It's late October 2019 and Blakely 22, a recent graduate from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver arrives to help on the farm and then tour around Tasmania on his bike.

I picked him up at the over night ferry from Melbourne and then went to straight to visit our friends Terri and Kevin at Beulah and see the farm they recently sold.

Back at our place we get into cutting out a new base for the water pump down at the dam.

Moving a few Irish Galloway cross cattle back on pasture.

 

 Clearing out some old hay and then re-stacking the bales in readiness for the new season bales.

Bringing in some Baldy heifers for weight gain check.

 We have been working on a new maize patch and now have the maize seed in and the sprinklers up and running.

 Today we are going to be chainsawing some firewood so Blakely sharpens and re-sets the blades.

A curious on-looker.

Some Charolais steers at dusk on a warm evening in late spring.
Photo courtesy of Blakely.

Blakely helps with some modifications to a cattle gate.

 Today he leaves us to begin his travels around Tasmania.
Thanks Blakely, good luck and safe travels.

Spring has arrived and the fruit trees look great.

We have long wanted to put an access track across the eastern side of the farm so now is the time to get it done.

It's mid July 2019 and we take the car on the ferry across Bass Strait for a ten day vacation to the mainland visiting family and friends.

We follow the coast along the Great Ocean Road, staying at Warnambool and Robe.

 

At Mannum we watched an old paddle steamer come into dock.

 Crossing the River Murray at Swan Reach on the punt to have lunch at the hotel on the cliff.

Now, watch out these guys are tough, check this out, daughter Kelly and grand daughters Molly and Frankie ready for anything.

 Grand daughter Molly just got a new pony, "Bubbles", and is keen to take her for a spin.

Frankie age 11 (on the left ) delivering a massive left hook to an opponent that is ten years older, cop this...."bring it on". 💪

 A common event on our travels is the sight of Kangaroos and Emus, but sometimes difficult to get close enough for a good photo.

( You might need to look closely.) 

 But our friend Peter has pet Kangaroos, even in the house, and then after pushing the cat off, this one got on the lounge. haha 

On the return journey we saw these amazing paintings of a possum and and King Fisher at Rochester in Victoria.

 And this wonderful cod.

June 2019 and we host "Define" ( Jiahao ), a 25 year old and recent graduate in Global Trade from Xi'an in northern China.

He had 2 weeks with us just before returning home to his girlfriend and to begin a working life.

We begin with removing some problem trees in a windbreak line.

Define mixes concrete for fixing posts in a new fence.

 Like most of our backpackers Define, came with us to the cattle sales.

On a day trip we stop to see the water mill at Deloraine.

Define  moves steers quietly down to another paddock.

It's Saturday and we are on our way to have coffee but we stop to see the river on a  beautiful morning at Launceston Seaport during a heavy frost.

It's April and Nick a young Canadian Brick layer and Stone Mason from Montreal has arrived to help us for the next 2 weeks before rejoining his girlfriend to travel around Australia.

One of the first jobs is to help pick up some cattle from a friend who no longer is able to manage them, but this goat wants to come along too...haha

Winter is on the way and it's time again to stack the wood shed

The wood is all in now so we begin to install a new gate in a paddock, don't stop Nick, there is only another 40 holes to dig, did I say 40, I meant 4.

This afternoon we took "Rover" to the beach for a run.

On a day trip to the east coast they are pulling in salmon and perch at Bicheno.

It's been a very dry season so Nick helps me to carry the pump back down to the dam so we can refill the stock tanks. And 'Rover" watches the Platypus.