We travelled out to the farm along one of the many dusty brown roads with a cloud of dust rising behind the faithful beaten up red truck. Farmer Ken with his old cap, mud weathered hands, says to me in an Australian Drawl as he hits the gas pedal in his rustic oz boots, ‘so hows it going Sam’; ‘just awesome this is the life’ I say.

The first day I got out the car near the high street, or as they call it the city Centre. Feels a bit like a ghost town as you see about 10 people as you walk down the main street, they all greet you like they have known you for years. The town of around 6,000 people started in the 1800s with the opening of a gold mine after around 150 years this mine is now due to close next year. On the first day I walked down to the train station a very large building and there were a few waiting people for what must have been the only train of the day. Time just seems to stand still. Everything is very quite the odd car passes by, for a brief time everyday the town is returned to time when the horn of the train is heard coming through and then returns to a timeless, sleepy, outback town! It is also woken up every morning with a earth shaking tremor from the daily explosion down in the gold mine.

Stawell is on the flat plain between the Grampian Mountains and the Pyrenese Ranges. Recently we climbed the Elephants hide which is a smooth, steep sided mountain and climbed to the top, it was worth it for the view. Last few weeks has the feeling of being at the zoo or wildlife park, not just because of the local people but because of the coloured parrots that wizz infront of you. Lizards crawl from rock to rock and even in the locals gardens. Last night I had a glimps of a tarantula sitting nicely on the ceiling.

One night was Kangeroo shooting out on the farm this experience is very different to any I have had before. Standing up on the back of a 4×4 as they call them a ute, with a gun and spotlight and as you drive across the paddocks scanning the hill line for any life or eyes. They look the most stupid animal jumping around the place, but they eat so much crop. There are over 100 in the hills just behind the farm, you can find them up to 7ft. So we stop the car, aim and BANG and another one hits the dust.!

Bill who is one of Kens sons was paying some bills off the other day and one was to his boss and the boss (known as reptile) reminds me of a ‘cowboy’ and ‘hippy’ shaken up inside a tin of noodles.

So in his words to you, ‘You having a ball?’ followed by ‘well gota keep rocking’ as he disappears down the road in a forklift truck with his wispy long hair wafting behind him with rapid acceleration.