The Tasmania exchange started with an early flight from Sydney to Launceston where I met one of the other exchangees, Andy, from Switzerland. We then took the scenic route to the home of Rural Youth, Quercus Park. This is a 200 – acre farm owned by the Rural Youth Organisation and where the field day โAgfestโ is held.
For the next week we stayed on-site in the compound with 100 other volunteers, the compound has a crib room (bar/living area) full workshop and machinery parking. We had a few tours of the site, before helping clear areas for car parking. We found out a little more about Agfest and what the next week would bring. This event is run completely by Volunteers, majority being current and past Rural Youth members. Agfest is the biggest fundraiser for Rural Youth and the largest field day in Tasmania bringing roughly 28 million into the economy.
Day 2
Andy and I were up early to collect grandstand sealing from a local town called Deloraine. We spent the rest of the day helping the operations manager Wadley collect sheep pens from another farm. We then came back to site via Wadleyโs farm where we helped feed some cows and I got a shot driving a โUteโ (pickup). Every evening, we would eat dinner in the function centre followed by some drinks in the crib room. Siril from Norway arrived in the evening completing the exchangee team.
Day 3
Started with a trip into the city of Launceston with Bridgete to drop off some trophies, we swung by a shop to get me some bootsโฆ so I almost look like a proper Tasmanian now! In the afternoon we set up the East car park, this was one of three main car parks they have on site. They also have several overflow and back-up car parks as they usually run out of space.
Day 4
Confirmed my fear of spiders. We helped the Traffic Manager, Sam, put signs out across the site, these signs lived in a rather old container which was full of VERY LARGE spiders, non-venomous thankfully. We then emptied all the traffic cones or โwitchesโ hatsโ as they are known out here, and we disrupted even more spiders!
As the event was getting closer, night-work started to begin. We helped remove rocks from the horse arenas and set up cow and sheep pens for the animal nursery. Following night-works we headed to the crib room where we were introduced to the Aussie version of giant Jenga, slightly different game rules out here.
Day 5
we were continuing to put signage up around site. The catering manager, Caine, came down to see how we were getting on but as he pulled up his car ran out of fuel. This caused huge hilarity amongst the other managers, everyone promptly came down to see
what was happening while they tried to get Caine back on the road.
In the evening, we participated in the first Kahoot game, this was used as a fun tool to refresh everyoneโs memories of site rules and regulations. Following dinner we helped with more signage, during this another spider crawled out of the rope we were using, a scary moment made worse as at the exact same time a possum got caught in the electric wires and short circuited the entire function centre. It was a very stressful few minutes in the dark with a spider on the loose!
Agfest Day 1
was finally here! 5:30am start for my job of โTrafficโ helping Sam and Jesse for the day monitoring car parks and traffic flow. The number of cars coming in each day was unbelievable, there was a few changes to the system to ensure exhibitors and patrons could get on site quickly and efficiently. After lunch, Andy and I had some time to have a look around the site, the event felt very similar to the Highland Show. there were a lot of large machinery stands, crafts and clothing. An equine area with showjumping, dressage and mounted games demonstrations and a livestock area for local schools to show cows and sheep.
In the evening it was the Exhibitor drinks reception and awards evening. We headed to the Dairy shed to listen to some speakers and crown the winners of the best stand, there were several different categories. During dinner we were told there was over 12,000 on site that day, the sun shone, and it was looking to be a record-breaking year!
Agfest Day 2,
another early start and there was frost on ground! I was back helping with traffic. Andy and I had some free time and were persuaded to go on a horse and buggy ride, it was a bit scary. We were given the afternoon off so Andy, Siril and I went on a helicopter ride around site. It was incredible to see the event from above, the park is a beautiful place. Before dinner over 100 volunteers and staff posed outside for a group picture. Today over 14,000 people attended the field day.
Final day of Agfest
started at 5:30 back out on traffic duties. Each morning exhibitors would queue on the main site road before being allowed in at 6am. The security officer Alex was always on hand with music to keep everyoneโs spirits high. We were pre-warned that today was going to be crazy, but it was still unbelievable. From 6am when the gates opened till 11am, traffic streamed in non-stop, by 9am the main car parks were almost full, so the overflow areas were used. Over 24000 people visited on Saturday.
To end the day all the volunteers went to the site office and waved off all the exhibitors, it was a great end to a very busy day.
We rounded off our time at Agfest with a team meal at a local pub, it was a great end to a fantastic week before heading off on the next part of the exchange.
Reflecting on my first week with Rural Youth it was incredible. For an event of this scale to be run by volunteers, many who had been here for weeks, was amazing to see. Everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming, we really felt like part of the team this week. Very excited to see whatโs next!
Week 2 Brighton and Oatlands
Week 2 of the exchange started with a road trip up the East Coast with Brady, the state President of Rural Youth and Siril. We visited Shellyโs Point, Binaling Bay and Bay of Fires. Despite what the weather looks like it was quite chilly, but the beaches and views were amazing. After the tour we started the drive to Brighton where Siril and I would be staying for the next few days with the Thompson family.
On Wednesday we headed to work with Emma, she is a member of the Brighton Rural Youth Club. Emma works at a local riding school in Tea Tree called Jeu de Cheval – Hobart Horseplay. They have approximately 60 horses and ponies and have daily lessons and trail rides. It was interesting to see how the yard worked compared to ones I had seen at home. The horses lived in large outdoor pens on the farm and were fed hay and pea straw twice daily as well as hard feed in the evening. I helped muck out, feed and tack up horses for the clients.
After work Emma took us on a tour of her familyโs farm, they farm 2000 acres and have around 5000 sheep. She showed us the new dam they built to hold irrigation water; this water is connected directly to the โpivotsโ which are the large irrigation systems found in most fields (or paddocks) in Tasmania. During the drive we spotted a kangaroo, the first one I had seen in Tasmania, it was very exciting! In the evening, we tried a range of Aussie snacks including vegemite, fairy bread, lamingtons, Anzac biscuits and shapes. I donโt think I will be choosing to put vegemite on my toast anytime soonโฆ
On Thursday we visited Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and hospital. We saw lots of birds, wombats, Kangaroos and even Tasmania Devils! Another thing ticked off the bucket list. We got the chance to go into the Kangaroo enclosure and feed them, they were very friendly, and it was incredible to see so many of them up close. After the sanctuary we went into Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. We stopped by a shopping centre to get some more jumpers, I really underestimated how cold it would be out here! I had another encounter with a spider as it tried to get into the car as we were getting out, in my eyes it was massive but apparently it was only a baby.
More jumpers acquired we went and visited the Royal Botanical gardens; we caught up with Andy there as he was staying nearby. The garden had lots of different areas including a Native plant collection, Japanese garden, Subantarctic plant house and large Lilly Pond. We then ventured into town to get some ice cream; banana flavour my new favourite. In the evening, we had dinner then sat down to watch some Australian Football, which is very different to football at home. The best way to describe it would be rugby without any tackling, played on an oval pitch and you kick the ball into the goals rather than score tries.
On Friday we opted for a slower start to the day then headed back to Emmaโs work to go for a ride. I was a bit worried as I hadnโt been out horse riding for well over a year, but it was great fun and I managed to not fall off, thank you Darcy! Brady then picked us up in the afternoon as we were heading to Oatlands for the weekend. In the evening, we headed out to the Kentish Pub for dinner and karaoke with Brady and Fern, it was a very fun evening.
On Saturday we had an early start for a tour of Oatlands, it has a lot of older houses and buildings including an old livestock market and outdoor pool. We then went and visited the Callington Mill, an old flour mill turned new Whisky Distillery and restaurant.
After our tour we jumped in the โUteโ and drove out to see the Great Lake, it is a 114 km2ย natural lake and man-made reservoir. We then did a bit of off-road driving to a pebble beach before stopping for lunch at a local pub, the portion sizes here are huge and the food is delicious. Brady and I also tried a โChoc Milkโ stout, it did not taste like chocolate milk at all. In the evening, we were very excited to see the Southern Lights, it was a once in a lifetime and we were very lucky to be here to witness it.
On Sunday we decided to challenge ourselves and climb up Mount Wellington, the sun had also decided to come out after a few days of rain. Fern and Brady werenโt keen to walk with us so drafted in Oatlands club member, Will, to be our guide. We walked up the โzig zagโ track, despite Will saying he didnโt like walking, he sped up leaving us all for dust! It was a great walk and we saw some spectacular views and scenery. Unfortunately, at the top the clouds came over so no view from there! We then trundled back down for some fish and chips and ice cream at the Wharf in Hobart before heading back for the evening.
It has been another brilliant week on exchange in Tasmania. The highlights of the week were meeting the Kangaroos and seeing Tasmania Devils at Bonorong. Horse riding at Hobart Horseplay, the Southern lights and climbing up Mount Wellington with everyone. Thank you to the Thompson Family, Fern, Brady and Carly for being fantastic hosts, you are all welcome to Scotland anytime! Next week, I head back to Brighton then onto Tasman and Sorell.
Week 3- Brighton and Tasman
The half โ way point already! Week 3, Siril and I had an early start to head back to Brighton to the Thompson family. Emma took us on a trip to Mount Field National Park and the sun was shining.
We opted for an easier route as the legs were hurting a bit from the Mount Wellington climb. We walked out to Russel Falls, the Horseshoe Falls and the tall trees walk, it was an incredible place, we even saw a Pademelon (a very small kangaroo)! The trees in the park can grow over 100m tall and were very daunting to look at. The National Park has several different walking routes with some being multi day bush walks (hikes). The rain started to pour just as we were leaving so we opted to go back to Emmaโs for lunch. In the afternoon I went into town to have a look around the shops with Emma and Chloe, another member of Brighton Rural Youth.
On Tuesday we had the option for a โslow dayโ as the past couple of weeks had been busy with lots of activities and trips. I caught up on everything happening at home and went for a long walk around the farm. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I could see hills for miles. In the evening, we all had dinner, then watched an episode of Farmer wants a wife. I did debate if Australia would allow me a visa to go on the showโฆ It was my last night staying with the Thompson family, they have been brilliant hosts, extremely accommodating and welcoming. Special shoutout to Emma for driving and showing us around in the trusty Cruiser.
Wednesday, Siril and I headed to the next hosts, the Mace family in Buckland. We got a tour of the farm from Monty, another Brighton Rural Youth Member before feeding some sheep. Most farms out here have Merino sheep who look very different from the sheep at home. We then went to collect firewood from the back of the property. Montyโs family live on a 5000-acre block and farm roughly 2000 acres, mostly sheep. We both had a shot at using an axe and I think we were both pretty good by the end of it, although the arms might hurt tomorrow. We then headed back to the farm and met the litter of corgi puppies, they are extremely cute, I have named my favourite โHaggisโ. Sadly, I donโt think there is any room for her to come home with me. Brady then came to collect Siril as she is heading back to Oatlands for the rest of the week.
On Thursday morning I headed out for a walk around the farm, it has some beautiful scenery. I then went into the local town of Triabunna with Montyโs dad, Ross, and sister Lilly. I had a look around and did the Pelican walk along the river, unfortunately the boat to Maria Island wasnโt running but it was a very nice small town. We then went to see another farmer in the area, he had a herd of Hereford cattle and Merino sheep. We went back for some lunch and to see the puppies (still trying not to take one home!) In the afternoon I went to the stables to meet the horses. Lilly has competed up to national level in Mounted Games and Eventing.
It was raining most of Friday, I went for a short walk in the morning then helped move some sheep. The rain was very welcome as it has been quite a dry Autumn so far and there is a serious hay shortage across Tasmania. The farm here is mainly hills and bushland that needs cleared for grazing. The soil is very sandy so is better for livestock than cropping. In the evening, we caught up with Siril who is back staying with Brady and Carly this week. We all went out for Pizza in Oatlands and a few drinks at the local RSL club.
Saturday was my final day staying with the Mace family. Monty took me to see the Buckland Bush Garden which is filled with sculptures by different artist including a tโrex! In the afternoon I headed to Sorell to join Andy for a camping trip with some other Rural Youth members Brooke, Jamie, Jake and Robbie. It was the first time I had stayed in an Australian โswagโ (tent) and it was actually quite comfortable. On Sunday we jumped into the Utes and headed out to Pelverata to do some off roading and 4-wheel driving. We were joined by Dylan and Chantelle for the day as well making it a team of 8.
The drive up to the waterfall was great fun and Jamie managed to only get โboggedโ a few times, luckily Jake had a winch on his car otherwise we might have still been there! The views at the top of the falls were incredible, we got some great pictures thanks to Brooke and her camera. Once we had made it back down the track (after getting bogged a few more times) we went into Hobart for dinner. Instead of hire bikes, Hobart has electric scooters so after dinner we all went for a spin on them, surprisingly, no one crashed. We then went for ice cream before heading back for the day. I was then picked up by Brigette and Sean to head to Tasman for the following week.
The exchange so far has been everything I thought it would be and more. It was great to explore the vast national parks, stay on a working farm to see how they run out here and to meet more Rural Youth Members. I am looking forward to seeing what the South of Tasmania has in store next week.
Tasmania Week 4
Week 4 started near Sorrell staying with Sean and Brigette. It was an early start to the day as I was going to work with Brigette at a Potato farm in Boomer Bay. Before starting work, I went for a drive along the coast stopping at the Whale viewpoint, Tasman Arch, Devilsโ Kitchen, and the Blowhole. The sun was just rising, and the scenery was spectacular, very Jurassic Park vibes.
I then drove back to the Potato farm and got a job helping on the grading machine. This involved the potatoโs going along on a conveyor belt and I picked out all the bad ones and โwonkyโ ones. The bad ones went into a large crate which is then mixed into the cows feeding and used to fatten the beef cows on the farm. The โwonky onesโ and not so perfect potatoes went into the seconds crate and are bought by local restaurants and kitchens to use. It was great to see the steps they had taken to reduce food waste and the cows did really well of the potatoes. Work finished early in the afternoon, I then went for a mini tasting at the distillery on site, I tried limoncello, chocolate and salted caramel liqueur. I will definitely be bringing some home with me.
We then went to one of Brigetteโs clients to work a horse before heading to Tasman for the evening. The day was going very smoothly until we managed to burst a tyre on route. Luckily, we stopped outside a house, and they very kindly helped us get the tyre changed and back on the road. We then made it down to Nubeena where I would be staying with the Kingston Family for a few nights. They farmed around 400 hectares with 100 being tree plantation. They also have 200 cows, 450 sheep and grow chickens for a local company from day olds to 8 weeks. We had some dinner and then Dain brought out the whisky, it turned into quite a wild Monday evening.
On Tuesday it was another early start to go to work with Dain, he worked for a ground works construction company. The project this week was doing ground works for a shed and new bathroom extension. I helped take many gravel buckets to and from for the foundations, it was a busy day, but it kept me warm! After work we headed back to the house, Dion gave me a full tour of the property, it was a very impressive place. Brigette and Andy joined us in the evening, and we went out for tea at a local pub, the Lufra, I of course had another Chicken Parmi. Andy stayed at the Kingstonโs that night as well as we were heading to Port Arthur for the day on Wednesday.
We had a chilled start to the day and then Dion dropped us off at Port Arthur. It was a very interesting place to visit, we went on a short boat tour around the Isle of the Dead and past the juvenile prison, Point Puer. Then we explored the main site which has been very well preserved after multiple bush fires destroyed many of the buildings. Following some lunch, Dion picked us up and we went to visit the remarkable caves, this was the furthest South we had been. It was a very strange feeling looking at the map and seeing how far from Scotland I was! The caves are remarkable because if you look through the gaps it looks like the map of Tasmania. We then went to an incredible viewpoint called the Eaglehawk look out, it was up a very off-road style track, Dion promised us it was an actual road. After our tour we headed back to meet Brigette as I was staying with her for the rest of the week.
After we dropped Andy back off at the Mace family, we went into town to watch Sean play darts at a local pub. Sean was a very good player and his team won! We then got some pizza and headed home for the evening.
Thursday I was back at the Potato farm, I did some other jobs such as packing the crates, wrapping the palettes and more grading. One of the machines broke in the afternoon so I went out for a walk to Marion Bay, not realising it was over 4 miles awayโฆit did my step count a lot of good. After work we went to K โ Mart, which was very exciting. I think it is the Tasmania version of Primark, we manage to not spend all our money. I cooked tea tonight for Brigette and Sean and we had a nice chill evening in.
Last early start of the week back at the Potato Farm, today I mainly worked on the grading machine. Brigette and I had bought a lot of snacks to keep us going, Anzac biscuits and Tim Tams are my favourites. After work I joined Brigette and her co -worker Ivy for a dog walk along Marion Bay, it was a lovely white sandy beach and the rain stayed away! We then went home for dinner and Sean got us some Tasmania kebabs or โHSPโ, they were very tasty. I then got organised for Saturday as we were going back to Quercus Park for the Agfest dinner.
On Saturday we drove to Quercus via the great lakes, I think this is where all the sunshine has been hiding! We stopped at the Liffey Falls for a quick picture opportunity before arriving. It was great to be back at the park and see everyone. We all had a BBQ style lunch before the post Agfest meeting started. Meetings run very similarly to meetings at home, they were a few suggestions for next yearโs event but most of the planning will happen at the brainstorm meeting in a couple of weeks and following the AGM. I then went into town with some of the girls to grab some drinks before we all got ready for the dinner. It was a brilliant fun evening, with great food and a DJ (not quite DJ Dave!). There were also a few different photo booths, we took full advantage of them. After the dinner we all took to the dance floor with all the classics playing, I was introduced to the โNutbush danceโ which was great fun. At midnight everyone headed to the crib room to keep the party going.
On Sunday we packed up our things, the giant purple suitcase is definitely not getting any lighter. Alex and Jordon gave us a lift to our next hosts Caitlin and Owen from North Motton where I would be staying for the next week.
I canโt believe I am already past week 4 of this exchange. The highlights this week were, touring the coast with Andy and Dion, visiting Port Arthur, working with Brigette and the team at the potato factory and of course the Agfest dinner. Thank you to my brilliant hosts this week Brigette, Sean, Dain and Dion. As ever you are all welcome to come to Scotland anytime.
Week 5 North Motton
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This week I was staying with the North Motton club at Caitlin and Owens farm. They farm 250 acres and have 120 sheep. They are currently lambing and harvesting brussel sprouts, so there was plenty going on! On Monday, Andy and I had a โslow dayโ after the big weekend. I went into the local town of Latrobe with Caitlin; it is a small town with just a few shops, restaurant, pub, bottle shop and a โservoโ (petrol station). When we got back, we had some lunch then went out to tail and vaccinate the lambs, this was a lot of fun, and the sun was shining!
In the afternoon we helped feed the pet lambs, there are currently 11 of them and they are very cute. The sheep here are a mix of breeds. We then went over to Caitlinโs grandparents farm nearby to move some fat lambs. One of the farm differences here is the trailers and lorries for livestock donโt have ramps, instead farms each have a permanent ramp attached to the handling systems. We did a few loads of the fat lambs, we were moving them to a different farm where they would be picked up and taken away. We had a nice, chilled evening in ready for the big adventure tomorrow.
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It was an early start on Tuesday for our big road trip over the Northwest coast. We were picked up by Hayden, a member of North Motton RY and drove to meet James and Daniel. We then went to our first stop of the day, the Table Cape Reserve. The Table Cape is an extinct volcano in the Northwest, we also managed to persuade the boys to walk to the lighthouse! The lighthouse is no longer in use but is still open for visitors, we also had a look at the large Tulip farm. On our way to the next stop, we went into a small cafรฉ called Muddy Boots. I tried the bacon, cheese and beef pie, it was very good! Think I will be trying to re-create it when Iโm home.
We then travelled further North to โThe Nutโ, it is a very large rock and all that remains of a Volcano plug. We opted to take the chairlift up to the top as it was quite a steep climb, the views at the top were spectacular. There was a walking track around the top which we did that had several stopping points with different information on what we were looking at. After our tour around the top, we then took the steep path down, the boys decided to run down, shockingly no one fell over but there were a few complaints of sore feet. For lunch we went to possibly the best fish and chip restaurant ever called Hursey Seafood. I tried Kilpatrick Oysters and Scallops; both were very tasty.
Following lunch, we jumped back in the car and drove out to the old Woolnorth Gates, this is the site of the largest dairy farm in Tasmania at a staggering 700 hectares. We then went to a popular surfing site in Marrawah which is famous for its year-round large waves, multiple surfing competitions are held here yearly. Our final stop of the day was to the โEdge of the Worldโ on Arthur River. Although technically not the edge of the world it is named as it has a complete uninterrupted view on the horizon. We picked the perfect day for the road trip as the sun was shining all day and we travelled over 600k! The group then travelled back to Daniels farm for tea. We met the resident pet sheep, Henry, and fed some of the fat cows. For tea we had a BBQ and I tried Wallaby for the first time, it was actually quite good and didnโt taste much different to beef. Hayden then took us all back to our hosts; it was a really great day and definitely a standout highlight from the entire exchange.
On Wednesday, Dylan (Agfest Chair) took us out for the day to Cradle Mountain. On route we stopped at the Cethana Dam and Power Station, one of the many hydro power stations in Tasmania, the state is predominately run of Hydro Electric (roughly 80%). We then made the drive up to Cradle Mountain, the site has been newly renovated with a full visitor centre, restaurant and gift shop. We hoped on the bus as we were going to be walking the Dove Lake Walk, a scenic 6km route around a lake at the base of the mountain. The walk was great fun, we stopped at the Glacier Rock viewpoint and the Old Boathouse. The Cradle Mountain itself was incredible to look at, definitely something I would like to challenge myself to attempt one day. Following our walk, we went to a local pub for lunch, before starting the drive back. On route back we stopped at the Leven Canyon Reserve, this is possibly my favourite viewpoint I have seen this entire trip. I was completely in awe of the canyon; the pictures do not do the view justice. We then had one last pit stop at the Preston Falls before heading back for dinner.
On Thursday North Motton member, Cheyenne, took us on a shopping trip to Simon Martin Whips and Leathercraft. I could have spent the whole day here, it was amazing. Rural Youth very kindly gave us each a voucher for the shop, so we all bought something to take back as a souvenir. I bought a leather coin purse and dog collar. I was very tempted by some cowboy boots, but I am pretty sure my bag is already overweightโฆ We then went over to Sheffield to have a look at the murals from Mural Fest, a mural art competition held annually in the town in the outdoor gallery. We then had a look around some of the shops, I caved and bought myself a Yeti mug. After some lunch we were back on the road to Tasmazia, one of the worldโs largest maze complexes with 8 different mazes, each with a different theme. We had a race through a few of them, Andy and I triumphed the first couple then got very lost in the confusion maze. They also had a world embassy section, the three of us were delighted to find each of our own countryโs embassy. The rain then started to really pour so we jumped back in the car. On route home we stopped at Melita Honey Farm, they had the largest collection of different flavour honeys I had ever seen. We tried apple, raspberry, lime, caramel, chocolate and cinnamon honey. We then went for an ice cream at Van Diemenโs Land Creamery, delicious ice cream, this time I tried the Tiramisu and Cafรฉ Latte. Before heading back, we manged to squeeze in a visit to Ashgrove Cheese and Dairy. We then headed home after a very jam packed but great day!
The weather on Friday was atrocious, Iโm calling it โStorm Tassieโ with wind speeds of 78km and lashing rain. After a few great, busy days the three of us opted for another โslow dayโ to catch up on everything. Caitlin took me out to see the Brussel sprout harvester, it was a very impressive operation, and the most Brussel sprouts I had ever seen. Caitlin insisted they tasted the best straight from the plant, I was not convinced. In the evening, I went for dinner at Caitlinโs grandparents farm, I tried silverside for the first time, and it was delicious.
On Saturday we were all participating in the Rural Rally, Tasmaniaโs version of a car treasure hunt. The team was Dylan, Sam, Siril, Andy and me. Before the race we decided to fuel ourselves adequately on waffles and croissants at the House of Anvers, best waffles ever. We then went to K โ Mart to get some costumes as we were told every team dresses up for extra points. We choose some rather stylish red flannels, boxers, bandanas and swim goggles. Dressed and ready to race we went to the start line. On arrival, we were told about the rules and named the team โThe Red Bananasโ. The Rally was great fun, with a range of tricky clues, things to find on route and take various different pictures. We were the 2ndย team back but between the โcoolโ costumes, Dylanโs speedy driving and Sam being able to solve all the clues, our team came out the winners! The race ended back at Quercus Park we all had some dinner and drinks to end a very fun day.
Another phenomenal week on exchange. It has been great to travel North and see the differences in landscapes and farms up here. It was a bit of an emotional week as I said goodbye to many of the people I have met over the past 5 weeks, I will hopefully see you all again soon! Thank you once again to my brilliant hosts, Caitlin and Owen, and to the North Motton members.
Week 6 Oatlands
The final week and wow โ what an adventure this has been! This week I was back in Oatlands staying with Brady and Carly. After a nice walk on Monday morning, Siril and I went into Oatlands for another look around, some lunch and of course more ice cream! In the evening, we headed along to the Sorell AGM which was interesting to attend and compare to AGMs back home. It was great to hear what the club got up to over the past year, the plans for next year and their charity links. The committees over here elect four people, President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The meeting wrapped up and it was a bit emotional saying some more goodbyes having had such a fab time with them all over the past few weeks.
On Tuesday, I was let loose in Carlyโs car! I drove over to Brighton to pick up Siril as we were heading to New Norfolk for the day. Despite the Scottish-like forecast of wind and rain, the sun made an appearance. We grabbed some lunch, did the Derwent cliff walk and I finally found a boomerang in a souvenir shop that supposedly comes back when you throw itโฆ excited to try it out back home but might wait until post-harvest when itโll be easier to find if it doesnโt return! Siril and I then went our separate ways as she was going to Tasman for a few days with Bridgette.
Brady had organised for me to visit a local Dairy and Sheep farm on Wednesday. I drove over to Annandale in the morning and met Bree at the sheep handling area. We sorted the sheep with the help of her dogs before moving a few herds to different fields. I was given Breeโs farm โuteโ (pickup) to drive for the day and it was great fun. After having a look at the dairy side of the farm, I was treated to a delicious BBQ for lunch. In the afternoon, the team held a farm meeting. It was good to listen in on this as the farm was very forward thinking and used various technologies to help improve pastures and crops e.g. an app which monitored and highlighted faults with the electric fence system. Bree gave me a full tour of the sheep paddocks and explained how she moved the sheep around in accordance with what paddocks had the right amount of grass for them (they measured the grass to help make the decide). I was also shown a paddock with a centre pivot irrigation system and the difference was incredible, the grass was as green as the grass at home! After a brilliant day, I headed back to Brady and Carlyโs. Thank you very much to the Annandale Farm team and Bree for having me.
On Thursday, I was let loose in the car again and decided to have a look around Campbell Town and Ross, both small towns on the side of the highway. In Ross, I paid the famous bakery a visit and tried the vanilla slice which lived up to itโs name and was indeed very tasty. In the afternoon, I headed back to get my bags reorganised and make some tablet for Brady and Carly before we went to the local RSL for dinner and some drinks.
On Friday I said my goodbyes to Brady and Carly as I was heading on a road trip to the West Coast. They were fantastic hosts and I thoroughly enjoyed staying with them. The first stop on the road trip was to Coles Bay and Wineglass Bay. We walked up to the viewpoint which had an incredible view of the bay and the famous white sandy beaches. The weather again was on our side and the sun shone all day. On Saturday, we started the drive to the Gordon Dam, passing by Mt Field. The road was very windy but the scenery was spectacular. I was totally taken aback by the sheer size of the Gordon Dam, it made your stomach flip looking over the edge at the very, very long drop to the bottom! I walked (very quickly) over it and back again, another landmark ticked off the list. We then headed out to a small town on the coast called Strahan and took the boat up the Gordon River to the World Heritage site, famous for the Huen pine trees. The trees were ideal for making boats as the wood doesnโt rot in water but due to it being over felled, they are now a protected tree species and only one person is licensed to scavenge the forest floor for the pine. On the boat back, we stopped at Sarah Island, a famous, brutal, convict island. We had an excellent tour guide who told us many stories about the island and the almost successful escape attempts. It was great day and also my final day on the exchange!
Iโm not quite sure how to describe and sum up just how amazing these past 6 weeks have been. Everyone I met was so friendly and welcoming and each day was a new adventure. I think I manged to squeeze in most of Tasmania, which is thanks to my brilliant hosts and the Rural Youth members. This exchange has been very memorable and rewarding, I couldnโt recommend it enough to other Young Farmers! I am now flying to Melbourne for a couple of days then back home in time for the Highland Show. There are so many people to thank for making this exchange possible especially SAYFC and Rural Youth. I am very grateful to have been chosen to go, it really has been a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
