This is a piece I wrote for the Horse Downunder Magazine after Thelma and I did the the Harry Redford Cattle Drive last May.
I am hoping to get back out there one day, I am also hoping they get enough rain to end this awful drought.
A day in the life of the Guest Drovers on the Harry Redford Cattle Drive 2014
With wide-open rolling plains, natural lakes, and a sky that stretches from one horizon to the other - spectacular by day and glowing with stars by night – this is how the website starts to explain the Harry Redford Cattle Drive experience and they were true to their word.
My good friend and I set off on a round trip that ended up covering nearly 3000km. We travelled from South East Queensland to Aramac and back stopping in at nearly every town in between. Two mums, a ute, swags, bags, driving tunes and a week away from home.…let the adventure begin. It was an adventure that was years in the making.
The Harry Redford Cattle Drive is an annual event organised by Barcaldine Regional Council who are assisted by a troop of amazing volunteers. This year drive was nearly cancelled due to the ongoing drought conditions but was saved at the 11th hour by some much needed (yet not drought breaking) rain.
On the drive approximately 600 head of mixed breed cattle are driven along the stock routes between Barcaldine and Aramac over 19 days. Guest Drovers can choose to ride from 3 to 19 days (and any number in between). These stock routes are some of the very same stock routes that the Australian folklore legend Harry Redford was said to have moved 600-1000 head of stolen Bowen Downs cattle along in March 1870.
We arrived in Aramac the afternoon before our droving experience was to begin and were mini bussed to Mildura Station near Barcaldine. Our mob of guest drovers were given the run down on how things would work whilst on the Drive, we were allocated our horses for the next morning and pointed in the direction of where to unroll our swags. We found a seat and settled down to enjoy a natural horsemanship display by a local horseman, followed by a delicious dinner and some karaoke by the campfire before we turned in for the night. We all tucked into our swags underneath a chandelier of stars knowing that when we woke up our lives for the next three days would be like nothing we had experienced before.
The each day for the next three days went something like this…..
At 5am when it was still dark we rose, got ourselves dressed, rolled our swags up and put them and our bags into the horse float that would transport them to the next camp.
Breakfast was served at around 5.30am and this consisted of everything from steaming, creamy porridge to a full cooked breakfast with every ingredient imaginable washed down by your choice of billy tea or coffee. After breakfast you washed and dried your dishes and grabbed your apple and muesli bar for morning smoko which was eaten on your horse while you were droving.
By 6.30am we made our way over to the horse break to be paired up with our allocated horses. My first horse’s name was Lisa – a 15hh Chestnut mare with a slightly jumpy disposition. We got well acquainted and by the end of the second day we were best of friends (without incident I might add). (I had a beautiful little black mare called Whitney on my final day while Lisa enjoyed a well earned rest.)
Once all the riders had mounted their horses (with the assistance of the helpful volunteers and a milk crate) the Boss Drover David “Chook” Hay and his trusted assistants got the cattle moving in the direction we were heading, the “guest” drovers fell in behind to keep the cattle moving along. This gave the riders a chance to have a bit of a chat and get to know the others in the group. The experience levels of riders varied from people who had ridden in their younger years, to people who had 4 lessons before they left home, to people like myself and my friend that have our own horses and ride at home (but not as much as we should). At 41 I was the youngest “guest” drover in our group.
We moved the cattle throughout the morning towards our lunch camp where the chuck wagon would be waiting for us with our lunch (and cameras) on board. We travelled over sweeping plains of golden grass and cracked soil all of which was desperate for rain. We pulled up for lunch during the middle of the day for an hour or so. The cattle were yarded in a temporary yard and the horses were hobbled and rested while we dined on sandwiches, cakes, slices and fruit. Some riders took the opportunity to rest up whilst I went crazy taking as many photographs as I could! I became quite proficient at being one of the first in and having my horse hobbled so I could capture images of the cattle coming into water.
Once everyone had had their fill and a rest we saddled up for the final leg of the day. The process of starting out was the same as it was earlier that morning with the Boss Drover and his people getting the cattle moving and us “guest” drovers falling in behind. We averaged about 12kms each day on horseback getting back into camp about 5pm. This gave us enough time before dark to grab our bags and swags out of the float, find an even, rock free area of gravel and roll out our swags for the night. Bathing consisted of a packet of baby wipes and the dunny was a “long drop” with three sheets of corrugated iron as the walls (no door!). No room for princesses out there that was for sure.
Dinner was cooked and served by the army of volunteers that take time out of their lives each year to feed the masses and what an amazing job they do. No one ever went hungry and the quality of the food was second to none. Complete with several types of desserts all served with custard or icecream every night. Camp cooking at its finest.
After dinner and a chat by the fire our swags were calling so we took our weary bones off to bed to snuggle down under the stars to reflect on the day that was and the day yet to come.
One of the most memorable quotes from this trip was…..The pain will fade but the memories will last for ever….ain’t that the truth!
In the words of A B “Banjo” Paterson….For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.
KA
My good friend and I set off on a round trip that ended up covering nearly 3000km. We travelled from South East Queensland to Aramac and back stopping in at nearly every town in between. Two mums, a ute, swags, bags, driving tunes and a week away from home.…let the adventure begin. It was an adventure that was years in the making.
The Harry Redford Cattle Drive is an annual event organised by Barcaldine Regional Council who are assisted by a troop of amazing volunteers. This year drive was nearly cancelled due to the ongoing drought conditions but was saved at the 11th hour by some much needed (yet not drought breaking) rain.
On the drive approximately 600 head of mixed breed cattle are driven along the stock routes between Barcaldine and Aramac over 19 days. Guest Drovers can choose to ride from 3 to 19 days (and any number in between). These stock routes are some of the very same stock routes that the Australian folklore legend Harry Redford was said to have moved 600-1000 head of stolen Bowen Downs cattle along in March 1870.
We arrived in Aramac the afternoon before our droving experience was to begin and were mini bussed to Mildura Station near Barcaldine. Our mob of guest drovers were given the run down on how things would work whilst on the Drive, we were allocated our horses for the next morning and pointed in the direction of where to unroll our swags. We found a seat and settled down to enjoy a natural horsemanship display by a local horseman, followed by a delicious dinner and some karaoke by the campfire before we turned in for the night. We all tucked into our swags underneath a chandelier of stars knowing that when we woke up our lives for the next three days would be like nothing we had experienced before.
The each day for the next three days went something like this…..
At 5am when it was still dark we rose, got ourselves dressed, rolled our swags up and put them and our bags into the horse float that would transport them to the next camp.
Breakfast was served at around 5.30am and this consisted of everything from steaming, creamy porridge to a full cooked breakfast with every ingredient imaginable washed down by your choice of billy tea or coffee. After breakfast you washed and dried your dishes and grabbed your apple and muesli bar for morning smoko which was eaten on your horse while you were droving.
By 6.30am we made our way over to the horse break to be paired up with our allocated horses. My first horse’s name was Lisa – a 15hh Chestnut mare with a slightly jumpy disposition. We got well acquainted and by the end of the second day we were best of friends (without incident I might add). (I had a beautiful little black mare called Whitney on my final day while Lisa enjoyed a well earned rest.)
Once all the riders had mounted their horses (with the assistance of the helpful volunteers and a milk crate) the Boss Drover David “Chook” Hay and his trusted assistants got the cattle moving in the direction we were heading, the “guest” drovers fell in behind to keep the cattle moving along. This gave the riders a chance to have a bit of a chat and get to know the others in the group. The experience levels of riders varied from people who had ridden in their younger years, to people who had 4 lessons before they left home, to people like myself and my friend that have our own horses and ride at home (but not as much as we should). At 41 I was the youngest “guest” drover in our group.
We moved the cattle throughout the morning towards our lunch camp where the chuck wagon would be waiting for us with our lunch (and cameras) on board. We travelled over sweeping plains of golden grass and cracked soil all of which was desperate for rain. We pulled up for lunch during the middle of the day for an hour or so. The cattle were yarded in a temporary yard and the horses were hobbled and rested while we dined on sandwiches, cakes, slices and fruit. Some riders took the opportunity to rest up whilst I went crazy taking as many photographs as I could! I became quite proficient at being one of the first in and having my horse hobbled so I could capture images of the cattle coming into water.
Once everyone had had their fill and a rest we saddled up for the final leg of the day. The process of starting out was the same as it was earlier that morning with the Boss Drover and his people getting the cattle moving and us “guest” drovers falling in behind. We averaged about 12kms each day on horseback getting back into camp about 5pm. This gave us enough time before dark to grab our bags and swags out of the float, find an even, rock free area of gravel and roll out our swags for the night. Bathing consisted of a packet of baby wipes and the dunny was a “long drop” with three sheets of corrugated iron as the walls (no door!). No room for princesses out there that was for sure.
Dinner was cooked and served by the army of volunteers that take time out of their lives each year to feed the masses and what an amazing job they do. No one ever went hungry and the quality of the food was second to none. Complete with several types of desserts all served with custard or icecream every night. Camp cooking at its finest.
After dinner and a chat by the fire our swags were calling so we took our weary bones off to bed to snuggle down under the stars to reflect on the day that was and the day yet to come.
One of the most memorable quotes from this trip was…..The pain will fade but the memories will last for ever….ain’t that the truth!
In the words of A B “Banjo” Paterson….For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.
KA
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