We have the good fortune to be staying with Daryl and Colleen at Pine Ridge.
This is a great place. Set in the Southern Tablelands of NSW, the property is situated on the rolling plains of the high country. It's a property of about 1700 acres of good grassland and improved pasture.
There is good water to each paddock and plenty of shelter and windbreaks for the stock.
the place is stocked with black angus cattle in excellent condition, thanks to Daryl's farming knowhow, plus his patience and understanding of all things that move.
He has a large number of breeding stock with calves afoot, and weaners which will soon be ready to go to market
He is currently using black angus bulls to sire the cows.
there were previously limousen, bulls but he found they bred huge calves, giving rise to birth problems
I love working out here. The freedom, the fresh air, the scenery, the cattle, the things I learn.
The property is kept in good condition with nice buildings and good fencing and the30 km of electric fencing keeps the cattle where they should be,.
Last wednesday, the wind started before sunup, By 9am it was gusting to 80km /h and the weather turned really hot. I mean about 39oC, giving rise to perfect conditions for bushfires. After lunch the wind increased to 100km/h and gusting to 120.
Our best vantage point to watch for fires was the highest place on the farm which is where the hayshed is and we had to make several trpis to keep lookout, The wind was blowing so hard that we could barely keep our feet.
Mid afternoon I was outside the machinery shed looking back to the rear of the farm through the trees when I saw a sight which horrified me. A haze which looked very much like SMOKE!
I called Daryl and he came running,took one look and said "lets go to the hayshed."
Sure enough there was plumes of thick black smoke coming from behind the hill to the east of Crookwell.
The direction of the wind meant that the fire should pass behind us, but a windshift could put us right in it's path.
Daryl had already moved all the mobs of cattle up to the paddocks near the house as these didn't have as much grass in them and would not support a fire as well.
We fetched a water tank and fire pump to wet down the bus if it was needed, and Daryl turned the sprinklers on the house shrubbery.
There was a lot at stake so it was a worrying time and we spent a few anxious hours watching and waiting.
Late in the afternoon when the wind had lessened a bit we went up to the hayshed and it was with some relief that we saw the fire had passed behind us and the smoke had abated.
Very soon after, a cool change sprang up and dark clouds began to mass.
