It's all about Oranje

Hello folks,

As I'm typing this I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Haymarket, Sydney, while poor Sophie is off finding croissants for breakfast. We've been here a few days now, me having arrived back in Sydney late Friday night, and she arriving from Scotland (via Dubai and Bangkok) on Saturday morning. But before I go into that, I'll update quickly on what the past two months of work have been like.

Since I last posted, we've been getting busier at work by the week. We moved from mainly ground prep into the early planting season. This involved getting the trashworker cultivators ready with seed boots, airhoses and a few other modifications, servicing the flexicoil aircarts, and a few other logistical issues (such as transporting these big machines over the highway to where we were working (some 100+km away from North Star). All day on the road getting the tractor back, and then a full day back towing the machines. I've got lots of pictures, and if I have time I'll try and post a few once I've finished typing. We also moved from being predominantly based in North Star, to being based at the share farm property 80km West from Moree just off the Gwydir highway (on the road to Mungindi).

In total we planted around 100Ha of oats at the share farmed property out West, and also around 200Ha of beans at the same property. The beans were planted fairly deep (approx 7 inches), and the ground was then lightly cultivated with the kelly chain. In the last couple of weeks, we began with some early wheat planting, covering some 800Ha at a very large property some 50km West of Moree.

Away from the farming, life was tiring but pretty good. Working 11-15 hour days leaves little room for relaxation, but thankfully the people I was working with were all very pleasant and we all got on pretty well. Most of the time the food was cooked for me, and just had to look after my own sandwiches and laundry. Saw a few black snakes out there, but they mainly keep themselves to themselves, and also a bunch of other creepy crawlies, wild pigs, emus and hawks.

So in any case, last Thursday I worked nightshift till 6am, then got Nic (the boss) to take me to the train station for 8am, and caught the train back to Sydney. After checking into The Pensione Hotel on George Street (on the edge of China town, and 5mins from the CBD), I caught some sleep and was up early to collect Sophie in the morning.

Saturday was a nice day. It was really good to see Sophie again. However after a few hours walking round the city centre, opera house, bridge and all that stuff, we were both exhausted. She from jet lag, and me from the lack of sleep over the previous week. On Sunday however we spent the day looking round the Eastern suburbs, doing some shopping at Bondi Junction, then a few hours on the beach at Bondi, before walking the coastal route to Coogee and having a nice lunch and beer there.

Yesterday we spent the morning in Darling Harbour, and then caught the ferry to Manly, which was good, except that by the time we arrived there, it had clouded over and was relatively cold. However at night we dined at a very nice restaurant at the quayside, overlooking both bridge and opera house. Really nice.

Today is our last day here in Sydney. Not entirely sure what we are doing yet, but probably going to spend some time round the Hyde park area and botanic gardens. Tomorow early we catch a flight up to the Sunshine coast airport, as we have an apartment booked in Caloundra for a week. I should have time to catch up with everyone again up there.

Good luck to El for when her exams start.

Hope everyone is well,

All the best,

Jan.

Photo link:http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=94742

Description of photos in order(I hope!): Tasmania, Tasmania, Tasman Peninsula Tasmania, Clouds at North Star, TJ450 Cindy + Trashworker, TJ450 C + TW, House out West, Aircarts, TJ450 Dana + Kelly chain, Chain on road + escort, Trashworker on road, Convoy on the road.