Why I love the Aussie outback!

G'day!

Winter is on the way and up here in North Queensland it is a glorious time of the year! So pull out the jumpers,dust off the soup cookbook and find yourself a cosy warm place to read, why not, you deserve it!

Today I would like to explain to you why I love the country with all my heat and soul, so here goes. :-)

The sun rises magnificently from behind the lush mountain tops, sending the sky gorgeous hues of gold, orange and red. The wide open spaces sprawl out before me, the sunlight dancing across the ground as if in celebration of the new day. The bellow of a bull travels along with the gentle morning breeze, a noise I love to hear. A flock of red tailed black cockatoos fly noisily overhead and as I gaze up in awe of them a wedge tail eagle catches my attention as it circles effortlessly in the expanse of the brilliant blue sky.  I take a sip from my pannikin of Bushells tea, smiling as a kangaroo goes bounding through my backyard with its Joey in toe, vanishing behind the glorious golden wattles trees that line my back fence.

Hank, my bantam cross rooster crows his good morning to the world, announcing his dominance of the hens for yet another day. I think he suffers a little with small rooster syndrome, he thinks he is bigger than what he is! Off in the distance I can hear my hubby out in the tractor, tending to our upcoming harvest of tropical fruits. I love this time of the day as I watch the world come alive; it leaves me breathless with wonderment at just how lucky I am to be living in such a unique and peaceful landscape.

After a breakfast of vegemite on toast or fresh eggs from my chickens I head off into the Dimbulah township with my little girl, Chloe, to check the post box (there is no post man out here in the sticks as it would take him a week to do a daily mail run!), run some errands and have a good old catch up with mates that are in town doing the same thing. Some of them I haven’t seen for weeks and they are my neighbours! Mind you, they do live quite a few kilometres down the road. Then it is back home to write, read or tend to the garden. The day floats by as I do the daily tasks of being a mum, cooking, cleaning and farm jobs. If we are eating beef for dinner it is always from our own supply of cattle and I always try to include something from our veggie patch.

In the late afternoon, when it has cooled down, it is out to the backyard to play with the dogs and watch as the sun begins to set on the horizon. I stare peacefully at the neighbour’s horses as they swish their tails, warding off the flies, their heads down as they chew on grass, their coats glimmering in the fading sunlight.  Once again I cannot help but gaze at the vastness which is my backyard. It is an amazing place to be living and I feel so very blessed to be here. 

As the sun slips away and night time wraps its comforting cloak of darkness around us the sky becomes a dazzling show as millions of stars take their rightful place. I take a deep satisfied breath, letting it escape slowly; the outback is a truly magical and enchanting place, it is my home, my obsession and my inspiration to write.  

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.

Only 6 1/2 weeks to go and Rosalee Station will hit the shelves. What an exciting thought!

Until next week keep smiling and dreaming!

Mandy :-)