JERVOISE STATION QLD. -- HERE WE COME !!!

G'day relies & especially my canine cousins Charlie, Shadow, Max, Jack Snr. & Buddy .................. I've finally convinced the boss to take off on the trip I have been planning ..... 3000kms. north to Jervoise Station. I will tell you more about that in a moment, including this stupid hat the boss bought for me !!! .....

Last weekend, the Lady of the house, (Helen or Nanna to you guys) the boss & I went up to the Barossa to catch up with the family, & to pick up a load of firewood. Tom took us out to one of the Kaesler vineyard properties to cut up some old redgum strainer posts ..... then I spotted them !!! .... a mob of sheep just waiting to be rounded up !!!

I thought all my Christmas's had come at once !!!! But what do I do next ????

Then it all came back to me .... my breeding as a sheep dog which I told you guys about before !!!

Well ..... without saying anything to Tom or the boss, I circled the mob of sheep & had them in a nice tight bunch in no time flat !!

Had a bit of trouble with one ewe ..... typical female !!!! ....... stubborn !!! ...... wanted to do everything her way !!!

So I headed back to ask Tom which paddock he wanted the sheep in ??

Well ..... I sorted out the sheep & Tom & the boss finished loading the trailer with firewood .... then we headed back to Kirsty's house.

When we got back, Tom showed me this picture ....... & it brought a tear to my eyes !!!

He's Gummy's dog ..... NUNYA ...... in dog heaven now with Wild Dog & Sonny.

We had some good times together when I visited him ..... nice guy & always sharing things ...... when-ever the boss put food in MY food bowl, Nunya would get stuck into it straight away ..... but he always left a little bit for me !!??

He sure was a big guy ..... the sort of pal you would like to have standing by your side in a face-off with a mob of bikies !!!!

Now ..... back to Queensland & that stupid hat !!! The boss said I needed an Akubra hat because everyone in outback Queensland wears them. I suppose I might get used to it eventually, but I made him take the photo inside ..... didn't want any local dogs that I know seeing me like this !!??

Jervoise Station is marked on the map .... it's a cattle station of 77,000 acres ..... it's midway between Townsville & Cairns & about 200kms. inland. The boss said that the nearest town is Greenvale about 35kms. south ..... BIG DEAL !!! ..... It's got a servo, a primary school, a store & a caravan park ??

You can read more info by pasting the following link in your browser.... that's computer talk .... not bad for a dog eh !!! http://greenvale.qld.au/

Hang about ..... just realised that I forgot to tell you something ...... Captain ( aka Dennis A ) is coming with us !!?? He's a bit of a greenhorn when it comes to camping ..... but if he takes notice of an experienced traveller / camper like me, I will make an outback bushy out of him in no time !!

He can even have my bloody Akubra hat so at least he looks the part !!??

Bit of a problem though !!?? Captain & the boss want to leave in 2 weeks time ..... but I reckon they should wait until after Rosco's 65th. birthday on June 25 .... what do you guys think ??

I've been planning this trip for months, but then the boss got involved & said we should call in at Jervoise Station to help them investigate making charcoal ....... I said, "You must be kidding me ....why would I be interested in making charcoal ??? " Anyway, I thought I should help him out with my expertise at surfing the web & get some info together. Apparently, when Cyclone Yasi went through there in early 2011, it didn't just flatten all the banana trees, it also flattened tens of thousands of Ironbark trees across the Station. The station owners are wondering whether they can harvest the trees & burn them to make charcoal ...... & guess what ?? .... the boss has convinced them that he knows lots about making charcoal ?? ....... Yeh sure !! ... in his dreams !!??

Although the boss is taking all the credit for it, I found this video on the web & now the boss reckons we just upscale things 10 fold, & make 1 tonne of charcoal each batch.

Watch video at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXMUmby8PpU

As for me, I was much more interested in what Kerry ....... the owner of the station with her husband Greg ....... had to say when she rang this morning. Kerry said that we can use their house for as long as we want ...... the house sits on the banks of the Dry River, but it's NOT dry because it's got heaps of water in it plus redclaw yabbies, yellowbelly & other freshwater fish ..... PLUS ..... WAIT FOR IT !!! ........ heaps of wild ducks for me to chase !!??

And you think the boss is crazy going 3000kms. to make some charcoal !!?? .... what about Captain ??

He reckons he is going up there to make his fortune by fossicking for gemstones & metal detecting for gold !!??? HA .....HA.....HA !!!!!!!!!!!

Good job I'm in charge ..... those two could lead each other up the garden path & over a cliff !!???

Well .... I have to sign off now because I need to make a list of the things we need to take for Captain & the boss. Me .... I just need a few tennis balls & a rug to sleep on !!! But those guys need heaps of stuff .... ... so I will have to make the list otherwise they will forget something for sure !!!

Talk about hopeless !!!

Don't panic ..... I will be back, because I know how much you guys look forward to reading my blogs !!??