What is Really Down Under?

By Gerald M. Neff

from the nearest civilization of Katherine to find the job site in the solitary outback. The closest little town was Top Springs; then we arrived at the station a couple of hours more down the road. The welcoming sign said: Outback Land and Cattle Station.

Here I must inject this prominent fact that with the opening of China to the world (trip-year 2002), the Chinese have formed a never as before appetite for beef, any kind of beef, and not necessarily very refined. All of Northern and Central Australia with its dry open spaces can only support one cow per square hector (2.4 acres per hector); but if you have several million hectors, you have a large number of cattle. These cattle must all be taken care of within this short period -July to September- with the necessary participation of the very talented Aborigine cowboys on foot and horseback supported by helicopters and as many visitors as you can convince to go to this isolated oasis. Every two to four days a large double semi-trailer-truck full of two hundred head of cattle leave for Canton and other ports in China. There are dozens of these outback centers all over the northern and central parts of the country from Alice Springs all the way through to the Northern Port of Darwin, which is just in front of Indonesia.

For three months I was part of this process of round-up of cattle sorting and shipping, assisted by my ten aborigine friends, ten visitors, and ten real live beer drinking hard swearing sons of kangaroos or local Australian cowboys. All of us were living together in the beautiful green oasis of Outback Cattle Station located in the middle of nowhere Northern Territory, Australia for the cattle round-up.

Australians are the salt of the earth, friendly, and helpful. We were all one big happy family working 12 to 14 hours a day, but there was always plenty of local oranges, apples, and beef for every meal with silver-side or corned beef which we prepared locally, and the inevitable overboiled veggies and fried tomatoes. It is hard work, and even if you drink several beers an evening you have to have an escape-valve, the rodeos or get-to-gathers with neighboring stations are almost an exact copy of our celebrations. Lassoing, bulldogging, horse-riding plus plenty of violin, mandolin and guitar music accompanied by everyone dancing with pretty girls dressed in brightly colored full skirts and blue-jeans, and everybody wearing the popular white cowboy hat. All of us enjoying piles of food including chunks of roasted meat, potatoes, squash, and again the inevitable fried tomatoes. The most common desert was lots of yellow custard accompanied by fruits with cinnamon sprinkled on top. The beer with Bundeburg Rum were all brought in by helicopter with the bosses from Katherine and Darwin. What a breathtaking experience!

Try and buy a round-trip-ticket to Australia because if you have to save-up for the return fare, it is a rough job and expensive. We sold our car and from our cattle earnings just made it out of Perth for Los Angeles on the newly inaugurated "South East Asian Airplane" for US$2,500 each. It is a long flight of fourteen hours, but nice flight attendants and plenty of international joy of edibles and drinkables make the trip go quickly.

Anywhere in the many youth hostels or even hotels are lots of offers for work, tours, and opportunities of side trips; all seem on the up and up because in Australia as the Kangaroos says " No Worries Mate, There is Just Not Any Place You Can Run Away To." Go online for tours or give it a try by yourself, or with friends.

It is a wonderful experience, and you will always yearn to go back to see the real land of the big sky...DOWN UNDER !!!

http://thenewdaily.com.au/life/ travel/2014/02/06/outback-adventures-city-slickers/

Poetry Corner

My Present

By Maggie Ramos

You became part of my past. You are now my present. I would like you to be, part of my future.

When we are distant I feel you closer, I can feel you, When you think of me. Whether we are together or apart you will always be part of my heart.

I gave you my soul and placed it in your hands. Without a doubt I gave you my presence, But with second thoughts for a moment I felt rejected.

Hard it became for us to love. Easier it was for us to hate. So hurt we both are, hard it is for us to understand. No need to express it.

With a kiss under the moon glide everything is reflected into our essence. Pain walks by my side holding my hand with confidence.

Certain that together we will be, with intrigue patiently I shall wait for a silent moment with you to strengthly embrace.

©By Maggie Ramos