You Could End Up Anywhere...

From the age of five years, after my family immigrated from Germany to Australia, I grew up in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne. I enjoyed my childhood in town, completed my education and backpacked through Europe. I never completely felt like a 'city girl', as the country and especially the beach forever beckoned, and I knew I would end up somewhere rural. I just wasn't sure in which scenario this would eventuate, when or where.

Then in 2000 I met my now husband, Anthony. Although he had spent the previous twenty years in Melbourne, he was born in Leongatha and grew up in northern Victoria. He had country and cattle surging through his blood and every free moment granted, he would head for those beautiful, green, rolling hills that accumulated the further south he drove. I too felt more and more at peace and free when I accompanied him.

In 2002 Anthony and I made the significant decision to buy a farm in Middle Tarwin, South Gippsland. His family had owned and farmed the land for three generations and he remembers climbing the big Cyprus trees during school holidays as a young child. If the property was not bought by a family member, it would be sold along with his family's legacy. Anthony did not, under any circumstances, want this to happen and made appropriate arrangements to see to it that we would take over the farm and continue to raise beef cattle, as his family had previously and successfully pursued for so long, regardless of inevitable floods and droughts.

So, I was introduced to beef cattle and I learnt to get down and dirty like never before! We would head south to the farm most weekends, as we still resided and worked in Melbourne during that time, and Anthony attempted to teach me cattle work and all that went with it.

I remember the first time I stepped into the cattle yards. It was a boiling, hot, dusty day and I was surrounded by huge, multicultural bullocks, as well as 1000 little, black bush flies, who were driving me insane, trying to crawl up my nose, in my ears and mouth. The cattle were all staring at me, while many were opening their bowels. It was smelly and overwhelming. They looked enormous and scary, however, there was little time to be fearful. The job of drafting the animals had to get done and it all occurred so quickly, there was no time to think of anything other than the job at hand. I wasn't a natural, but I gave my best.

In 2005 we decided to move to South Gippsland. It was time to bite the bullet and make a good go of the farm. Anthony thrived and blossomed as he built his successful cattle business with his extraordinary business sense. I admire him greatly for all he has achieved.

Apart from the daily farm chores, having managed the building of our house, growing a garden and caring for our beautiful furry family – members big and small, I have been employed in various local part-time positions and still am to this day.

I always knew I would live in a beautiful rural area, just not in which scenario, where or when.........and a most glorious beach is only a ten minute drive away.