Up date from Moura

Now that we have wireless signals we can bring the blog up todate
Lochanbar Cattle Station – Kroombit

Called a “Hands On Aussie Farmstay” Lochanbar Station is a working cattle property. Although there are a few grassed caravan and motor home powered sites situated in a pleasant setting amongst towering gum trees adjacent to a running creek, the main accommodation facility comprises of a number of log cabin dormitories and high mounted barrack like dongas. Massive sawn log tables and bench seats 40 – 50 feet long are set up for eating in a central communal area, alongside is a camp kitchen cooking area with its wood camp fire and numerous camp ovens and grills, everything is set outdoors under a tin roof to create the right atmosphere. On the other side of what you could classify as the camp compound a chuck wagon acts a bar with a number of huge sawn tree stumps set up as tables and seats where thirsty wringers can relax and have a drink. Next to this a mechanical bull has been set up to form part of the cattle farm experience while creating some good entertainment. A short distance away an area is set up to try the hand at whip cracking. Other activities include clay target shooting, quad bike and horse trail riding, goat mustering both on horse back and quad bikes, a goat rodeo and 4wd cattle station tours depending on how long the stay is for.
Young international backpacker groups appear to be the majority of people that visit Kroombit, mid sized buses (large mini buses) towing luggage trailers wizz these young back packers around the country on package tours staying at places like Kroombit for one or two nights max and then on to somewhere else.
We spent 2 nights at Kroombit during this time 2 buses as previously described arrived about mid-day and young back packers quickly got involved in as many activities as they could. As night fell, as to be expected the chuck wagon bar became very popular while everyone waited for their camp kitchen dinner. Later the property owner gave a talk on local history and then demonstrated how to crack a stock whip, everybody then moved to the area set aside for this activity and the majority had a go at cracking a whip with a bit of tuition from Allan the owner and his band of young female staff, all of whom were very patient. This was followed by mechanical bull riding which of course was quite a source of entertainment and NO I didn’t have a go, fortunately I can claim age as an excuse and a good reason for not making a complete fool of myself.
All credit to these young foreigners they were very polite and well behaved albeit they were probably exhausted from their non-stop tour.
6:45 am the following day they were on their way again one bus going north the other south I believe at least one bus had an eleven hour journey ahead of them !!!
It was also time for us to pack up and move on, well a couple of hours later anyway and by the time we departed two more similar buses loaded with back packers had all ready arrived.
Summing up Kroombit, the two families involved in the property have endeavoured to create the impression of a traditional western cattle camp and give people a feel for the type of life wringers of earlier days would have lived. Certainly young foreign back packers find it an enjoyable experience and get to see something different including kangaroos. Personally, the ambience would have been there once but now it appears very tired and looking at some of the camp kitchen areas such as food prep and dish washing etc – hmm. However we enjoyed the tranquillity and setting, did some 4wd bush bashing ourselves, had some good laughs and met some nice young people all in all it was another experience.
Next stop Moura