Our 1,200 acre freehold property withgrain and cattle was forever enveloped in debt. The renting of adjoiningforestry plantations for running more cattle helped when we first moved to Oakdale but their worth lessened as thetrees grew. The plantations we rented were rough and hilly – steep, treacherouscountry which was hard on horses not bred to the terrain. I have a memory ofRob arriving back one day on the beautiful black mare we called Twinky, notrealizing he had ridden her too hard. She collapsed and lay panting.  Wetelephoned the closest vet and that was Nanango, too far away to help for anemergency.  Rob was told rather bluntly:  ‘your horse will get up or she will lie thereand die.’ A small time later she got to her feet. Twinky was getting old.  She was never ridden to muster hilly plantation country again; instead our youngest, who had graduated from the Shetland pony,took Twinky for his pony club horse.

      I soon came to the conclusion many yearsago that our life on the land was a way of life, not a way to make aliving.  The roads were shocking but wedidn’t care. My love for country Australia deepened over the years. I could notthink of living anywhere else; likewise the main characters in my countrynovels developed an affinity with the Australian countryside. Their love for theland remained always.

More tomorrow. 

Comment:  http://www.colouredsandstrilogy.com.au