Jim took a drive in the Jimny and I spent the morning checking out the surrounds of the homestead. This photo I took yesterday morning with our rig out front. It looks pretty in the morning light.


        Tuesday 13th

Looking west to the homestead

     The weather is warming!! reached 38 degrees today, a bit warm for me but handling it O.K.
     While out walking the pup's this morning I looked back to the homestead, couldn't actually see it. I wasn't that far away but the land doesn't have many features, easy to get lost!!
I make sure I keep to a defined track at all times.
          Wednesday 14th
     Drove in to Richmond this morning. Took pup's for a swim in the lake then did some shopping. Back at the station by lunch time. Very hot again and the wind is up.
         Friday 16th
     All is good. Taking it easy!
         Catch up when I next blog

1st to 6th October - New Challenges

     Tuesday 6th
     We made our way to Pallamana Station on Monday 28th September after restocking well in Charters Towers before leaving, arriving at the station by midday. The road in, is Home Harvest Road, the station is 31km along a very dusty gravel (or should I say bull dusty) road. We took our time Dilligaf with no problems except that everything is covered in dust and the Jimny is pink with bull dust (usually white). It's so very dry here, as is everywhere out this way.
     We had a warm welcome from the station owners who are flat out trying to save their lively-hood from the banks, it is a struggle that a lot of outback stations (and farmers of all types) are experiencing. We can only be as helpful as we can, to give these people a little bit of a break.
     Settling in we found out what is required of us. Jim will be kept busy feeding the stock with hay and pellets and making sure there is water for all, including the living areas. Me? I get to fed and water the dogs, of which there are 7, the sheep totalling 14 and 3 lambs, a couple of calves and 1 pig, try to keep the lawns green with sprinklers and some citrus trees too, all of which are looking a bit sad due to the heat and lack of regular water.

Yip meets working dog Remmie

      One of the dogs is a Maremma sheep dog called Remmie, who has fallen in love Yip, He comes to play with her and he should be out working. Here's a picture of them both.

    Pallamana station owners, John and Sally, have 2 other stations, one in Cape York and another south of Richmond.
The Richmond station, called Essex Downs, is in need of a caretaker - enter Jim and myself and Dot + Yip.
     We are going to make our way out there on Thursday 8th, about 350 something kilometres to Richmond from Charters Towers and another 50km to the station south of there. The road is sealed all the way and a black soil road in to the station.
     There is only a small number of stock on it, so won't be too much to handle - I don't think. Another challenge to look forward to.
     May not be any mobile or Internet so wait to see what happens and will catch up when I can.