You’re never too old
Host: Yarrie Station
Written by – Annabelle Coppin, Owner/Manager, Yarrie Station.
“You’re doing what?” exclaimed my 33 year old son “Why?!”
“Because I can” I replied.
“But, aren’t you too old?” he asked.
At 55 years of age some would probably think so, however here I am at Yarrie Station for the second year in a row helping out with the annual muster and indulging in my passion for the outback which includes horses, cattle, wide open spaces, camping out under the stars, clear blue skies, and absolutely loving it.
I first heard about “Yarrie Station” and the Coppin family was in 1980 when I was a young bride living at De Grey Station but it wasn’t until 1984 that I actually visited this place. By than I was a single mum with two young sons and working at ‘Boodarie Station’. Over the following 30 years I have visited and stayed, sometimes for a meal, sometimes for a night or two or may be even three or four, and always been made to feel very welcome. Three of our four sons have done work experience at Yarrie and our daughter has been working here full time for a number of years.
As with all properties I have either owned or worked on, every day brings forth some new sort of adventure and experience as no two days are a carbon copy of each other. Some days I could be tailing weaners on horseback or letting cattle out into their respective holding paddocks. I could be doing a mill run and exploring the station tracks or I could be mustering in amongst the beautiful hills river systems or spinifex flats. And, sometimes I have even had the privilege of being the camp fire attendee! That is to say I am entrusted to cook dinner for the team!
Cooking a beef roast in a camp oven and getting the coals just right was definitely a learning curve. Still . . . a bit of a singe on the crust does add to the texture and flavour of the meat and smoked gravy? Well that is a whole new sensation to the taste buds. At this point however, I must add that the team were very gracious and ate the lot! Bless their little hearts.
There are so many good things to write about here at “Yarrie” such as the way it just grabs at your soul with its sheer beauty, the serenity, and the colours of the sunsets. The right sky that makes that makes a place very hard to leave are the people that live here be it the Coppin family and those that work here and call it their second home, or it could be those that come here during mustering time, whether it be a once only stay or time and time again each one of them is unique and has something different to offer to ensure that Yarrie will always be an interesting and welcoming place. And who could possibly forget the Cranky Cook in his blue apron with YARRIE embroidered across the front of it.
And than of course there is the billy tea!
Celebrating another Yarrie birthday.