Archive for September, 2006

Doggone, we need a name quick!

Here’s our new pup for the Casterton Kelpie Auction in June 2007! Trouble is, John and I can’t agree on a name.

That’s why we’re asking you to submit names in our first ever competition. The winner will receive a personally signed copy of The Stockmen and Jillaroo! Read more…

Even a mother couldn’t love him

This is our poddy lamb ‘Reject’. I don’t expect him to live, but if he does I don’t reckon even the stock agent will want him!

He was one of triplets born into sleeting rain. After two days, his mum rejected him. She kept the better looking brothers. Read more…

Ladies lunch — country style

I don’t do ladies lunches as a rule — but I couldn’t refuse our ‘Truffle harvester’s cut out’ at Zeps in Campbell Town yesterday.

The five of us girls got together with our boss to toast the end of the truffle season. We’ve never shared a meal together looking so clean!

I couldn’t just do a ladies lunch though — I had to tie in farm jobs as well.

There were lick blocks for lactating ewes to order and layer pellets to buy for our chooks, Peg and Putt.

I’d also organised my truffle mate Jeanie to transport our new Casterton auction pup bred by Mathew Johnson to lunch. (He stunk the girls out in the car and yapped the whole way home.)

After a glass of wine or two, and a big famous Zeps meal, by the time I’d called into the Tunnack Club on the way home I was a wreck.

I don’t know how ladies doing ladies lunches do it! I was more stuffed than if I’d been crutching all day!

That’s it! I’ve hung up my heels and I’m leaving it to the professionals.

Home, smelly home

I was so glad to be home from the city of Brisbane that even the swallow poop at the back door looked inviting.

As I let my canines out for a run, I became wistful at the vision of the sheep dogs dumping on the daffodils! Such a precious sight!

Country life — you can’t beat it!

On my way home, straight off the plane, I chatted to two mates in the supermarket and on our little backroad, I knew every car and got a wave from everyone — none of this anonymous city living where people are reluctant to crack a smile or say g’day in the street. (It’s true!  I conducted my own experiment in the Brisbane Mall.)

Get me out of that concrete and consumerism — where it’s all about the moolah! I’m back home in my rich life — here to see the first spring lambs in the paddock and hear the musical calls of the Black Jays down from the mountainside.

It was great to participate in the Write Across Queensland Tour and the Brisbane Writer’s Festival — but geez it’s great to be back home — bird poop and all!

King of Country to King of Jazz in a single day

What an experience! One night we’re singing Lee Kernaghan songs as loud as we can at the Gold Coast’s Outback Spectacular — the next night we’re toetapping to trumpet playing legend, James Morrison at the the Brisbane Writer’s Festival opening.

Bundy one day, champagne the next. Read more…

The Grasslands Whisperer gets the answers

It all started with an email:

Dear Rachel Treasure,

My name is Tori Nugent and I come from Tambo in Western Queensland. I loved your books. They really touched a cord with me. I love escaping into the world of books and your stories make it so easy to do so.

Jillaroo remains one of favourite books even after all the re-readings.

I aspire to be a journalist and currently I am doing some work with our local paper The Grassland Whisperer before I go off to university.

I am interested in starting a series of short interviews to be featured in the paper and am wondering if you would help out with this.

I know many locals who have read you books and I believe they would be interested in hearing from you.

I am attaching a short list of questions. I would be truly grateful if you would fill these out and e-mail them back to me, if it isn’t too much trouble?

Of course it isn’t and I’d like to share my personal experience as a writer. Tori’s questions and my answers follow: Read more…

No pooping in the library, please.

She’s all over red rover! I’ve arrived in Brisbane after the ‘Write Across Queensland’ tour.

In the past two weeks I’ve not only experienced the top end of Queensland — a place I loved — but I’ve also been initiated into the real writer’s world. Read more…

Watch the little tackers fly

It wasn’t scheduled on our Write Across Queensland tour, but I couldn’t resist the impromptu invitation to the Julia Creek Pony Club from a cute little kid called Rachel after I’d done my talk at the local school.

To see those little tackers fly round the barrels and the flags on their big rangy tail-flicking horses was a treat. Read more…

Bundy on tap

Oh dear! What’s a girl to do? I’ve hit rodeo town and I’m in heaven.

Mt Isa hosts the biggest rodeo in the Southern Hemisphere and it shows! There’s saddlery and rodeo clothing stores to drool over and Bundy on tap at every pub.

There’s also three men to every woman in this town — sometimes you can spot a fella wearing a big cowboy hat and Wranglers. Read more…

Red dust and road trains

It feels like coming home. Driving inland from the Atherton tablelands I was relieved to see the roads straightening and the iron bark country unfolding.

It felt like I was heading to my people at last. Country people. My own kind. Read more…