Thursday, July 26, 2012

Kimberley Heritage Cattle Drive

The team at Home Valley Station in the East Kimberley has a bit of a job on – they need to muster a mob of cattle through New York Valley in an attempt to clear-up the valley's feral cattle numbers and they need a hand. Are you up to it? It’ll be a tough job; you’ll be riding flank and tail, living in a stock camp and hearding the mob up the old Barclay stock route towards Wyndham. The pay’s not real good but what an adventure.

You’ll start on day 1 sharing pre-dinner drinks at the Dusty Bar & Grill as you are briefed on the drive.  After dinner you’ll settle in to enjoy the on stage and campfire entertainment before retiring in readiness for the epic adventure ahead.

After breakfast you brush up on the finer points of horsemanship with Boss Drover "JR" John Rodney before meeting the team and taking part in the stock handover. 

Lunch is catered for at the stockyards and you’ll help move the mob down into the valley soon after, passing rugged towering escarpments, ancient boabs and  pristine waterholes of the beautiful Kimberley landscape  before yarding and watering the cattle and setting up camp for the night.

Dinner, drinks and entertainment are catered for around a roaring campfire and pretty soon you’ll hit the swag under the clear Kimberley sky.

Awaking early to the crackle of breakfast cooking and the screech and chatter of the morning bush at sunrise you saddle your stockhorse ready for the day ahead. The day brings more breathtaking scenery, rugged ranges and curious wildlife. The late afternoon dust-haze signals the end to a near perfect day.  

After another early start and a flawless Kimberley sunrise your day in the saddle is spent sharing stories of the old droving days and of some of the legends that opened up these parts with one of the aboriginal stockmen - fascinating. 

Occasionally you have to cut off a stray and guide it back to the mob but otherwise it is a pretty uneventful day. Tonight after a stunning outback sunset you enjoy sumptuous cuisine and more stories around the campfire. The aboriginal stockmen put on a bit of a show, a perfect end to a great day.

Next morning after breakfast you saddle up your stockhorse with mixed feelings as this is the last droving day; this afternoon we will be back at the homestead. As the yards come into view a sense of pride washes over you, you’ve brought the mob home – there’s gunna be a celebration tonight. Time to wash the dust from your throat with a coldie at Dusty Bar and Grill. You’ll be heading home tomorrow, but not before you land a Kimberley Barramundi.  Yeehaa what an awesome week!

Great News! There are 4 Kimberley Heritage Cattle Drives this year:

• July 26 to 31
• August 1 to 6
• August 9 to 14
• August 17 to 22

*Photos provided by Nicolle Fenech, Ben Knapinski, Ian Johnson and Yane Sotiroski*

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