Tuesday 16 April 2013

Fun on the farm and Goondiwindi gambling!

After a great nights sleep I woke up surprising early, I think it's because I heard Kirky say there had been a lamb born. Mrs Quinn (Kath) is such a lovely lady and had all sorts of options for breakie ready. After Miranda and Rumbles woke up we went to see the tiny lamb and drive the big tractor! It was huge and really fun, although only for a shirt distance.

It was a dorper who had the lamb early in the morning. As there were 2 kinds of sheep on the farm, morinos for the wool and dorpers for meat, the morinos aren't great mothers and need to be kept more of an eye on as can have the tendency to leave their lambs. In the next pen where the mother and lamb were was an old morino sheep having some tlc, who was probably not going to be around much longer, think that's why I'm pouting holding the lamb!

We held some twin lambs who were being hand reared after the mum died suddenly a few days before, they were feisty little things! We got in the Kabota (like the diesel version of an e gator we have at work) a little 4wd buggy and rode around the farm to find the flock of sheep. There were so many lambs of different sizes as living happens all year round here, probably annoyingly to Big Kev (Quinnies dad) we named one 'Black Socks', he was really cute but it means he can't be eaten now, or at least that's what we think!

When we were heading back to the Kabota the sun really came out and Kirky scared the life out if me by saying to be careful of snakes as Kath had seen some over the last few days as they were on the move in breeding season. I am not a fan of snakes at all so walked pretty heavy the rest of the day and avoided long grass!

We got back to the main yard and Kev had got the 2 wheeler out, a 200cc Yamaha dirt bike for herding the sheep with more speed. Rumbles had a go first and had never ridden a bike before, it was made twice as hard by blackie, the dog being obsessed by the bike and trying to bite the front tyres while you rode! I couldn't resist having a go and thought best not to tell Kev I had ridden before in case I looked like a fool and fell or something! It was such a buzz, I hadn't ridden a bike for years and definitely makes me want to do my full test when I get back to the UK.

We went in for lunch, lamb chops obviously! Then showered and flamed up for the races. We went on a tour around the town before going to the races and went a little out to see an aboriginal town called Bogabilla. It was just over the boarder into NSW and wasn't what I was expecting, it was like a normal town but not well kept, these type of settlements are built and funded by government. Quinnie stopped at the wobbly boot pub and got us some stubby coolers as gifts!

People really do dress up for the races in Goondi, there were some great outfits on show and a best dressed competition! A guy was even in a camouflage print suit! We had a few bets and I got a winner on Rustic Play in the second, I had told Kev I was betting on Rustic Red as it sounded British and he though it sounded Aussie so gave me ten bucks to bet for him on the wrong name! Good job it came in!

After the racing there is an after party where a band played on the back of a truck. I didn't realise they were in a truck and Miranda didn't remember there being a band! It was a long day of bubbles and then 'black rats' which are bundy rum and coke cans. It was such a good day and the sky was again amazing from the country, Kev and Kath came and got us around midnight as the farm is 40 km out of Goondi.

Love Nikki xXx























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