Office live versus station life
Host: Mulyie Homestead (De Grey Station)
Written by Duggie Brownlie, Overseer
| Office Life | Station Life | |
| 5 AM | Still in bed | Waking up to the splendours of pre-dawn |
| 5:30 AM | Still in bed | Home cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast |
| 6 AM | Still in bed | Team meeting, discussing the days plans and preparing work vehicle, Be it utes, trucks, motorbikes, horses, graders, loaders, bobcats, airplanes or helicopters |
| 7 AM | FINALLY wake up and “enjoy” a chia soy latte with a shot of caramel | On your way to this morning’s project on empty open roads with no traffic, no smog, no stress |
| 8 AM | Off to work, commuting through the concrete jungle, whist your soul slowly dies | Already well into your working day. Be it mustering, fencing, grading, water runs or any other range of everyday station jobs |
| 9 AM | Arrive in the same windowless 2×2 cubicle that you were in yesterday and will be in again tomorrow | Sitting under a shady tree, admiring the beautiful country side while enjoying your home cooked smoko |
| 12 PM | Standing in the grey staff kitchen, eating from your cold tin of tuna with people you don’t actually know or like | After completing a few more hours of fur filing and rewarding work you are now surrounded by your team mates having a laugh and enjoying your well-deserved lunch |
| 5 PM | Finally get up out of your seat you’ve been in all day and along with everyone else in the building rush off to “beat the traffic” | Time to pack up tools and start the drive home. Keep your eyes open for wildlife such as kangaroos, emus, camels, pigs, bush turkeys, brumbies, dingoes, eagles, snakes and donkeys |
| 5:30 PM | Stuck in traffic | Knocked off work and are now chilling at the station. Enjoying a cold beverage surrounded by picturesque rivers, creeks, hills and the green lawns of properties all over Australia. |
| 6 PM | Finally, home to your cold dark house. Greeted by your cat that is plotting your death | Maybe another cold beverage while watching the sun set. Time for a shower to wash the dust off from a rewarding day |
| 7 PM | Pull frozen dinner out of the freezer and put it in the microwave while skimming through facebook feed seeing all the great photos your friends are putting up of their lives up on the stations. You’ve probably got Home and Away playing in the background | Sitting down to a lovely home cooked dinner, laughing and joking about the highs and lows of the day. |
| 9 PM | Crawl into your bed and stare at a blue screen for a while wishing you had the guts to give station life a go. Fall asleep dreading the next day | Crawl into your bed, sore and tired but content in the knowledge that today was a good day. Fall asleep excited for what tomorrow will bring |
Sure, we may work longer hours, in the heat and flies, in the rain and the wind. The days can be tough and sometimes you wonder what’s it all for but sitting here right now overlooking the mighty DeGrey river, knowing that I’ve completed a good day’s work. Well, I wouldn’t be dead for quids.
Luke and Calla having fun while fencing the river crossing.
Green grass and cows.