Garrawilla Cattle Station

All’s Well that Ends Well,

so Shakespeare once said,

and who am I to argue.

After all he knew a thing or two about life.

So after a great time at Markdale riding with Brooke and her horses,

(Markdale Madams…..),

I jumped at the opportunity to go further afield and extend myself.

Ah, and go further afield

and extend myself, I most certainly did.

In more ways than one.

Firstly, the distance.

This country is SO vast it continues to surprise.

The two maps give you some idea of the scale.

Secondly, the time.

We booked these two rides long before the world was turned upside down by our friend with many names, Corona, Delta, Omicron. to mention but a few – there are many other names we down in Victoria have used to describe ‘it’

And so we waited, as the dates were changed again

and again

and again.

In fact we waited so long

I had forgotten what I had signed up for

and there was no Brooke and her horses,

nor was there the horseman Cody that I was keen to learn from.

Casualties of our country’s interesting handling of the virus.

And by the time we could go,

two years of non living was being condensed into a tight space

before Christmas,

the possibility of more lock downs

and in my case, at least,

age,

reminding me I must be mad…

And Floods.

Did I mention the floods?

How could I forget…..

Driving up, being forced to pull up on the side of the road and wait till we could see.

Friends having to ‘take the long way round’ to finally make it to our home from home.

Garrawilla,was established in 1836. It is on the edge of the Kamilaroi Tribal are. 7000 acres of fertile volcanic land. Wagu bulls crossed with Angus heifers produce superb calves which form the foundation of the farming.

We were lucky enough to get involved with how they farm etc.
And stay in the original farmhouse.

The weather broke,

not just the roads,

but the horses

and

fixing bridges and feet kept us busy.

• 

• 

• 

Most days we played with cattle.

And always we played with our horses.

With views to take your breathe away.

Roads to canter till your breathe went away

And field with grass so high it took ‘the other horses away’

It was ‘hard work’ this playing,

so sometimes we changed the game…..

lazing in the water;

snoozing on a log;

resting on the ground;

catching yabbies

There was down time,

to marvel, to rest,

to sit and think

To play

There was time to rescue;

to link arms

and line dance….

There were wild nights…..

and ‘the morning afters’

There were friendships made,

There were friendships consolidated.

and just like that, two weeks was done.

There were ups and downs, in all sorts of ways,

there were tears and laughter;

there were amazing memories created.

Thank you team for the photos,

thank you Horses & Cattle Australia.

And so it was,

That

all’s well

That ends well.

And End Well, It did.