Setting up new waters on Yarrie
Host: Yarrie Station
Written by Alex – Overseer, Yarrie Station.
Alex is Yarrie’s Senior Station Hand and Overseer. He first started working on Yarrie when he was 15 and has been a part of the family ever since. He left in his late 20’s to manage other properties and even dabbled in the big dollars through the mining game for many years. In late 2013 he headed back to Yarrie full time. The team is so grateful to have such a knowledgeable, hardworking, modest, and just all around good bloke back in his home country doing what he clearly loves the most.
The most rewarding job on a station for me is setting up new watering points, turning something old into new, opening up more grazing land, and supplying cattle with clean troughs on a cement pad all year round. In the past 12 months we have drilled and equipped over eight new watering points which is a good effort for the size and scale of this family operation.
Drilling is the first step to new waters, it’s always an exciting moment when the rig hits water.
Most of these solar pumps take around two days to set up, the water is usually very shallow and of beautiful quality. There is also the preparation time to find a spot, then drill the bores, plus pack up and move out there.
Moving all the equipment out the area for set up also usually takes at least one day.
Its important to take the time and set it up properly the first time so as not to have to constantly go back and fix issues.
Many bores are over 80km from the homestead so camping out is the option to get the job done more efficiently. I work in the some of the most beautiful country. Standing back with a cold beer at the end of each day looking at your progress makes you think how lucky we are to be doing what we love and getting paid for it.
Alex
Senior Station Hand and Overseer
Finishing the job with the sunset and beer.
Alex and his daughter Breanna who now attends high school down south and visits on school holidays.