Sold – and how do you pack a bowerbird?

G’Day Mob,

So this is it, the very last post from Rocky Springs Rambles.

Thanks for being part of the adventure dear Mob.

You have been with me through drought and rains.

You have seen animals born and animals lost.

You may have smiled or laughed or cried – I know I have.

Only one of you ever offered to take two fox terribles off my hands (though I suspect that was only to replace them with something equally sinister).

You now know what a tractor pull is about – and a hangi.

You have been there when I have visited New Zealand and outback Queensland, talked me out of buying 285,000 acres and not talked me out of buying an opal mine.

We’ve been fencing and droving and mustering cattle. We tried to get fat Manfred up a race. We’ve been kicked in the cattle yards, and left Brian stranded up a tree. We turned Rocky Springs into a brewery one month, and a winery a few months later.

We’ve ridden horses, fallen off horses and said goodbye.

We’ve had too many dogs.

You’ve met the wonderful folk of Coolatai – and their panther.

On our days off we have been fishing, paddled a canoe, jumped fox terribles at the Warialda Show and been to the local races. We might have enjoyed a beer or two at the Wallaroo. And you can’t forget that the Aussies beat the Kiwis in the dog trials. We will not talk about rugby union.

We’ve had plenty of visitors, including, touched as we still are, Chester the Wonder Whippet.

And now it’s over. We have packed and moved out. On my last day I retrieved 121 stainless steel nuts from the bowerbird’s bower. I thought about shoving him in a box as well, but why should I deprive the new owners of his thieving antics.

Farewell Mob – it’s been my pleasure.