The time I have spent at Malboona Has been quite a fabulous stay I've met lots of wonderful people And I've learned something new everyday Like how to change tires on a loader And go fishing without using bait I've learned what a drought really is And why Queensland's the Sunshine State I've learned lots of things about sheep Including the right way to muster 'em And how to push lambs up the lane And how to ride bikes and not buster 'em Once I learned how to load up a road train With some crazy Brahman steers And I've learned lots of Aussie trivia By drinking XXXX beer! I learned that sunscreen won't work here And that all things in Queensland are Big And I saw lots of interesting animals Like brolgas, wedge-tails and pigs Yes,I've learned so many new things here That I just can't list them all But one thing I can say for certain Is that I've had an absolute ball!

The flight to Brisbane was very long and I had to spend an extra 5 hours at the airport and change terminals. I was exhausted when I got there. I advise everyone to rather pay the extra and go on Emirates as the arrival time fits in with the Visit OZ meet and greet team and there is no terminal change. Australia is similar to South Africa in many ways AND in many ways NOT!!! It is a vast country and I was not ready for the distances I had to travel between farms. The outback is dry and extremely hot - I have never experienced heat like this and I was quite overwhelmed when I first got there. Give yourself at least 2- 3 months to settle in on your farm. It took me a while to feel at home. Now I am so settled and see the new guys arriving...... Even though we make good money - I advise everyone to bring more money when they first get here. It is expensive! The hours are long and the work is hard. I grew up on a farm and have done all types of jobs, but nothing could prepare me for this. I worked with my Dad, but in retrospect the work was more at a managers level and I was quite shocked when I had to do what our labourers in SA do. Everyone has to start off in these jobs and it "sucked", but I got through it. At first I wanted to go home, but I just couldn't bring myself to book the flight and after a while I got used to it and then I worked myself up into a better position. Now I am loving it. Best year of my life.....just sad I can't go back! The accommodation can be a bit standard on some of the farms and us South Africans have been spoilt and expect more. I was not happy when I first arrived, but guys from other countries were not fazed at all. We also had to clean our rooms and do our own washing which was hectic when I first arrived, but now I am used it! Mwhahahaa. Yes, the work is hard and the hours are long, but I have had the best time ever and I wish I could stay for another year. Visit OZ have been brilliant and I have made some really great friends. Good stuff: Making friends, travelling, learning so much. Bad stuff: The heat, long hours, it is very expensive. I loved it and would do it all over again. I have travelled, met some really cool people and made some good money. It has been a great year.