Eldeebar near Dingo

We visited this place, Inskip Point, only a week ago and we camped within 100 metres of where this video was taken. Nature can be very scary.

This morning was a mixed morning in that there were a few different things to be done. Prue did washing catch up and i guess some chatting with Margy.

First up, Phil and I went to retrieved a wayward steer from a neighbouring property in his tabletop truck with cattle  float attached. We unlocked a gate into the paddock that the yards were in. Then went a bit further to the yards. The key to unlock the loading ramp was hidden and the directions to them were vague. So we had to attempt to contact the owners by mobile phone but the reception is very poor. Eventually, we made contact and then unlocked and loaded the steer onto the truck. Then it was back to his correct paddock.

On return it was time for morning tea on the verandah. Nice and pleasant just chatting. In the sun although it was cloudy and later in the day there were some rain showers.

Duncan working on the Karavan plumbing

My project for the morning was to replace the hot water tap washer in the Karavan. It was a bit of an involved process as I have put in a drinking water tap near the original unit. The drinking tap had to be removed to allow access to the hot water unit. It meant the second drawer had to be removed, too.  The actual tap washer unit replacement, ceramic type, took about 1 minute but the whole repair and replace about an hour. So far no more dripping taps!

Then I went to see what Phil was doing with his antique engines. He is absolutely amazing in what he is doing to restore engines that had long ceased to work. He has numerous types in a variety of levels of restoration. Some may not have run for more than 50 years. He has made missing parts to ensure they work again. Currently he is working on a Y series Hornsby engine and this was built very early in the 1900s and was found on a farm near Goondiwindi and had been covered with flood water on numerous occasions.

After lunch, Phil took Prue and I on a tour around their extensive cattle farms. He came here in the early 1970s. He lived in a very primitive caravan and shed for 6 years before he and Margy built their first flat and shed before their now beautiful homestead. The land was won in a Queensland land ballot and was covered in Brigalow scrub mainly. Part of the conditions placed on the land was that it had to be cleared, seeded and fenced.

Some Eldeebar cattle

Phil's cattle country looking south

Turkey nest dam and brigalow to the right

Phil and Duncan in Phil's cattle yards

In subsequent years, it has had to be blade ploughed to cut the root system of the Brigalow suckers to kill them off. A very expensive operation to get the property to the state it is in now. Numerous ground tanks and dams had to be constructed as there is no underground water on the farm. We saw lots of his cattle and assisted Phil to return 2 bulls back into their correct paddock.

By then it was almost the end of the day. we had a lovely dinner and lots of catching up.