Turlee Station Stay - An Australian Outback Farmstay

Updated bird list for 2012

2012-01-20T09:21:00.000+11:00

Below is an updated bird list for Turlee Station.

With special thanks to David Hair and Geoffrey Gabb who contributed many additional species to the original list and to Geoffrey who also sent us back in some lovely post cards of the birds he spotted whilst staying with us back in 2010.

Coming soon is a bird watchers guide for Turlee Station which will include images and information on each species spotted and will provide guests with an additional activity to keep them involved whilst on station! We are very excited about including this bird watchers guide in our rooms and communal areas on station and can't wait to give you a sneak peek!!!

Apostlebird

Australasian Grebe

Australasian Pipit

Australian Magpie

Australian Raven

Australian Ringnecked Parrot

Australian White Ibis

Australian Wood Duck

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

Black-faced Woodswallow

Black-fronted Dotterel

Black-shouldered Kite

Black Kite

Black-tailed Native Hen

Blue Bonnet

Brown Falcon

Brown Goshawk

Brown-headed Honeyeater

Brown Songlark

Brown Treecreeper

Chestnut-crownded Babbler

Chestnut-rumped Thornbill

Collared Sparrowhawk

Common Bronzewing

Crested Bellbird

Crested Pigeon

Dusky Moorhen

Emu

Eurasian Coot

Galah

Great Egret

Grey Butcherbird

Grey Currawong (race melanoptera)

Grey Fantail

Grey Shrike-thrush

Grey Teal

Hardhead

Hoary-Headed Grebe

Hooded Robbin

Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo

Jacky Winter

Little Black Cormorant

Little Crow

Little Eagle

Little Raven

Magpie Lark

Major Mitchell Cockatoo

Malleefowl

Mistletoebird

Mulga Parrot

Nankeen Kestrel

Pacific Black Duck

Pallid Cuckoo

Pied Butcherbird

Rainbow Bee-eater

Red-capped Robin

Red-rumped Parrot

Red Wattlebird

Redthroat

Restless Flycatcher

Richard’s Pipit

Rock Dove (Banded Racing Pigeon)

Rufous Songlark

Rufous Whistler

Singing Honeyeater

Southern Boobook

Southern Whiteface

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

Splendid Fairy-wren

Straw-necked Ibis

Striated Pardalote

Striped Honeyeater

Tree Martin

Varied Sittella

Variegated Fairy-wren

Wedge-tailed Eagle

Weebill

Welcome Swallow

Western Gerygone

Whistling Kite

White-breasted Woodswallow

White-browed Babbler

White-eared Honeyeater

White-faced Heron

White-fronted Chat

White-plumed Honeyeater

White-winged Chough

White-winged Fairy-wren

White-winged Triller

Willie Wagtail

Yellow-plumed Honeyeater

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Yellow-throated Miner

Zebra Finch

Total 94 species

With heat brings goat trapping.....

2012-01-17T16:00:00.000+11:00

As the weather heats up out here (finally, we thought Summer would never get here!!!) we are under taking a spot of goat trapping!

Today the temperature gauge is reading 35 degrees however it is located in the shade under our pergola! Therefore one could presume at least 38 outside where the unlucky folk hang out!

With two traps permanently set and being unloaded daily, we are certainly being kept on our toes with all other commitments that Summer brings also. Hotter weather brings the goats into water which is where the traps are set, around troughs.

On the way out to unload the first trap, the goats, in all their wisdom, had decided a little pay back was in order and turned the tap on to one of our troughs causing boss hog to get bogged and call for assistance!

After the damsel (or dame!) in distress was rescued we got down to business.....

The little people came along for the ride too, after being pulled away from the sprinkler and newly renovated backyard (with lawn!) that was.

We are eradicating the free-loading ferals reasonably quickly and will hopefully have enough for a truck load out before long. Here's to hoping the hotter weather sticks around a little longer and the goats get thirsty!!!

Road Side Signage

2011-12-20T13:25:00.000+11:00

We have recently erected some new road side signage at Turlee and around the district on the roads leading into Turlee. Keep your eyes peeled for new signs at the following locations:

The turn off from the Arumpo Road to the Marma Box Creek Road (19km from Turlee)
The Balranald turn off to Turlee/Mungo National Park (54km from Turlee)
The t-intersection to the west of Turlee (2km from Turlee)
The t-intersection at the end of the Arumpo Road at Mungo National Park (32km from Turlee)
The front gate at Turlee Station

Guests should have no problem in finding the station now! Happy travels!!!

Mungo Drive Tour Re-Opens

2011-09-27T17:21:00.000+10:00

The below information is taken from http://www.visitmungo.com.au/

The National Parks and Wildlife Service is pleased to announce the reopening of the popular self drive tour at Mungo National Park after water damage.
Lower darling Area Manager Jo Gorman said the road had been closed since late last year.
“The amazing amount of rain we had meant water pooled in parts of Mungo Lake held by the clay soils
“Parts of the self drive tour cross over the usually dry lake bed so these roads have been boggy and impassable.
“We have been repairing damage caused by the water, but one section at Red Top has only just dried out enough for us to complete the works.
“We are very pleased to have the 70 kilometre Self Guided Drive Tour reopened as it is one of the most popular activities for visitors to the park.
“While it is reopened we do ask that people take care and try to remain in the middle of the road in the Red Top section due to very soft edges.
“We have also got a packed itinerary of Discovery activities on offer for the school holidays.
“The Discovery program starts this Saturday 24 September and runs until Sunday 9 October.
“Discovery Tours will be held twice daily at 10am and 2pm.

AFL Grand Final Day

2011-09-25T16:02:00.000+10:00

For those travelling out to Turlee/Mungo over the coming school holidays......

**Bar Is Open** AFL Grand Final Day

Mungo Tours - Sept/Oct School Holiday program

2011-09-21T15:31:00.000+10:00

Below is link for further information on Aboriginal Discovery Tours being offered at Mungo National park throughout the September/October School Holidays by National parks & Wildlife.....

Mungo National Park Discovery Tours

The Long Paddock Newsletter

2011-09-21T14:13:00.000+10:00

For those heading through Hay in outback NSW throughout the upcoming school holidays......

The Long Paddock Newsletter

September School Holiday Program

2011-09-17T12:43:00.000+10:00

September School Holiday Activities & Catering

Shearer’s Campfire Breaky
Jump out of bed and waltz on over to the woolshed for a breaky like no other! Experience a traditional hot breakfast by the campfire as our shearing legends would have years ago. Cook your own toast over the hot coals and enjoy a billy tea or freshly brewed coffee whilst we serve you up a feed of bacon, eggs, sausages, spaghetti and our secret tomato brew!
For those looking for something a little lighter, we also provide a selection of cereals. Fruit juices, milk and condiments supplied. Sit back, soak up the early morning sun and the serenity of our peaceful bush land. Start your day with a breakfast like no other!
$15 per adult 16 years and over.
$10 kids aged 4-15 years.
3 and under eat FREE!
Family of 4 special price $40!!!
Bookings Essential!
Email stay@turleestationstay.com.au or call (03) 5029 7208 to book your spot!

Dates below:
Monday 26th Sept
Wednesday 28th Sept
Friday 30th Sept
Monday 3rd Oct
Wednesday 5th Oct
Friday 7th Oct

Sheep Dog and Shearing Demos

Unfortunately due to shearing having just taken place on station, we will not be offering any sheep dog and shearing demonstrations throughout the school holidays as we have no woolly sheep on station! We will however be doing sheep work throughout the school holidays that guests are welcome to come and watch as we will be preparing to send stock to sale in the first week of October.

Turlee breeding program.....

2011-09-17T12:18:00.000+10:00

We have been breeding something of a different variety here at Turlee of late.....

Meet Sebastian!

Seb is the newest member of our family, born August 25th in Mildura. Our new little brother and son is settling in well to station life and keeping Mum and Dad (Sophie and Nathen) very busy!

So if we have been hard to contact over the past few weeks this is the reason. Appologies for any inconvenience, we are slowly taking the reins back again and getting on top of things at Turlee before school holidays hit.

We hope to see you all out here over the holiday break!

2011 Countrylink Inland Tourism Awards

2011-08-03T13:53:00.000+10:00

We are very proud to announce that Turlee Station Stay has just won an award at the recent Countrylink Inland Tourism Awards!

The Inland Tourism Awards are held annually to acknowledge excellence in tourism in the four regional tourism areas of Riverina, New England North West, Central NSW and Outback NSW. We at Turlee are proud members of Outback NSW and are also very happy to announce that Outback walked away with 8 of the 14 awards presented on the night!

The awards dinner this year was held in our local shire of Balranald, 110km south of Turlee Station. The event was themed film stars of the 1940's, 50's and 60's with pre-dinner drinks being held in the old Balranald Gaol and dinner at the Theatre Royal.....

(Yes, Sophie is exceptionally pregnant here! Only 3 weeks to go with number 3.)

We are also very pleased to announce that with this win comes an advance to the NSW State Awards being held in Sydney in November! Turlee Station will be proudly representing Outback NSW at the awards dinner and hope to also do the local Mungo region proud! Wish us luck!!!

Queen's Birthday Long Weekend

2011-06-06T12:58:00.000+10:00

We still have availbility in the Bush Cabins for this coming weekend, the Queen's Birthday long weekend. Two of the cabins remain un-booked so grab another couple of head on up to Turlee for the weekend. The forecast is looking good....mostly sunny with a maximum temp of 15 degrees! Take advantage of the great value tours at Mungo this weekend also.....

Saturday 11th - Sunset Tag Along Tour of the Walls of China at 4:00pm

Sunday 12th - Morning Tag Along Tour of the Walls of China at 11:00am

Adults $10.00 and Children $5.00 with tickets being available for purchase at the visitor centre 1/2 hour before commencement of tour.

See you all out here!

500 Fan Giveaway Winner

2011-06-06T09:28:00.000+10:00

Congratulations to Nicole! Dug and Dash the new working kelpie pups will be arriving on station on Wednesday afternoon.

Nicole you have won a 3 night stay at Turlee Station Stay in the Bush Cabins with complimentary wine and chocolates on arrival!

To claim your prize and book your date please shoot us through an email to stay@turleestationstay.com.au or give us a call on 03 5029 7208.

Thanks again to everyone that entered and we look forward to sharing Dug and Dash with you all via photos on Wednesday afternoon!

Sophie and Nathen

Sunraysia Farmer's Market

2011-06-01T12:48:00.000+10:00

Held on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month, The Sunraysia Farmer's Market is open from 9am - 1pm and showcases some of the regions quality fresh produce from meat and seafood through to vegetables, fruit, preserves, flowers and baked goods!

They are also well knows for their "Farmer's Breaky".

Below are the dates for 2011.....

Why not stock up and buy direct from the farmer, grower or producer! Grab your fresh produce here before heading on out to Turlee for the weekend, that's where we shop whenever we get the chance!

Please note that the November & December markets are open from 8am-12pm to make the most of the beautiful warmer weather!

500 Facebook Fan Giveaway!!!

2011-05-31T13:23:00.000+10:00

We need names for our new working pups soon to arrive on station!

The two little black and tan male kelpies need 1 syllable names (like Max or Roy) as they are easy to call/yell when out working in the paddock! Give it your best shot at naming our new pups to win a 3 night stay in our 4 star Bush Cabins with wine and chocolates on arrival.

Simply comment below with your chosen names.

Competition closes on Sunday June 4th at 6:00pm!

Winner announced on Monday June 5th at 9:00am

GOOD LUCK!

Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival

2011-02-22T20:27:00.000+11:00

25th February - 13th March 2011

The Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival is one of Australia’s leading regional arts festivals and has been recognised with Major Festival Status by Arts Victoria. The festival offers a rich and vibrant 20 day program in February and March of visual and performing arts, workshops, theatre, Big Screen outdoor cinema, music, exhibitions, parades and comedy – all in a diverse range of venues that showcase the unique landscapes, natural beauty and rich heritage of the Mildura district.
Artsmildura’s vision is to be a regional leader in promoting innovative and challenging arts. Underpinning their ability to achieve this vision is their mission to explore and celebrate Mildura and Wentworth’s unique regional identity through the provision of diverse arts experiences. Artsmildura makes the most of their region – and the Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival packages unique artists and art forms, spectacular environments and gourmet produce in such a way as to bring the local community together, and draw visitors from the surrounding and metro regions.
The Festival incorporates ticketed and free events and presents a program which appeals across age, socio-economic and cultural divides. It provides the opportunity for local talent to perform and engage with international and national performers and artists.

A feature to this year's Arts Festival is the wonderful Marcia Hines performing at the Perry Sandhills!

Click here to visit the MWAF Website!

Information courtesy of the Mildura Wentworth Arts Festival website.

Adventure Travel and Backpacker's Expo

2011-02-21T12:42:00.000+11:00

Over the past weekend we exhibited Turlee Station Stay at the Adventure Travel and Backpacker's Expo at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne....

We had a great weekend, the expo was fantastic and the turn out was great!

Little "Tucker" also made the long journey down to Melbourne and acted as ~~fearsome guard dog~~ our show pony for the past couple of days! Whilst most of the day was spent sleeping, that one hour of people meeting and greeting each arvo was hard work!

We were lucky enough to walk away with a little prize for our stand.....

Best 1st time exhibitors award!

How great is that!?....

We ran a couple of promotions over the weekend which were to be exclusive to those who came out and said hi on the day, however we have decided to extend these two promos to you all to celebrate our win!

Outback Packer Promo

Code: OBP-0211

2 nights accommodation for two people in a twin single shearer’s quarters room. A couples BBQ dinner pack and 2 free beers on one night of your stay.

All for only....

$90.00

(Over $130 of value!!!)

Cosy Adventurer Promo

Code: CAP-0211

3 nights accommodation for two people in a 4 star self-contained Bush Cabin.

A selection of local treats and wine on arrival and a couples BBQ dinner pack on one night of your stay.

All for only....

$400.00

(Over $500 of value!!!)

Both of these promos are valid until January 31st 2012 and are not to be used within VIC or NSW school holiday periods or on long weekends. Promos cannot be down graded or up graded in any way.

We also had a prize giveaway of a couple's 3 night stay package in our 4 star Bush Cabins with wine and chocolates on arrival and dinner one evening.

The lucky winner of this giveaway was Lesley Lightfoot!

Congratulations Lesley, we hope you and your loved one will thoroughly enjoy this little getaway!

Thanks to all those who came out and made the weekend a busy and fun one!

We hope to see some of you out at Turlee Station in the near future!!!

Sophie and Nathen (& Tucker!)

National Park Tour Dates

2011-02-21T11:59:00.000+11:00

Below are tour dates, times and general info for National Parks over the coming months:

MUNGO National Park Discovery Tours.......
Sunset Tag-a-long Tours
6.30pm. Drive your own Vehicle and link up with Aboriginal Discovery Rangers and witness the spectacular and unique Sunset during an informative Tour.
March 5, 12, 19, 26.
Morning Tag-a-long Tours
9.30am Link up with Aboriginal Discovery Rangers at the Visitors Centre and learn first hand about the culture and dreaming Stories on display from the new interpretive features.
March 6, 13, 20, 27.

And for those heading out to Mungo/Turlee via Balranald please make sure to check out these local tours and activities also......

HOMESTEAD TOURS YANGA N.P.
Sturt Highway 10.30am everyday

Join the Rangers for a Tour of the Yanga Homestead and Surrounds. Learn about life on one of the most productive Properties in NSW. See how Workers and Farmers lived all those Years ago. Enjoy the views of the mighty “Yanga Lake” from the Lookout and the Exhibition in the “Cook’s Cottage” held everyday from 8.30am-4pm.

BALRANALD HISTORY TOURS
Visitor Information Centre 3pm Wednesday and Friday. Take a guided Tour for 2 Hours learn about the History and see the Historic Buildings of old Balranald. Ph; 03 5020 1599.

Road update 08/02/11

2011-02-08T16:56:00.000+11:00

Just a very quick update on the road situation to Turlee.....

Due to yet another 4.5 inches of rain falling on us over the past weekend, we are very sorry to report that all roads to Turlee are currently closed. We will keep you updated on the situation and be sure to let you all know when you can access the beautiful Mungo region again!

For now we are keeping very busy with the start of a new chapter in our lives.....school of the air!

Our little Grace starts preschool on school of the air today so Mum (Sophie) is donning a hat of a very different variety today. Wish us luck!!!

Wet weather = BOGS!

2011-01-31T08:00:00.002+11:00

A few photos of our bogging feats over the past couple of weeks........

This one took the tractor to get out!

Te so-called "un-boggable" 4 wheeler........

The bike.......

This is our eldest daughter Grace. Grace is far from graceful. We recently asked her what she would like for her upcoming 4th birthday. Her response was an akubra, new boots, a chainsaw and some tools! A true farm kid at heart.

The workman Goog and our nephew Sam getting the bike out.......

There have been many more of these episodes, trust me! However you can only take so many bog photos!

The Rouge Bull

2011-01-30T09:00:00.001+11:00

We have a bit of an issue at Turlee at present. We have discovered a rouge bull roaming the southern end of our property!

We have since located the owner of this bull, it belongs to one of our neighbours (we have 7 neighbours!) the Curran family at Wampo Station.

The bull vs. the Suzuki.......

We feel the bull is trying to tell us something. Perhaps that he rather likes his new home, the new found grass patch near the silos and would much rather just stay where he is.

Upon weighing up the situation, the size of the bull vs. the size of the suzuki........WE AGREED!

Hence the bull remains at the bottom end of Turlee station, in Duck Pond Paddock to be precise, and awaits his destiny with a landcruiser ute showing him the way home to Wampo! We are still unsure how we are going to get him on the trailer!?.......

What do you do when you can't find the sheep?

2011-01-29T13:01:00.001+11:00

A very good question. Today that question has been answered, literally.

Due to the excessive amounts of rain that we have been receiving over the past weeks and months, the paddocks of Turlee still remain somewhat damp and the sheep somewhat scattered throughout rather than grouped. With the past week spent by the boys motorbiking their way around the bottom end of the property they have finally had enough of the "hide and go seek" that the sheep insist on playing.

Insert Rod Rowe.

Rod is one of our neighbours (no spring chicken might I add!) and has a keen passion for flying. He has an ultra light plane which he takes out for a spin when he can and today he is getting that opportunity yet again. Only today is a little different for Rod. Nathen has asked Rod to help him find our wretched sheep!

An early morning drive down to Prungle Station, a few nerves and an excited couple of little girls later, the plane is locked and loaded.

Off with the hat........

A few final jokes about life insurance.......

Being a born (and proud!) South Aussie and marrying someone who was born in Victoria, I particularly liked the name of the plane!!!

And before we know it, the plane takes off at full speed down the runway, is off the ground and out of sight!

We expect them to be gone for a few hours (hopefully with a little re-fueling in between!) but hope that these darn sheep can start making their way north to the house paddocks so that we can get on with some other work around this place. We had musterers awaiting to strike out in the paddocks with expected great mobs of sheep coming thier way. Lets hope they were not waiting too long!

In case you are wondering......we are mustering the sheep closer to the houses at the moment in preparation for our upcoming crutching. Crutching is where you shear around the bum of the ewe before she is due to give birth so as to prevent flies from laying eggs in damp "after-birthy" wool around the bum. A necessary evil.

Crutching starts around February 21st for anyone wanting to come and have a look and we have full availability in our Bush Cabins that week. The shearers will obviously invade the shearer's quarters that week!

Australia Day Promotion!!!!!

2011-01-26T10:32:00.001+11:00

To celebrate Australia Day and everything that is beautiful about living in the heart of this wonderful country we have decided to announce a last minute special deal for today only!

Get in quick as it ends at midnight tonight.....

Book your holiday accommodation at Turlee Station Stay today and receive the following:

Stay two nights in the Bush Cabins and the third night is free!

Stay two nights in the shearer's quarters and the third nightis free!

Also receive a free stubby holder and hat for every guest that is booked in!

Please mention this deal upon booking today.

Please note that this special deal is valid only for bookings made today, January 26th 2011, and all bookings must fall within 2011. Special deal is not valid for bookings made in school holidays or on public holidays.

Annual rainfall in 1 week!?.......

2011-01-16T14:00:00.000+11:00

Almost!

Over the past week we have had nearly 9 inches of rain, 888 points to be exact. Just to give you an idea of how wet that makes things out here at Turlee, our yearly average rainfall is usually around 10 inches. Therefore we have had almost our entire quota of rain for the entire year in the space of four short days! Life is a little damp at the moment!

We headed out to assess the damage a couple of days ago. And before it crosses your mind, no we are not hooligans keen to cut up all major roads leading into Turlee, we are concerned farmers worried about where stock might be stranded/bogged in lower areas! Our neighbours to the north have spent the best part of the past three days rescuing sheep who were bogged in low lying parts of their property, whilst neighbours to the south have potentially lost a HUGE amount of their income with 10,000 acres of wheat still to harvest having received 17 inches of rain since they started harvest back in November.

We still had 600 acres of wheat left to harvest which now looks a if it may sadly just have to be left in the paddock. We are also having other issues getting our next wheat crop ready as all f the paddocks need to be sprayed and ploughed for weeds prior to planting and they currently all have lakes of water through them! We are hoping for lots of sunshine!!!

The kids however see the bright side of rain as it equals MUD!

Below are some of the roads north of Turlee heading towards Mungo National Park.

Below is the view we are currently looking at across many of our paddocks.

We parked the ute on top of the "big hill" at Joulni Station, just south of Mungo, and took this photo looking back across ancient lake Chibnalwood. Our house is situated in the middle of this lake (cannot be seen in image) and I am grateful that the word "ancient" precedes the word "lake" and that we had no flood damage to our house.

This long stretch of water was lapping at the sidesteps of the landcruiser.

Water GUSHING under the main road was something we never thought we would see all the way out here!

And finally some of the road damage around the Chibnalwood house (our house), just north of Turlee.

The local council sure has their work cut out for them over the coming weeks!

We are hoping to have all roads re-opened to Turlee and Mungo in about 1 week. Meanwhile we are sitting tight, doing some spring cleaning, veggie bed building and other odd jobs around the houses to keep us busy!

Remember to get in quick for Easter too as we are booking out fast!

Easter 2011 Activities & Availability

2011-01-12T14:14:00.000+11:00

The enquiries for Easter 2011 accommodation and activities are coming in thick and fast!

Firstly, we are enforcing a 3 night minimum stay over the Easter long weekend this year due to it being a 5 day public holiday. The three nights must fall over Friday 22nd, Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th of April.

We only have one of our 4 star Bush Cabins left available over the Easter weekend but still have full availability in our Shearer's Quarters and Bush Bungalow. No bookings are required for camping and the camp ground is the greenest you will ever see it!

Activities
Friday 22nd April
Sheep Dog & Shearing Demo
4.00pm
$20.00 per adult 16 years and over
$12.00 per child 4-15 years
3 years and under FREE
Family of 4 discount price of $55.00 (Save $9.00)
Bookings not essential but preferred.

Saturday 23rd April

Shearer's Breakfast

From 7.30am - 9.00am

$15.00 per adult 16 years and over

$10.00 per child 4-15 years

3 years and under FREE

Family of 4 discount price $40.00 (Save $10.00)

Bookings essential.

Sheep Races
5.00pm
Come and enjoy a fun evening at the Turlee Woolshed. Place a bet on "Mungo Diva" or "Phar Lake" for your chance to win a small prize hamper. Free entry with bets set at $2 each. All money raised goes back into building a camp kitchen at the Turlee campground.
Licensed bar open to follow sheep races.
No bookings required.

Sunday 24th April
Shearer's Breakfast
From 7.30am - 9.00am
$15.00 per adult 16 years and over
$10.00 per child 4-15 years of age
3 years and under FREE
Family of 4 discount price $40.00 (Save $10.00)
Bookings essential.

Easter Roast Dinner
Two course roast dinner served by candle light in the woolshed. Selection of roast lamb and pork with roasted root vegetables, served with bread and all condiments. Dessert of apple and apricot crumbles with whipped cream and custard.
Bookings essential.
Followed by........
Bush Poetry by the campfire*

Please keep in mind that we offer these activities and catering options whilst living 100km from any grocery store. We do appreciate if bookings can be made at least 1 week in advance to ensure that sufficient stores are on station. Thank you for your understanding!

* Subject to availability. Road closures and other unforseen circumstances may prevent this event from taking place but we will do our best to compensate with a similar event or activity.

Rain and Availability 12 Jan 2011

2011-01-12T11:18:00.000+11:00

A quick rain pdate as of January 12th 2011.....

We have had almost 4 inches of rain in the past 2 days! Yes, you read right.

Therefore we will not be open for business until at least Friday 21st of January 2011. We are expecting more rain in the coming 2 days and do not expect the roads to re-open before this date at the very earliest.

We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause travellers and do hope that you can re-schedule your plans. We are very happy on the other hand that we did a grocery shop last week!!!

Easter happenings and availability to come shortly. Stay tuned!!!

This is why we close the doors!!!......

2010-12-17T20:09:00.000+11:00

This friendly little critter made it's way into one of the new Bush Cabins today whilst I was cleaning!

Grace, oh so casually, told me that a "friendly lizard walked under the car, said hello and then went into the room".

I, not so casually, went into a bit of a spin.

The lizard however was as casual as Grace had so described and after a thorough inspection of the cabin, wandered out nice and slowly, stopping to say goodbye before he headed for the bushes.

What other 4 star cabins come with such up close and personal wildlife experiences I ask you?!....

Come to Turlee where even the goanna's are hospitable!

The upside Of Rain.....

2010-12-04T12:04:00.000+11:00

Over the past 2 weeks Turlee has seen a ridiculous amount of rainfall!!!

A total of roughly 4 inches!!!!

Since the end of October we have had a total of 6 inches, and for the entire year Turlee has seen just over 21 inches fall! To give you a better idea of why we are so flabbergasted at this......our average annual rainfall is around 11 inches, with 10 inches being the "norm" for the past few years! Absolutely astounding!

This has, as you might have imagined, put a big dent in the wheat harvest for 2010!

Don't get me wrong......we love rain! We just don't really love doubling our annual rainfall and having it all come at once!!!

Yesterday Nathen too the girls out in the ute for a couple of hours to give me time to catch up on some computer work. He was going out to pump water off th roads so that the trucks coud get into the wheat paddocks over the coming days. I received a radio call from him about an hour later to say that I have better drive down the paddock with my camera in tow. It always worries me just a little when I receive these kind of radio calls!

However, this is what I discovered..............

Only a short blog post today as I have a pile of mud-covered little girl's clothes to wash! Apparently Nathen thought it would be a good idea to let the girls swim in their clothes so that they didn't get sun burnt! I see the logic in this but still can't comprehend why he didn't just get me to bring some sunscreen down to the paddock?!............

Outback Beds Members

2010-11-29T21:29:00.000+11:00

If you haven't heard of Outback Beds then you just have not experienced outback NSW!

Outback Beds is a network of outback accommodation providers that stretches from just north of Cunnamulla in Qld, south along the Darling to Mungo and across the Hay Plains to Griffith. From beautiful opal country at Lightning Ridge and south to White Cliffs, the foothills of the Warrumbungle Ranges and the Silver City of Broken Hill. Outback Beds providers are dedicated to offering friendly Australian country styled hospitality whilst you visit some of the outback's premier destinations such as Bourke, Dubbo, Tibooburra or the Menindee Lakes just to name a few!

We at Turlee Station Stay have been members of Outback Beds since 2008 and personally love the comrardery that comes with being involved in such an organisation!

We send many a guest to (and also receive many from!) Bindara Station along the Darling River near the Menindee Lakes in particular. Bindara are a comfortable 2.5 hours drive from Turlee (the closest Outback Beds member to us) and offer a historic experience on the banks of the Darling. Bill and Barb offer warm country hospitality and Bindara is wonderful for those looking to experience eco friendly styled accommodation!

As well as Bindara, there are some fabulous other properties along the Darling River including Trilby Station, Kallara Station, Old Buckanbe Station and Bourke Riverside Motel.

Further north Outback Beds offers such properties as Nardoo Station and Kilcowera Station just over the boarder in Qld, Mt Wood Homestead in corner country, PJ's Underground Hotel in Whitecliffs, Comeroo Camel Station and The Outback Inn at Wanaaring.

Closer to Lightning Ridge and Opal Country there is Caloola B&B, Bokhara Hutz and the beautiful Fossicker's Cottages.

Heading south once more we then pass down by Food & Huts by Mt Oxley, Blue Wren Cottage at Bogan Downs, Beancounters House at Nyngan, Wall's Court in Dubbo, Meadow View just outside of Tottenham and finally Corynnia Station which is close to Griffith. And of course we can't forget the very well appointed Imperial Hotel west in Broken Hill and our "Jewel of the Pilliga", Barkala Farm in the foothills of the Warrumbungle Ranges.

With such a diverse range of properties on offer, Outback Beds is at the the forefront in outback travel through the state of NSW. Each and every property is unique in their own special way and offers guests a personalised outback experience. Visit their website today at http://www.outbackbeds.com.au/ or freecall 1800 005 298 to have a copy of their outback touring map sent out to you today!

Follow the black cocky and stay in the outback with friends at an outback beds provider!

Spring chickens hatch out!!!

2010-11-18T11:36:00.000+11:00

Spring is in the air!!!

Only a couple of months late, but better late than never!

Especially when baby chickens are involved!!!

We have been eagerly awaiting this birth on the station for the past 21 days! Yes...only 21 days! One could only wish ladies!!!

I apologise in advance for the dodgy out of focus images that you are about to witness but we had one cranky hen to deal with so had to be real quick!........

Out of a possible 12 eggs we have had 9 hatch out so far. At least one more looks promising so we'll keep an eye out for a 10th baby today!

Can't wait to see them all running around! We'll be able to play with them a little more then.

Must fly.....have to head into town (Mildura) to buy some more chooky food and do the groceries for another week!

Late November will be a great time to visit the station. Weather is perfect! Lovely long, warm evenings and sunny days are being thoroughly enjoyed by all at Turlee. Baby animals on farm and tractor/header rides are a possibility with harvest looming!

Harvest Preparation 2010

2010-11-18T10:23:00.000+11:00

Preparation is in full swing for the up-coming wheat harvest at Turlee!

Over the past weekend a team of 7 drivers headed south to Millicent in the south east of S.A. to pick up 5 new grain silos to bring back to their new home of Turlee. 5 drivers towing silos and 2 support vehicles made the LONG journey home on Sunday, despite the sore heads from the night before but we wont go there! A team consisting of myself (Sophie), Nathen, Goog (our workman), Bob (the roo shooter), Chook (our temporary workman), Bocky (old family friend and long time truck driver) and Ian (aka: Wakesnake from Top Hut Station) as well as my worker Susie made up the 7 drivers an 1 spare for moral support! And......NO...we do not name all of our workers with chicken related names (Chook, Goog and Bocky), they came along already strangely named!

In the rush out the door on Saturday morning I forgot to take my camera! But luckily for us Susie packed hers and saved the day!

We arrived home on Sunday evening at about 8.30pm after about 8 hours of driving. We made a few rest stops on the way home as a few of us were suffering from Sundayitis!

Due to almost an inch of rain over the weekend at Turlee, we left all 5 silos in Robinvale as we were a little worried about bringing them up the dirt road to Turlee.

Yesterday (Wednesday) we have picked up the 5 silos and brought them home.

Heading home......

A few road side hazards (on-coming trucks were too scary for the camera to be brought out!).......

We also had the new chaser bin delivered today too.

The ever inquisitive Grace and Willow watching on.......

With just over 6,000 acres of wheat ahead of us, it is looking like it is going to be a long harvest! This year is the best we have ever seen the countryside and therefore the wheat is looking amazing! We are hoping to average 10 bags to the acre over the entire crop. Anything else will just be an absolute bonus!

Fingers crossed that the rain holds off now (too much and the wheat will start to rot!) and that we have no brake downs so that Nathen can actually knock off in time for Christmas!!!

Follow along for harvest 2010 by clicking on the "subscribe to posts" button or the "follow" button. Any questions or photo requests are always welcome!

Sophie

Kids in the wheat.....

2010-10-25T10:46:00.002+11:00

Every year I make a promise to myself that I will go out and get some nice photos of our kids playing in the wheat crop.

Each year I fail dismally!

This year, I have succeeded!!!

Grace and Willow pre-harvest 2010.....

Hopefully this years harvest will be a long and prosperous one!

If you are hoping to travel out to Turlee and see how we harvest our wheat crops we will be starting from mid to late November (depending on weather) and will be most likely harvesting for up to one month. We'd love to see you out here!!!

Introducing......"JET" our new bull

2010-10-24T10:34:00.002+11:00

Hi.....

My name is Jet.

I am so very please to be living here at Turlee with my newly acquired 71 girlfriends!

I do not however appreciate humans interrupting my daily courtship routine!!!.....

Yours sincerely,

Jet.

Cows, calves and their many faces.....

2010-10-23T10:32:00.000+11:00

Nathen, the girls and I all went for a drive last night to check out some of the newer editions at Turlee.......

We now have 69 little gorgeous babies with 2 more to go!

Not to mention their good lookin' mammas......

(This one's my favourite!)

We had a beautiful sunset last night and the cows were more than welcoming, getting more tame with each visit!

Stay tuned to meet our new bull "Jet" tomorrow!!!....

Sheep sales and rain clouds.......

2010-10-14T10:01:00.000+11:00

Rain clouds were looming over Turlee yesterday morning.....

But by late afternoon the sun was out shining again!

The roads were closed yesterday but we are hoping that they will be re-opened by today at lunch time. Check the Wentworth shire's website for details on road closures in the area. Or alternatively check with the Balranald Shire by calling 03 5020 1599.

Yesterday Nathen, our workman Goog and Grace all travelled into the Yelta sheep sale to watch our sheep get sold. I am happy to report that we made top price at the sale with our whether lambs reaching $86.00

Pick up a copy of the stock journal newspaper to see their photo with the mob of sheep!

Aussie Helpers TV Ad

2010-10-13T15:16:00.000+11:00

Aussie Helpers have some 40 volunteers and mainly work via the ever faithful "Bush Telegraph"
to find farming families who are in desperate need of assistance.

To make a donation today visit.......http://www.aussiehelpers.org.au/donations.htm

Wentworth Rural Women's Gathering 2010

2010-10-06T10:57:00.000+11:00

Wentworth Rural Women's Gathering

29th, 30th & 31st October 2010

Program and Registration Details

I am verrryyy excited to be attending this year’s Rural Women’s Gathering in Wentworth in a couple of week’s time. The gathering is an annual event aimed at getting rural women together for a weekend of fun, greeting and meeting with guest speakers, workshops, tastings and entertainment. The weekend is for all women of all ages and backgrounds from mining to farming to fishing. For Aboriginal women, women from linguistically diverse backgrounds and women who also live in rural or remote townships. All are welcomed and encouraged!

Bendigo Bank are the major sponsor for the event but there are also some other vital sponsors which include Lower Murray Darling CMA, Wentworth Regional Council, NSW government, Wentworth Services and Sporting Club, Artic Design,

I am attending the event for a few reasons actually. Firstly as I am a very proud rural woman who sees the event as a fantastic opportunity to socialise with my peers, learn, listen, meet and greet and most importantly have a fun break from the hum drum of life!

Secondly as I have been asked to attend as a guest speaker! Daunting I know!!! I will be speaking at the “Backyard, Business and Babies” forum. I am very humbled to be sharing the floor with Lisa O’Keefe from Koolaman Designs, Jane Smith from Shady Yards Trading and Peta Hibberd from Peta Hibberd Stock Scanning Services. These three other lovely ladies all run successful small businesses from their remote sheep, cattle and wheat stations throughout outback NSW. Whilst all operating vastly different businesses we all share a common knowledge in operating a small business from home with small children running around our ankles at the same time! Anyone else out there reading this post who is in the same boat.....give yourself a pat on the back as YOU ARE WONDER WOMAN!

My third reason is that I have been asked to be the photographer for the event! Flabbergasted!!! I have thus gone out in a mad panic (well that is my excuse anyhow!! Hehehe...) and upgraded my camera! I pick up my new child on Friday and I am exceptionally delighted about it! This will be my first gig I guess you could call it and I am very excited/nervous!

The Rural Women’s Gathering has an extensive three day program with activities such as art classes, small business forums, hand crafts, yoga, singing, genealogy, self esteem workshops, local tours and cruises, computing workshops and food classes. Just to name a few! There really is something for everyone!

The gathering will have a great turnout, I am sure of it! And I do hope that all local and greater Wentworth regional women take advantage of such a brilliant concept and opportunity to mix and mingle with other women out there in the same boat!

Hope to see you all there!

Snippets of station life......

2010-10-04T16:09:00.000+11:00

Snippets of station life as of September 2010.......

Just a quick update on the scenery and wildflowers around Turlee and the Mungo area.
All photos were taken last week.

A busy day full of sheep work, picnics and adventures on the Walls Of China sandhill at Mungo.

On the adgenda this week (photo-wise that is!) are the cows, the new bull named Jet and the beautiful tall wheat crop that we have been lucky enough to grow this year!

Almost had a great photo of a 2ft goanna this morning only to discover that the memory card was not in my camera :( As the warmer weather starts to settle in prepare for more shots of lizards and snakes!

What are your plans for the last week of NSW/SA school holidays?

Shearer's Camp Fire Breakfast.....YUMMO!

2010-09-18T12:14:00.000+10:00

This morning the sun is shining, the birds are singing and it is a beautiful day out at Turlee!

We have been trialling our first ever Shearer’s Breakfast by the camp fire this morning and are very happy to report that it has been a roaring success!

Proud as punch at their new camp fire BBQ Bar!

The boys (Nathen and Goog) have been absolute champions over the past 24 hours, pulling together an entire camp fire area with BBQ bar and all in perfect timing for this mornings’ cook up. On Thursday this area was simply another clump of ordinary Mallee scrub with nothing in site but red dirt and trees. This morning it is a happening little corner of the station with the smell of billy tea brewing and bacon sizzling and the sound of birds chirping and guests chatting.

On the menu was everything a breakfast of champions would include of course.....bacon, eggs, sausages, a tomato/zucchini/onion concoction ala Nathen and Goog, spaghetti, toast, cereals, fruit juice, tea and coffee.

Goog pretending that he is doing some work!

The toast was a bit of a hit!

There is nothing better than toast cooked over the camp fire. That beautiful smokey flavour that it gives the bread just can’t be beat! And everyone enjoyed jumping in and helping cook it over the open coals of the fire pit.

We are hosting a Shearer’s Camp Fire Breakfast each and every Saturday morning throughout the school holidays. Dates, times and costs below:

7.30am - 9.00am at the Woolshed Camp Fire

Bookings are essential for catering purposes.

Saturday 18th September

Saturday 25th September

Saturday 2nd October

Saturday 9th October

$15 per adult 16 years and over

$10 kids aged 4-15 years

3 years and under eat FREE

Family of four price $40 (Save $10!)

Or alternatively if you have a large group checking into the rooms or staying with us at the camp ground please don’t hesitate to request a shearer’s breakfast! We would be more than happy to do one on request for a group of 10 or more. Just be sure to give us a couple of days notice as it is a long drive to the nearest supermarket!

Willow thinks ther are far too many coices for breaky!

What are your plans for the school holidays? Anyone reading the blog that is heading out to Turlee???....

AFL Grand Final viewing

2010-09-16T11:52:00.000+10:00

Nathen and I have had quite an amusing time over the past two weeks.

We have been run off our feet taking phone calls from frantic men!!!

You see, being ever so organised as wives and mothers, we book our scool holiday accommodation and activies well in advance so as to be sure that our beloved families do not miss out. How thoughtful of us!

However, the not so organised, ever important husbands and fathers joining in on these family getaways start to realise (around the time of the AFL semi final might I add!) that these holidays will be clashing with an oh so vital date with the TV!!!

The AFL Grand Final!!!!!!!

Nathen and I are very happy to inform all of the fathers and husbands out there who are travelling to Turlee over the grand final weekend that.......

YES, we will be showing the grand final!!!

We are setting up a permanent TV in the Woolshed Baa Bar.

Complimentary bar snacks and nibbles will be served all day whilst the footy is on.

You can even make a whole day event of it and start your day with a Shearer's Breakfast by the camp fire!

We do still have two of our new Bush Cabins available for the dates of September 23rd, 24th and 25th. So get in quick and snap one up before they all disappear!

Look forward to meeting you all over the coming 2-3 weeks!

Sophie

School Holiday Events & Activities

2010-09-13T12:45:00.000+10:00

With school holidays looming, it is about time that we posted our upcoming events and activities over the September school holidays.

Shearer’s Breakfast
Each Saturday morning over the school holidays from 7.30am - 9.00am at the shearer's quarters campfire.
Saturday 18th September
Saturday 25th September
Saturday 2nd October
Saturday 9th October

$15 per adult 16 years and over
$10 kids aged 4-15 years
3 years and under eat FREE
Family of four price $40 (Save $10!)

Includes full cooked breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs, baked beans, tomatoes and toast. As well as tea, coffee, milo, juice, milk and all condiments. Cooked and served as our shearer’s would have many years ago, by the campfire! A truly Australian outback experience not to be missed!

Sheep Dog & Shearing Demonstration
Monday 20th September
Thursday 23rd September
Monday 27th September
Thursday 30th September
Monday 4th October
Thursday 7th October

All demos will commence at 4.00pm sharp so please arrive at the shearing shed no later than 3.45pm to settle payment. Demos run for approximately 1.5 hours with additional time at the end of each demo to chat with the owners. Bookings preferred.

Demo includes working kelpies in action throughout the sheep yards and shearing shed as well as shearing of two sheep. Includes bar nibbles of dips, cheese, deli meats and biscuits as well as complimentary tea, coffee and milo provisions. Alcoholic beverages and souvenirs will also be available to purchase at own cost.

$20 per adult 16 years and over
$12 per child aged 4-15 years
3 years and under FREE
Family of four price $55 (save $9!)

Tag-Along Property Tours
Dates and Times to come, dependant on station sheep work.

Hope to see you all at Turlee this school holidays!!!

Sophie

AVAILABILITY

2010-08-16T15:41:00.000+10:00

ATTENTION!!!!

Due to a canellation we now have availability in all 4 of our new Bush Cabins over this coming weekend.

We are offering a last minute deal of $100 per night for these cabins, Friday 20th, Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd only!

Feral Goat Mustering Adventures

2010-08-16T09:24:00.000+10:00

Goat mustering......a stinky, eventful adventure!

Yesterday with drizzly weather still looming we started up the bikes, packed some sandwiches (and the Engel of course!) and headed out to muster some feral goats off Turlee.

As we were heading out I realised how much goating had changed for us over the past few years. Once upon a time goating meant getting a call to say that goats had been spotted, jumping in the ute and living off a liquid diet until you got home that night! Now....There are pink hairbrushes involved.....

There is a packed lunch, an Engel full of snacks, warm jackets, beanies, water bottles and it takes us approximately 1 hour to get ready before jumping in the ute!

Oh how life has changed!

But for the better of course.

It was bitterly cold for most of the day, apart from the approximate 4 times that the sun decided to grace us with its presence. But this was always short lived, maybe 5 minutes if we were lucky! It’s days like this that I am glad I have young children that give me a good excuse to ride in the ute rather than on a motorbike!

We started the day knowing that there was a mob of about 100 big billy goats looming at the top end of the property. In case you also aren't aware, goats stink! The billy goats actually pee on their beards to attract the female goats. Absolutely vile really!

After little searching, we managed to find the mob and slowly mustered them together with a little bit of wild bike riding and engine revving thrown in. Keeping them in the mob was another story though! We had to re-muster the mob about 3 times before actually getting them to walk south together towards a neighbouring property for yarding.

We had some assistance from some friends of ours who were travelling through on their way to western Australia. They live in Melbourne so the boys love coming up and getting a ride on the bikes.....

This one's going straight to motorbike monthly!!!

We finally yarded them down at Wampo Station, neighbours who border Turlee on the eastern side. Just as we got through the boundary fence at Wampo we got some extra help from young Jakeb at Wampo. Jakeb drove his dad’s ute out and helped us walk them across some open country and into the yards near the Wampo homestead.

Due to the ridiculous amount of rain that the area has had over the past 12 months, the yards at Wampo were full of marshmallow grass! We couldn't even see the babies once they entered the yards.

At the end of every great adventure is a few cold ales of course!

Sophie.

Mungo Visitor's Centre Upgrades

2010-08-14T15:44:00.000+10:00

August.....a windy, drizzly, dreary time of the year!

Nathen is currently trying to spray the wheat crops over Turlee with no avail! If it’s not windy, it’s raining. If it’s not raining it’s foggy, and if it’s not foggy it’s windy again! What a vicious circle!!!

However, our lovely guests have braved the arctic conditions, stoked up the fireplace at the shearer’s quarters and made the most of their travels! What troopers!

So with little spraying going on we turn to backyard renos! All of those little annoying, non-farm jobs that Nathen says I nag him about are finally getting ticked off the list. We currently have our favourite guests here, the Hodges Family. This is the third time that the Hodges have graced us with their presence and we thoroughly enjoy their visit each and every time! So much so that we will be lobbing ourselves on their doorstep early next year for a travel expo in Melbourne, but that’s another story.

Scott is a builder by trade so he and Nathen have gone to work today putting up some walls and fence lines in our new backyard over at Chibnalwood Station (our house). Anyone with a trade is more than welcomed at Turlee!!! And meanwhile, Susie (our worker extraordinaire) and myself headed up to Mungo to check out the new visitor centre upgrades. And boy was it worth the trip!

We were very pleased to see a couple of old favourites make it past the upgrades.....

The artwork at the visitor centre is beautiful and definitely worth a look. It has been done by many of the local aboriginal tribal members and the serpent (pictured first) is pretty neat!

The new entrance to the Mungo National Park visitor centre is great.

It is modern and professional looking, interactive and very eye-catching. There is added information about the footprints that were discovered at Mungo, about Mungo man and Women and the huge photographs on the walls are amazing!

However we were more impressed to see the “Meeting Place” that is taking shape out the back of the visitor centre. This was spectacular!

I had seen the plans over the past few weeks and heard much hype about the renovations and extensions but this was something else! I hadn’t pictured the “Meeting Place” to be of such grand proportions but with a place of such World Heritage significance why not have something so spectacular?!.... I very much look forward to the grand opening of the new visitor centre and foresee it being a place that is very well used by both locals and tourists for many years to come.

Sophie

Outback Accommodation Package

2010-08-11T09:41:00.000+10:00

Sophie and Nathen are very happy to announce their new....

~ Couple's Midweek Pamper Package ~

Stay four nights midweek (Mon-Thurs) in a Bush Cabin and receive

a complimentary bottle of local wine on arrival and a tag-along property tour.

Day Trip to Mungo:

Packed lunch for 2 provided by Turlee

1 National Park vehicle pass included

Day Trip to Mildura:

Boys head on out to the Sunraysia Golf Range to sharpen your drive with a bucket of 80 balls and club hire.

While the ladies shop till they drop at the Mildura Mall and finish with a 30 minute customised massage, 30 minute face-feel-fabulous facial and natural flawless makeup by BECCA at Endota Day Spa .

Then meet back at the Mildura Brewery to enjoy a trio of dips and Turkish bread as well as two tasting trays of Mildura’s finest award winning brews. Travel back out to Turlee and be greeted with a home cooked two course meal!

Over $815 worth of value......

Only $700.00 per couple!!!

Hurry only 4 available per week!

Shearing All Over Red Rover...........

2010-08-06T09:01:00.000+10:00

Well....in the blink of an eye, shearing is all over for yet another year!

Shearing roughly 1000 sheep a day, it took our shearing team a total of about 8 days to complete shearing. We had a couple of stops and starts with drizzly wet weather causing the sheep to be a little damp. All in all though a pretty good, event -free, shearing for 2010 which is what we like to see! Here are a few of the photos I took throughout shearing......

With mustering if full swing over the days leading up to shearing, we found a fenceline that was riddled with cobb webs! In the evening sun and with the dew starting to set in, as we were just getting the final numbers walked into the house paddocks I stopped and got some photos as they looked quite beautiful lining the whole length of fence!

Once the boys (and one girl!) arrived the action commenced! Our team travels over from near Wagga and shears about 1000 sheep a day! Not a bad effort I would have to say!

This is Tim (above and below), he was our birthday boy celebrating his 50th here with us at Turlee. How kind of him!!!

Happy Birthday Tim!

We have a 6 stand shed and usually the contractor, Wayne, will set up a few hungry stands when they shear the lambs. It's a good opportunity for the roustabouts that are still learning to shear to jump on a have some practise.

Once the wool is collected off the board by the roustabouts it is taken over to the wool table where they skirt the wool for dags (poo and wee stained wool) and the classer will also class the wool into categories for quality.

The wool is then seperated into different strains in these wool bins pictured below and awaits pressing into bales.

Wayne, the contractor, does the pressing along with the wool classer and then bales it and stamps it as pictured below.

We finished up with 196 bale of wool, each weighing just shy of 200kg!!!

Sheep waiting to head back home to their paddocks......

And as shearing comes to a close, the sheep are walked back and settle into life as normal out in their paddocks, they are now just speckles of white in the distance......

Our (Sophie & Nathen) house is 8km from Turlee and where shearing takes place. I took the photo above half way home and by the time I drove the final 4km of the trip home this is what the sky had evolved to......

A beautiful note to finish a smooth shearing run for 2010!

A Family Gathering.....

2010-08-05T20:31:00.000+10:00

We recently had a group of family and friends stay at Turlee Station Stay. They came along to watch us put some cows and calves in the yards one day so I thought I would do a very brief post and share the photos with you (and with them!)......

Blog makeover and suggestions

2010-07-21T09:34:00.000+10:00

For those of you that have been here before.......

welcome to the new polished version of the Turlee blog!

For those of you that have never visited our blog before.......

welcome and thanks for reading!

With the inland tourism awards just around the corner, motivation is high at Turlee with little pesky lingering office jobs being FINALLY completed and wiped clean off the list! Website and blog review obviously being on that list!

I would also like to take this opportunity for our readers to suggest any topics of interest for future blog posts. All topics will be considered so please don't hesitate to comment below with your suggestions! We look forward to hearing your voices and answering any questions you may have about Turlee and the Mungo area.

Happy reading!

Bird List

2010-07-20T14:54:00.000+10:00

We are so very happy to now offer a bird list for Turlee!

A huge thanks to James O'Connor from Birds Australia as well as Leah and David Kret and Andrew McIntyre for their generous contribution, it is very much appreciated!

And also a thank you to Michelle Loebert for forwarding some bird photos that she took shilst staying with us at Turlee!

Below is a list of birds found at Turlee:

Apostlebird

Australasian Grebe

Australian Magpie

Australasian Pipit

Australian Raven

Australian Ringnecked Parrot

Australian Wood Duck

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

Black-fronted Dotterel

Black-shouldered Kite

Black Kite

Blue Bonnet

Brown Falcon

Brown Treecreeper

Chestnut-crownded Babbler

Chestnut-rumped Thornbill

Collared Sparrowhawk

Common Bronzewing

Crested Bellbird

Crested Pigeon

Dusky Moorhen

Galah

Grey Butcherbird

Grey Shrike-thrush

Grey Teal

Hardhead

Hooded Robbin

Magpie Lark

Major Mitchell Cockatoo

Malleefowl

Mulga Parrot

Pacific Black Duck

Pied Butcherbird

Red-capped Robin

Red-rumped Parrot

Redthroat

Restless Flycatcher

Richard’s Pipit

Rufous Whistler

Singing Honeyeater

Southern Whiteface

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

Splendid Fairy-wren

Straw-necked Ibis

Tree Martin

Varied Sittella

Variegated Fairy-wren

Wedge-tailed Eagle

Weebill

Welcome Swallow

Whistling Kite

White-eared Honeater

White-faced Heron

White-fronted Chat

White-winged Chough

White-winged Fairy-wren

Willie Wagtail

Yellow-plumed Honeyeater

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Yellow-throated Miner

Zebra Finch

A total of 61 species have been identified thus far! Come and stay at Turlee and have fun finding these species yourself or adding to our ever growing list!!!

Don't forget we still have availability over shearing (early August) in the new Bush Cabins for those wanting to kill two birds with one stone! Pardon the pun.... hehehe....

Turlee Bush Cabin Accommodation

Tourism Awards Finalists 2010

2010-07-12T12:22:00.000+10:00

We are so very excited to announce that Turlee Station Stay have been shortlisted as finalists at the 2010 Countrylink Inland Tourism Awards!!!!

The winners are to be announced at the awards dinner held at the Temora Aviation Museum on July 24th. The evening is going to be fantastic fun and is themed 1940's or World War II Aviation. Nathen and I have opted for the 1940's theme and have been busy finding fedoras, peep toe shoes and gloves just to name a few! Look out Temora here we come!!!

Can't wait to share the results with you all, be them good or not so good. We are simply ecstatic to have made the finals, and in two categories none the less!

Thanks to all of our past and present guests who encourage and support us and make this all possible through their continued feedback.

Sophie and Nathen

Shearing Dates 2010

2010-07-12T08:25:00.000+10:00

A great time to visit Turlee Station is throughout shearing! And with shearing just around the corner I thought I had better announce the dates!!!

Shearing will start from July 26th 2010 and go for approximately 2 weeks. This of course will depend on whether we have any rainy days causing delays. Unfortunately the shearer's quarters are closed throughout shearing as there are obviously shearers staying in them! However we do still have availability in the new Bush Cabins throughout early August and we encourage campers at that time also!

So if you are wanting to come and visit Turlee at a peak time of station activity then shearing is definitely a great time to do so! Come and see what life is like as a full time shearer and snap some great photos whilst you are here!

Turlee Trivia Night 2010

2010-07-12T07:59:00.000+10:00

We recently hosted the first ever Turlee Trivia Night in aid of the Isolated Children's & Parent's Association (ICPA). After the success of the past weekend we are happy to announce that the trivia night will definitely be an annual event with dates for 2011 to be announced in the new year.

Many hours of behind the scenes work went into ensuring the night was a huge success. Some wet weather in the days leading up turned a few away at last minute, but I guess that comes with the territory when you operate a business in the outback! Despite sloppy roads we still managed a fantastic turnout and those that braved the frosty conditions were both in the mood to party and to support a great cause!

For those that don't know too much about ICPA, it is a voluntary national parent body dedicated to ensuring that all geographically isolated students have equality with their non-isolated peers, of access to an appropriate education. They assist isolated children and their families through tutoring, scholarships, support with travel expenses, curriculum, special education and also assist small schools within these and many other areas as well. For more info check out their website and show your support by either becoming a member or making a donation at........http://www.icpa.com.au/

On the night we had four rounds of trivia questions and a few fun games to break the night up. We also ran a raffle and had a small auction. With the ticket sales, raffle and auction we are very proud to announce that we raised a total of $3069.40 for ICPA!!!!!! Our goal for the night was to reach $3000 and we are very thrilled that we could acheive this goal so thank you to all those who attended and supported the night.

Just a few of the prizes given away on the night

Nathen and I behind the bar

Plumber extraordinaire Paul and our roo shooter Bob

Courtney from Top Hut Station and Nathen

Goog and our very own local version of Mick Gato, Suey!

MC Extraordinaire Steve Cooper and his son Tom

The trivia night would not have been possible without our terrific sponsors who showed their true colours and came through with the goods and they all deserve a huge pat on the back! So a big thank you goes out to.....

Wagner's Butchery

Mallee Foods

Elders Insurance

Elders Merchandise

Kings 4wd and Radiators

Jamesprint

Koolaman Designs

Tyre Power

Massage 4 U

Tea Break

David Carson Electronics

Bijou Haircare

Bindara On The Darling

Moontongue Eco Adventures

Sunrise Ag

Palmer Drilling

Independent Learning Ladder Consultant Kylie Palmer

The Homebush Hotel

Pooncarie Cafe

K & SL Nelson Transport Services

Seasons and the new Spanish Bar & Grill

Allflex

Cavpower Broken Hill

Andrew Peace Wines

Landara Park Wines

The Good Guys - Mildura

Big 4 Mildura Deakin Holiday Park

Turlee Trivia Night 2010

2010-06-26T14:48:00.000+10:00

Turlee Trivia Night is just around the corner.......

Turlee Trivia Night 2010

The night is in aid of the Isolated Children's and Parents Association who are a voluntary national parent body dedicated to ensuring that all geographically isolated students have equality with their non-isolated peers, of access to an appropriate education. ICPA assists with travel costs, tutoring, scholarships, curriculum, special education and gives assistance to small rural and remote school just to name a few.

We are seeking tables of 8 on the night and tickets are $25 per person. The night includes trivia and entertainment as well as dinner and the chance to take home some fantastic prizes! Some accommodation is still available in the shearer's quarters and is provided for free on the night. Free camping is also welcomed and encouraged to ensure that an enjoyable and safe night is had by all!

We are still hoping to fill another 5 tables so please give your friends and family a quick call, get a group of 8 together and head out to Turlee for the night! It is sure to be a fantastic night filled with trivia, entertainment, food and wine with some excellent prizes up for grabs!!! Door raffle with a 42 inch flat screen tv as first prize, on-the-spot prizes on the night as well as prizes for the first place table are on offer.

Sponsors for the 2010 Turlee Trivia Night include:

Wagner's Butchery
Elders Insurance
Elders Merchandise
Kings 4wd and Radiators
Jamesprint
Koolaman Designs
Tyre Power
Massage 4 U
Tea Break
David Carson Electronics
Bijou Haircare
Sunrise Ag
Palmer Drilling
Indeperndent Learning Ladder Consultant Kylie Palmer
The Homebush Hotel
Pooncarie Cafe
K & SL Nelson Transport Services
Seasons and the new Spanish Bar & Grill
Andrew Peace Wines
Landara Park Wines

Hope to see you all there!

June Lone Weekend Tag-along Tour

2010-06-13T18:08:00.000+10:00

We have had another big weekend here at Turlee....

We have had two large groups staying with us for the past couple of days as well as a few individual groups as well. Yesterday we had a fun evening of sheep races followed by a roast lamb meal in the woolshed. A few sore heads this morning ensured a great night was had by all!!!

Today though we started the day with a sheep dog working demo followed by a shearing demo. Some yummy morning tea of freshly baked scones, jam and cream and left over apple crumble from the night before! MMMM!!!...

This afternoon we have been on a tag-along tour of the property with nearly all of our guests, both campers and room dwellers, in tow.

Over the three hour tour we showed our guests many different aspects of the property.

Starting with the cows.....

(A bit hard to see, but I assure you they are there!)

(some of the kids staying down at the camp ground)

Down a few of the rougher parts of the propery and across the ancient Chibnalwood Lake bed.....

Through some of the open grazing paddocks......

The kids had a good chance to play and explore......

Then we headed south for the Mallee Fowl's nest....

Did you know that a Mallee Fowls can lay over 400 eggs in it's life time?...

(Willow, as pictured above with Nathen, is a wealth of information on Mallee Fowl!)

We then headed down to some of our more southern paddocks and past the wheat crops....

(There is actually a decent size mob of ducks in the far distance but they might be a little hard to see!)

(A HUGE mob of Galahs were perched up on the plough and sprayer above, then flew off below)

The kids had a great time climbing on the tractor....

Psoing for school show-and-tell photos of course....

And so did the adults....

(A big "Hello!" to Gerda's little grandson in the U.S.!!!)

And the ever important crop inspection was completed, cans in hands of course!!!

And finally after a long, fun filled afternoon it was time to head back to camp....

I hope you all had a great long weekend wherever you may have spent it!

Hopefully next long weekend or getaway will be here with us at Turlee!!!

Sophie

Full Moon Dates 2010

2010-06-08T16:11:00.000+10:00

For those a little more starry eyed....

Full moon dates for 2010

(or what's left of the year anyway!)

June 26th

July 26th

August 25th

Septemeber 23rd

October 23rd

November 22nd

December 21st

As released by the Melbourne Planetarium Scienceworks.

For those that haven't considered aligning their getaway to Mungo with the full moon, it is a great idea! Full moon is spectacular over the Mungo lunette, as pictured above, and can be lots of fun to photograph!

June Long Weekend

2010-06-08T12:23:00.000+10:00

This weekend.....

Saturday June 12th 2010

We will be hosting a meal in our fully licensed "Woolshed Baa Bar"

Homegrown rolled roast lamb and roasted vegetables followed by homemade apple crumble served and fresh cream.

The two course meal is $25.00 per adult

or $15.00 per child aged 4-15 years

3 years and under eat FREE!

There will also be sheep races!!!

Two rounds, the first being closed to a private 4wd club booking and the second round being open at $2.00 per bet. Prizes will be given to the winner of each round!

To make a booking please give us a call on 03 5029 7208

We are completely booked out in all rooms on the Saturday and Sunday night but have plenty of space for campers!

Sure to be a great night out!

Sunday June 13th 2010

We will be holding sheep shearing and working dog demonsrations. Morning tea is also provided with the demos.

Each demonstration is priced at

$10 per adult

$6 per child aged 4-15 years

3 and under free

$25 for family of 4

Working dog demo at 9.30am (approx 45 min)

Shearing demo at 10.30am (approx 45 min)

The Bush Cabins are now available! Wooo Hoooo!!!!!

2010-06-04T17:34:00.000+10:00

Well it’s official!..........The Bush Cabins are now open for business! YIPEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

It has been a looooonnngggg few days to say the very least! Something resembling a crazy episode of backyard blitz. But......we made it!

And to make things worse, Grace came down with a tummy bug last night which kind of put a spanner in the works! Nathen stayed home and played nurse for the majority of the day whilst I cleaned the rooms with Susie and helped the boys with a couple of minor last minute jobs.

The photos everyone has been waiting to see......

Room 1

Queen sized Bed

Room 2

Looking towards the front sliding door from the bed

Room 2

Dining area

Room 2

Bathroom

Room 3

Queen sized bed, fold out sofa and dining area

Room 3

Dining area

Room 3

Queen sized bed

Room 3

Bathroom

Room 4

Dining and bed

Front of Bush Cabins

Tiling still needs to be completed on the verandah and will be finished in about 2 weeks time (once bookings low down a little)

Outdoor dining area off the end of the building, 2 new BBQs and two outdoor settings.

All of the rooms sleep two adults and a couple of small children on the sofa. The sofa is not overly large when folded out though so I would not recommend it for two adults. The rooms are all the same layout but differ in decorating. They all come equipped with reverse cycle air conditioning and all linen supplied. They are also fully self catering with all cooking utensils, crockery and cuttlery supplied. In the kitchen there is a stove top, fridge/freezer, microwave, toaster, kettle and complimentary tea/coffee/sugar.

And just a quick reminder......

As an introductory offer,

stay for 2 nights and the third night is FREE!!!

Valid during the months of June and July 2010 in the new Bush Cabins.

Get in quick, we are booking out fast!!!

Bush Cabin Special Offer!!!!!...................

2010-06-03T18:37:00.000+10:00

Just a quick reminder that for the months of June and July 2010 there will be an introductory offer on the newly built Bush Cabins. Stay two nights get the third night for free!!!!! That is $120.00 worth of savings! WOW! Book now before it's too late!

Turlee resembles a crazy episode of Backyard Blitz at the moment getting everything ready for the first booking in the new Bush Cabins tomorrow night. All furnishings are in and beds have been made but lots of cleaning well into the weeeee hours! Photos of the Bush Cabin interiors will be taken tomorrow once everything is cleaned up and will be posted tomorrow night so stay tuned!

Raising kids the bush way!...........

2010-05-30T14:17:00.000+10:00

Raising kids in the bush is a wonderful thing! The outback is a place where kids can just simply be kids! They can run, jump, play and be free.

They have the ability to play in huge mud puddles, make cubby houses in any tree they so desire and keep lots of pets.

They get exposed to natural life cycles from an early age, learn great work ethic and traditional values.

Don’t get me wrong, it has its moments. For instance, the lack of childcare options, family and friends living at greater distances and having to contend with kids on a long days travel just to get basic items such as groceries or visit the doctor. But at the end of the day, we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Child care in the bush takes many forms, none of them formal!

From hanging out with Dad on the tractor.....

To working in the paddock.....

To travelling 150km for toy library or play group.....

Toy library is a wonderful program! Just like the toy library that many of you city dwellers know of, it is a system where families can loan toys, books or DVDs. Toy library out our way (The Outback Mobile Resource Unit) is based in Broken Hill and our two wonderful toy library girls, Vicki and Sonja are simply made for the job! They travel out to remote areas throughout western NSW to visit stations or small towns and provide the kids (and Mums!) with a fun filled day out and a bit of a break from everyday life. They cruise around in a Landcruiser ute filled with toys, books and DVDs for all ages. They entertain the kids for about a 4 hour period and usually do a craft activity of some type with the kids too. They read books to them, sing songs with them and simply play with them, making it a great opportunity for the Mums to get a little respite from the kids too!!!

Toy library also set up a play area at many of the outback field days, race meets and community gatherings, which is just life saving at such events really! Anyone wanting to donate to toy library or learn more about what they do for the community can visit..... http://www.omru.org.au/

Play Groups in some of the smaller townships also make an effort to involve remote kids where possible. Our most recent visit to Play Group was only about one and a half weeks ago. Play Group from Ivanhoe travelled out to the Darnick Hall and we caught up with two other mums and their kids that live remotely also. Renee and her little girl Molly......

Renee and Molly travelled about an hour to get to Play Group that morning, nothing unusual to us but many city dwellers cannot comprehend!

And also Kylie and her two munchkins Lucy and Toby.....

(Photos from the previous Easter Toy Library visit, hence the giant rabbit!)

Kylie was a little luckier this time round as she lives only 10 minutes from the Darnick Hall. We all rotate the visits between properties/community halls you see!

These days out (whilst a huge effort to get to some mornings!) are a fantastic opportunity for the kids to interact with one another and also for the Mums to catch up. Our kids don't get a great deal of social interaction with other kids and likewise Mum's out this way don't get much of a break from the kids, particularly those teaching school of the air! So it is great to see programs such as Play Group and Toy Library still thriving in the bush. Looking forward to our next visit from Vicki and Sonja (Toy Library) up at the Darnick Hall in June!

Rain, road update, building and a birthday!

2010-05-29T15:56:00.000+10:00

Well it is a dreary Saturday afternoon here at Turlee! The wind is howling and it is cold, cold, cold outside! Last night we slept to the sound of rain falling on the tin roof and overnight we had around 70 points of rain brining us up to a total of around 150 points of rain for the week. A wonderful start to sowing! Actually we couldn’t have timed it better if we had tried! After a horribly long couple of weeks Nathen finally finished sowing on Monday around lunch time. The rain kicked in that same morning!

The roads leading into the station and to Mungo National Park are mostly closed at the moment. The roads within Mungo National Park are also closed due to wet weather. Please note though that it does not take long for them to re-open, a couple of days with blowing wind and sun and they are usually accessible again. Give us a call if you are concerned about accessing either Turlee or Mungo over the coming week.

With cold, drizzly days brings little station work. The roads are too wet to drive on still so I am catching up on housework whilst Nathen gives the builder a hand in fitting out the new Bush Cabins. The Bush Cabins are in their final stages of building/fitting out with our first booking scheduled for one week’s time.

As pictured above the kitchens have mostly been installed. Nathen came home for lunch today and told me that the kitchen splashbacks were being finished along with grouting of the shower bases for shower screens to be installed. As far as building work goes, Nathen makes a great farmer! Therefore he has been given the tasks of fitting shower heads, toilet roll holders and towel rails. Can’t wait to see the place looking a little more homely later on this afternoon!!! We have plumbers and sparkies arriving on Monday so are busy getting as much finished as we can so we don’t get in their way next week!

Reverse cycle air cons are intalled! Grace does not come supplied with the room...lol

I don't know why I felt the need to include a picture of the toilet, but yes it does come with a toilet!!! lol...

Tonight we are headed over to Wampo Station for dinner. Wampo is one of our neighbours, about 16km away. Our closest neighbour is Arumpo Station at 8km away and we actually have 7 neighbouring stations. Most people find this amusing that our neighbours are so far apart! Despite the distance, all of the locals love a good excuse to catch up over drinks, and rain makes for a great excuse! Not to mention a special little girl over at Wampo celebrating their birthday!

Happy Birthday Reba!!!

New puppies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-21T22:28:00.000+10:00

~~Nathen and Sophie~~ Ned and Jill are proud to announce that they are the proud new parents of NINE (!) beautiful little puppies!!!

Born at Turlee Station on Tuesday 18th May 2010, weighing not very much and roughly 10cm long.

They would like to thank the other dogs for not barking during the whole ordeal as well as the ~~doctors and nurses~~ farmers at Turlee Station for all their assistance.

The puppies are beautiful! We are keeping 5 at this stage, with three remaining on station (one for Des, one for Nathen and one for Goog the workman), the other two are going to neighbours. We are looking for homes/selling the other 4 puppies. We will have to wait and see of course how the numbers pan out as she has had one severe runt with every litter unfortunately! She has not been all that willing for us to check over them at this stage so we are leaving her and the puppies to let nature take it's course or until she is happy to share them with us! Thus is life on the farm!

Grace is obsessed with Toy Story so is insisting that we call our puppy Slinky as Nathen has already previously had a Buzz and a Woody. Rex was on the cards too but it might be a little too close to Max and Roy. All names must pass the "yell test" you see. If it's not one syllable and is not easy to yell at great moments of mustering frustration........ it gets the boot!

If anyone is interested please give us a call on 03 5029 7208 or email us at stay@turleestationstay.com.au Potential owners must of course have a large yard or a kelpie will go mad!!! The father is a stud dog and the mother is one of Dess' working dogs. She is the only female dog on station and is a very able worker! (she's a woman isn't she!?...)

The boys were all adamant that Jill wasn't due until at least the 27th of May. I, being the female, had a bit of a vibe that she was going to have them sooner than that. Plus I have never seen her that fat with puppies before!!! Don't worry boys, I wont say I told you so!

Nasty phone message left today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-20T17:40:00.000+10:00

To the person that left a rather nasty phone message on our answering service today, something along the lines of ......

"Why bother advertising if you can't even answer the phone!"

I would just like to inform you that we are a family run business which entails me, Sophie, working with two small children in toe! One of 3 years of age and the other of 8 months of age, obviously you have never had to do this! Today, just for your interest, I have travelled a round trip of 300km just so that my isolated children can attend play group! That's what mums in the bush have to do!

So please, next time you want to leave a nasty sarcastic message on my answering machine consider the fact that I may have had to run lunch out to Nathen on the tractor, may be dealing with a teething/sick baby or may simply have had to travel to Mildura for groceries. We must eat too you see. Or perhaps just don't call at all next time!

You know who you are!!!

Yours sincerely,

Sophie.

Marking cattle at Turlee.....

2010-05-17T14:20:00.000+10:00

Well, with new cows comes new experiences! And marking the calves certainly was an experience!!!

The venture started well with mustering all going reasonably to plan

The cattle all walked into the yards as if they had lived at Turlee all their lives.....

They were all fairly quiet and tame......

Until we were intorduced to this cranky old beast!.....

And her friend, the wicked witch fom the west! (they came were from WA)....

They teamed up on us all and caused a little havoc in the process....

But not to worry as we had little help from out trusty Elders stock agent Paul who kindly took a very large fall from the top rail of the cattle yards landing right on a canon ball bush! Thanks for taking one for the team Paul! His back may never look the same again!!

We also had one of our distant neighbours, Zac, come down and give us a hand. Zac and his family also purchased some of the cattle from the same mob and his family have run cattle on their property for quite some time now so he has a bit of experience.

Once we had everything back on track the calvs were marked and ear tagged......

And below are just a few shots of the gorgeous little babies, I couldn't resist!

Aren't they just soooo cute! They remind me of little baby dear when they are newborn.

We are still calving at the moment, a great time to come out with the kids and see some baby animals on station! Take advantage of our June/July introductory special on the new Bush Cabins. Stay 2 nights and get the third for FREE! conatct us on 03 5029 7208 for more info or to make a booking. Alternatively email stay@turleestationstay.com.au

Sophie

Bush Cabin Accommodation, nearly finished!

2010-05-17T13:29:00.000+10:00

I just realised it had been a while since my last update of the Bush Cabin progress! Way too long as the floors have now been laid and we are awaiting the painter! Yippeee!!!!

The floors are timber laminate and look amazing! The above picture does not do them enough justice! The builder has begun tiling the bathrooms today. The tiles are a brownish grey colour and the rooms will be painted in Hog's Bristle with the bathrooms a 1/4 shade of Hog's Bristle.....

I am making a trip into town (Mildura) tomorrow morning to pick out the window fittings and do the weekly grocery shop etc.....

Otherwise the rest of the week will be filled with furniture renovations, painting and washing the rest of the new linen for the rooms. We have begun this lengthy washing process.....

Around 12 loads down with about 2 left to go!!!!

Here's a sneak peak of one of the bathroom vanities that I am renovating for one of the new rooms......

We picked it up from a salvage yard in Adelaide a few month back. You wont recognise it when I am finished with it!!! Lets just say there is a lot of sandpaper involved, some varnish and perhaps even some pressed tin?!.....But ssshhhh!!!! You'll have to book a room to see the finished results!

Which reminds me! Why not take advantage of our June/July Introductory offer....

Stay two nights in a newly built Bush Cabin and the 3rd night is FREE!

That's $120.00 worth of accommodation that we are throwing in on any bookings made in the Bush Cabins for the months of June or July 2010. So hurry and book your spot now before we are completely booked out! Now is the time to take that long awaited trip out to Mungo and visit the famous World Heritage Listed "Walls Of China" and Mungo National Park!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more Bush Cabin updates! Subscribe to our blog by clicking on the top right hand "subscribe" link to get updates sent straight to your inbox.

Sophie

Drum roll please!!.....The winner is.......

2010-05-09T13:37:00.000+10:00

And the winner is.....................

The Boucher Family of Bendigo!!!

Congratulations guys! You appealed to Nathen's twisted sense of humour!

You have won a three night family getaway to Turlee Station Stay including three night’s accommodation in a family room at the shearer’s quarters with all linen provided and a complimentary tag-along water run tour of the property!

This prize is valid for 12 months and is not redeemable for cash OR chook eggs!

Well done!

I will contact you via email shortly.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for entering and it has been great hearing back from a couple of happy past guests too! Subscribe to our blog to stay informed of future competitions and promotions and to simply keep track of what’s happening out at Turlee! Simply click subscribe on the right hand side of the page and select your preference.

A busy week is ahead at Turlee, nothing unusual about that though! Nathen started sowing the wheat over the past weekend and Grace is turning 3 on Tuesday with a big celebration planned over the coming weekend! Guests from far and wide so had better get back to the grindstone!

Sophie

Turlee's bush chook house!!!! And the ladies themselves.....

2010-05-07T13:51:00.000+10:00

Thought it would be fitting of me to actually introduce you all to our new little ladies....

Well here they are!!!....

They are all very well mannered, well all except one really. She is a little abrupt at the best of times! I think I might have caught her going a little cannibalistic the other day actually. Found some suspicious looking liquid of what appeared to be egg white and yolk in the chook run and SHE was fervently gobbling it all up! Need I say she is about to get a taste of Tabasco sauce in a dummy egg we are currently concocting for her on her up and coming trip to the sin bin!

Below are also some pics of us building the chook house. In our efforts to make use of existing materials and recycle old scrap blah blah blah.... we have used an old rain water tank as the egg house. So off we all went for a lovely afternoon cruise to find our tank down at the Turlee tip. After selecting the perfect tank the boys load it onto the trailer with all their might......

And off we head for home!....

Goog, our station hand with a befitting name, deserves ALL of the credit for the chook run. He has been enthusiastically plugging away at it and has done a fantastic job without spending a cent! Then in comes Nathen..... Let me fill you all in on a little secret about Nathen!....Nathen likes to buy gadgets! Gadgets for the farm, gadgets for the kitchen, gadgets just for the sake of buying gadgets really! So upon his return from town (Mildura) a couple of days ago Nathen has bought a gadget for the ladies! They now have their own automatic grain feeder and automatic shell grit feeder. Needless to say, the feeders have obviously cost more than the chook run and chooks combined!!!...

After putting all of that effort into shifting the tank and building a lovely home for the ladies, they actually refuse to even go inside their new home!

This is what they prefer to do.....

Please note the egg that has been laid alongside (NOT within!!!) both nesting options!!!

Now off to collect the eggs!....

Sophie

Want to win a free holiday????.............

2010-04-29T18:44:00.000+10:00

Want to win a free family holiday???.....

Well read on!

In celebration of Farm Day 2010 ( http://www.farmday.com.au/ ) Turlee Station Stay are offering a free three night stay for one lucky family. The family will stay in a family room within the shearer’s quarters and also receive a complimentary tag-along property water run tour. A great chance to re-connect as a family and let the kids run free for a couple of days!

To enter....

Simply leave a comment below with a suggestion of names for our six new chooks due to arrive to the station tomorrow! Entries close Sunday May 9th 2010 at 12.00pm. Get the kids on board and start getting creative!!!..... Can’t wait to see your suggestions!

Nathen, Sophie & family.

Baggin wheat...enough to start a Mungo chook breeding program!

2010-04-28T08:41:00.000+10:00

Over the weekend we bagged up some excess wheat ready for our chooks to arrive later this week from Broken Hill. They are coming down from Broken Hill with our workman's brother when he travels down to visit and assist with some plasteing in the new Bush Cabins. We are getting around 6 chooks and have not yet started building the chook house and yard so have got our work cut out for us this week!

The old wheat truck tilts and Nathen and Goog bag the wheat at a shoot locaed at the back end of the truck obviously.

We had a little more wheat than we expected and fear that we may have to start a Turlee chook breeding enterprise to use it all up!

We also had a couple of helpers.......

Grace was actually more of a help than we expected....

However Willow....not so much!

We ended up with around 30-40 bags of left over wheat and are hoping that the mice don't have a feeding frenzy before the chooks actually arrive! We are hoping that they first start eating the small pile of wheat under where we were bagging instead of eating their way through the bags themselves!!!

Grace had a ball and insisted on having an Easter egg as a prize for being a "good helper". She can't wait for the chooks to arrive either and we are all trying to come up with some names for the 6 of them. If anyone has any suggestions please don't hesitate to email them through or leave a comment!! We need HELP!..... The best suggestion will be published in an up and coming post and the winner will receive discounted accommodation!!!!!!!!

Any bird watchers out there???

2010-04-27T16:24:00.000+10:00

Nathen and Sophie are seeking a couple of bird enthusiasts to travel out to Turlee and assist them in forming a bird list for the property. After receiving over our yearly rain total in a short 7 months, Turlee is flourishing and much grass and water has bought the addition of many birds to the local area. Unfortunately though, Nathen and Sophie’s skills lye in farming and tourism!!! Birds are not our forte!!! PLEASE HELP!!!

We are offering a free three night stay in the Bush Bungalow to a lucky couple of bird enthusiast wishing to come out and try their luck here at Turlee. I can inform you that we have parrots and Mallee Fowl as well as many of the usual suspects such as cockies, eagles, hawks, magies etc.... But I shall leave it there before possibly embarrassing myself!

Please email us at stay@turleestationstay.com.au or call us on 03 5029 7208 for more info or to hopefully book your stay here at Turlee with us!

Thanks,

Nathen & Sophie