Hello to all of my new readers – here have a glass of Chardy (I know I know – you would prefer a Sav B right??? ok then) and lets celebrate. I am so excited to have you all on board. After so many questions yesterday I thought it was time I did a little refresher about who I am and where we live. Lets do a bit of a list…
- I was born in Mudgee NSW, my Mum and Dad – DD & Rexy – still live there in the house they built a million years ago, ok so about 40 years ago. The orange brick house straight out of the 70’s, wallpaper and all.
- I went to boarding school in Bathurst
- Then to June Dally-Watkins Business Finishing School in Sydney for a year – yep, it took her a year to sort me out, ha ha ha.
- Worked in Sydney for a couple of years and couldn’t get out of there quick enough, my first job was as a hooker…oops I mean a receptionist at LJ Hooker Chatswood and then as a Legal Secretary for a Law Firm in the City!
- Then I got the hell out of Sydney and went out to the Back’o’Bourke as a Governess for a year in 2000
- Now, the reason for my good posture isn’t thanks to Miss Dally, it was from a car accident I had while out at Bourke – where I broke my neck and had a lovely little holiday in RPA in Sydney – it was basically a resort where they offered really good drugs. Anyway, I have some bone form my hip holding my c4 & c5 vertebrae in place…..but I guess that is a whole other blog post…..and this it why I look like I have a pole shoved up my backside….lovely!
- I headed to the NT for JUST A YEAR in 2001 to Governess on a big cattle station…. Met Mr Chardy who was working next door and well, that was it, I never did return to NSW and here we are, still up here.
- We have 3 boys – heaven help me – 10, 8 & 3.5 year old! Yes, he was a little gorgeous surprise package but we wouldn’t be without him.
- We manage a large cattle station in the middle of nowhere in the NT. Bum F*%k Nowhere! But we love it. Look, here it is
- It is 1.7 million acres.
- 5 hours from town which includes 160km of dirt road, I suppose you could say our driveway is 160km long.
- My children do their schooling here on the station through Mt Isa School of the Air.
- We have a separate building which is the School Room
- We also have a Governess who teaches them, because if you read this post – you will realise I don’t have the patience for it.
- About 15 people live here on the station
- We have a Station Cook who cooks for all of the staff in the Station Kitchen… actually I now need to change this one to “we did have a cook”. We had a brilliant cook for 6 years – Aileen – and she finished up at the end of last year. Now I can’t bring myself to replace her because no one is going to stack up so I have decided to take it on myself…. yes I am the cook now. Look out.
- Our staff comprise of the following: Head Stockman, Jackaroo’s, Jillaroo, Governess, Cook, Bore Runner (he drives around all day starting motors to pump water from the bores into the turkeys nest which then fill the troughs – basically they keep the cattle alive), Road Train Driver (he owns his own truck and does all of our work – contractor), & a Mechanic. I think that is about it.
- Our mail arrives on a plane each Wednesday along with fruit, veg and bread
- If we are ill or someone hurts themselves we call the RFDS – The Royal Flying Doctors – and they either prescribe the medicine or they fly out to collect the injured person. You can read all about the times they had to come out here and here.
- We get our beer by the pallet, just like our groceries. We get it from Camooweal, our closest little town (a pub and roadhouse type town) which is about 3 hours away, and just over the QLD border. Don’t worry, this isn’t all Mr Chardys, it is for the Rec Club – where the staff can have a drink of an afternoon, anything they purchase is just deducted from their wages. It has beer, soft drink, chips and some personal items like soap, toothpaste, sunscreen etc.
- I don’t have a whole lot of patience and have been known to go Bat Shit Crazy!
- I can’t think of anything else that is particularly interesting, but I am sure I will. Hope this helps you get an idea about who we are and what we do.
Is there something I have forgotten….probably, but stay tuned, you will figure it all out. Thanks so much to everyone who reads my blog – it means the world to me and I am so happy to have you on board, because…well….life can get pretty lonely all the way out here in Woop Woop. I need you guys to help keep me sane.
A huge thank you to Baby Mac and Emily from Have a Laugh on Me for spreading the Chardy love, you guys are legends! Check them out – they are so funny!
Miss Chardy, THANK YOU! I think we are blessed to glimpse what a totally different life is like from way out west. You take the time to share, with humour & honesty, fun & fact, & we are lucky you take the time. You rock!!
Oh thank you, you have brought a tear to my eye!!! Thanks a million. 🙂
I wish that I walked around looking like there’s a carrot where it shouldn’t be! Being a big boobed girl from a small age meant I tended to hide it by putting my shoulders forward, boarding school didn’t help and now I have THE worst slouch ever, although I do try when I remember. You just get more interesting… and yes we love our surprise package also! xxxxx
Gotta love a surprise….ha ha ha, well once the shock wore off. Now, as my Aunty Theresie used to say: “Shoulders back, bum in, boobs out”!!!! You have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND….are you in Cairns yet?
Miss Chardy you just keep doing what you’re doing! It’s such a pleasure seeing you come up on my newsfeed with tales from the NT. I love your humour and how generous you are with letting us into your life. It absolutely brightens my day!
Thanks so much Lesley, so kind of you to say. I am so pleased you enjoy my mundane, ha ha ha 🙂
So lovely to meet you! So many fascinating facts, I take my hat off to you. The remoteness, the bigness of it all! What is the hottest it gets up there? I think the climate would be the death of me!
Cheers – Joolz xx
It can get up around 45 degrees on a really hot day, but it is a dry heat mostly – which I can cope with, I can’t do humidity…. but ok, lets keep it real, I am a bit of a house cat and don’t venture out very often on those hot days, I stay in the comfort of my split systems!!!! I don’t know how the men work out in that heat all day long…. I take my hat off to them.
I’ve been reading your blog for a little while now, found you when Beth gave you a shout out on her blog 🙂 enjoyed your ‘about me’ post …..connected a lot of dots and answered the question everyone wants to know ……. how did you end up out there!!
I love the Top End, been there a few times now. So glimpses into your life up there are greatly enjoyed. xx
Hello there Chrisy, so glad you have left me a comment….Beth is such a legend isn’t she. Glad you have enjoyed the read. 🙂
I can’t comprehend 1.7 million acres! That’s crazy! Im from Ireland originally and i’ve been here 10 years (Vic) but I still struggle with the size of this country. Your life is so fascinating to me, loved your post about grocery shopping. I’ve never had a Japanese slipper but i’m keen to try one now 🙂
Ha ha ha – you should definitely get a Japanese Slipper in your hot little hand Margaret, you won’t be sorry!! Oh and 1.7million acres is big, but guess what – we are little compared to our neighbours – they are 5 million acres, wrap your head around that one – probably bigger than Vic??? Ok, now go and sort yourself out a Slipper – it is Valentines Day after all. Thanks so much for reading 🙂
Congrats on all your new readers!! Always a fascinating read 🙂
Thanks so much Kez 🙂
Oh Miss Chardy, thanks goodness you are on the internets! Look forward to lots of real-life catch up drinks together in the future. In the meantime happy anniversary – Moet is on my menu when I get home tonight!
Gosh, home tonight, you are such a busy little thing aren’t you! Glad you have the Moet chilling. I have just decided that our dinner menu might be mini pavlova’s (in the oven as we speak) and Moet – best to keep it simple I think. I think there will definitely be lots of real life catch ups from 2017…..should probably book Tom into school, ha ha ha, and maybe take him for a look! Enjoy your night.
Just fascinating!
Today’s entertainment, I’m sitting in my wohnung (apartment) in Leipzig. It’s late morning. Soon I will go downstairs (5 flights of stairs) to the backyard for all the apartments which has a concrete pingpong table (very DDR) and a huge collection of bins that are locked in a cage so I can put my things in the bin. Then I will take my recyclables to the supermarkt (you get money back) then off to the apotheke (chemist) for a prescription. I need to buy a new sandwich toaster so will go for a hunt! Then time for ‘kaffee und kuchen’ at one of the many backeries. Deutsch cakes are rather amazing! Then I will visit some restaurants to book brunch for tomorrow morning with friends (using my rather basic Deutsch).
Later I will sauber (clean) the wohnung and prepare for my husband’s return from England. I’m working on moving my website from blogger to square space which is interesting as I’m a bit of a luddite with no real idea. I have some cheap Deutsch rot wein here (about $3AUD) which I will apply liberally to recover!
You’re living the dream up there Dan! Loving hearing all the news. xx
Hi Annie, when are you coming to visit? Just pop up!!! 🙂
Well well Miss Chardy aren’t you the most popular girl in school hahaha love your slanted look at life. Keep up the good work. …. and have a JS for me
Hello freak. So good to hear from you! Haven’t had a JS for at least 2 weeks…. now tell me … “why are your hands so freakishly big?”
I love your station life posts! We visited relatives that lived on a station seven hours west of Katherine, while it fascinated me I was in awe of how they lived so far from everything and coped so well! Your pic of the ute with a pallet of beer brought make memories! The day before we arrived at their station one of the jackarro’s had been sent into town for the pallet of beer, as I special treat the manager had arranged for stubbies (glass) instead of cans. Said Jackeroo didn’t secure the load so well and the whole pallet slipped from the ute onto the road at speed!! We never meet the disgraced Jackeroo as he had packed his bags and left……. Cardinal sin I imagine not getting the beer back to the station!! Keep up the great work Chards, love your posts!!
OHHHHHHHH, noooooooo!!!! Cardinal sin indeed…. poor fella. Note to self – don’t send a Jackaroo to collect Beer, we are dealing with the big important issues here after all. Glad you are enjoying the posts…I have realised I need to do more station posts. Thanks for saying hello Carmel, great to hear from you.
Another great post Miss Chardy. I need to relate a turkeys nest anecdote. It is the beginning of the school year (sometime in the 1970s) and the new SOTA teacher is doing news at the start of the lesson. Of course all the news is how much rain was received, duly reported in points and inches. One young lad is very excited, they had received 3 inches overnight and the turkeys nest had overflowed. Teacher: “Oh, overflowed with eggs you mean?”. Silence. “No miss, water, we had 3 inches of rain” said in a bewildered tone by lad. Welcome to country children Miss Walker………
Howdy Chardy, this is the first I’ve come across your blog as you call it. I live in Quorn in SA and have been to the NT quite a bit, well all over the Outback really and I LOVE it. I had the joy of being a Truckies wife! It was great going to remote towns and pubs sitting in the middle of nowhere on famous outback tracks. Many a story and lots of photos from the years gone by.
I have a daughter up in the Territory who works for the Northern Territory Cattlemans Association, her name is Tara Fulwood, you may come across her one day. She is a good worker and quite clever apparently and so yes I’m a proud mum.
Anyhow it was very sad to hear of your young Head Stockman, a great shame. My condolences to you all.
If you ever need a governess or a bloody old cook, let me know hey. Hahaha.
Regards Ros Fulwood.
Hi Ros, so great to have you around these parts, glad you found us. Thanks for your message.
dear miss chardy,
condolences on the loss of your head stockman, mick.
I worked as a governess in south Australia, 3 years on three different stations, all throo school of the air port augusta. have wonderful memories and formed great friendships that I still have today.
take care, enjoy your memories of mick,
cheers tina cretty
Thanks so much Tina.
Hi Chardy!just found your blog page!such a great life in the outback!i was born at Eidsvold so have been around cattle and horses all my life.I am on the wind down now from my job as a nurse and have caravan dog and 4X4 Heading to the Cape in May(taking the 80 year old mother in law!)thinks she is going to Cairns cause she asked me some months ago that all she wants to do before she dies is go to Cairns!well wont she get a shock when we head to the Cape.I am selling my home here in Rocky and will be on the road travelling!hope to pick up jobs on station on my way to W.A.will send a message when i am heading your way!would love to call in and see your great place!So sad to hear of the death of your yoing stockman they are hard to get and keep these days!
Wow Louise, you will have a wonderful trip and yes, I am sure your Mother in Law certainly will get a shock, good on you. Thanks for finding me, great to have you. Have a great trip.
Hi miss chardy I love reading your posts and how you live up there on your station ( That’s one big station 1.7 million acres) is one thing I would love to do is work on a station. I would love to meet you one day as you are a huge roll model to me.
Oh you are so sweet Maddy, thanks for your lovely message!!! Hope you manage to get out to this wonderful part of Australia one day.
Oh my goodness – what absolute PERFECT timing to find your blog!!! My partner & I have just moved out onto a station (and I mean JUST- today was our first official day!) 80km outside of Mt Isa towards Camooweal! He is the diesel fitter & I’m the governess which is a job I have never done before so wish me luck!!
This is my first time living on a station so to see all these similarities with someone else is so exciting for me! Feel free to overload me with any tips you may have… This is going to be my new daily read! xx
Hi Lanna, well good luck to you with the Governessing, hope you enjoy it. Welcome about the Chardy mobile. 🙂
Wow! What an awesome place for your boys to grow up! Can I come play governess/jillaroo for a couple of weeks!?! 😉
Yes Karrine – it is such a great place for kids to grow up!!!