Station Caretakers Position available:
We are currently caretaking a 26,000 acre sheep & cattle property some 80k south-west of
Blackall and close to the
Idalia National Park. We have been caretaking this property since Feb 2013 - and love the place. This is the second property of Ian and Deb Macdonald whose
home property is some 115k away and we have offered to assist them to find good caretakers to take over from us in March this year. They are a lovely couple, very professional in their management of both properties and are great people to work for.
The role is pretty straight forward and includes doing daily water runs to ensure the stock have water. A Nissan 4wd Ute is provided for work use. One thing that will keep you busy will be finding & repairing water leaks in the poly pipes!!!...
There are two small Honda 5hp petrol engine pumps, one
bore with a diesel generator engine and eleven dams. You will need to do minor servicing on the Honda engines and diesel generator for the
bore pump, just changing oil etc...
The next most important role is keeping an eye on the stock and advising the owners of any issues or sickness. Pulling out any stuck stock from dams during the drought has kept us busy at times!
You are required to upkeep the main house & cottage gardens, which generally just entails watering lawns & trees, just general looking after
the gardens and doing routine maintenance jobs around the place.
Also the occasional slashing or spraying for weed control and just other general handyman jobs...
The ability to confidently ride a motorbike or quad bike, which are supplied on the property, is an advantage as we help out with the cattle and sheep mustering several times a year. This usually involves mustering the stock from the paddocks and walking them up to the yards and assisting with the stock in the yards.
We also do the occasional fence run and repair any broken wires, fence posts etc.
The owners do all the stock work but you are encouraged to help out where you feel confident.
The role is part-time and not onerous and there will be plenty of time for you to pursue your hobbies – it’s a great place for writers, painters, photographers or whatever your hobby.
The dams do have fish & native shrimp– mainly spangled perch although one is reputed to have Yellow Belly!
This is a great opportunity to take a break and immerse yourself in a lovely rural community.
Blackall is a pleasant and very active country town and has all the usual basic facilities. It also boasts one of the best aquatic centres - all heated artesian water including a great spa. Culturally there is a lot going on - a very strong quilting group and the artistic community is
well catered for with visiting artists and workshops and a very
well equipped Men’s Shed. Add to this the many small regional country shows..
Longreach is the closest major town & is about 2.5 hrs drive by sealed road.
The Caretakers have their own two bedroom cottage - old but sound condition with pressed tin ceilings. The kitchen has all the usual mod-cons electric stove, fridge, large box freezer and microwave, etc. There is digital
satellite TV and a satellite internet connection. There is no mobile service on the property & it seems only Telstra has mobile service in town.
The garden has lawn and plenty of space for veggie gardens plus shady trees and a bush BBQ.
Ian and Deb supply meat from their property and also provide a small wage & cover basic living expenses- (power &
home phone).
They are looking for an active couple rather than a single person and hope to attract someone for a minimum of one year so they would get to see and experience the whole cycle of operations. Should you feel you would enjoy this lifestyle for a change and have some relevant experience then contact us with a resume detailing your experience and we will pass it onto Ian & Deb.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions you have & we can also supply some photo's of the place if wanted.
Outback living is an experience everyone should try! You won't regret taking the plunge and trying it!! We definitely don't!!
Darren & Jo Tonkin
moparcm@ozemail.com.au