Welcome to the World of Work

[JamesL]

I have to say I'm rather proud of Junior Daughter. Having left school, she's helping out on a cotton station in New South Wales for a few months, amongst other things driving one of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aytdI1G5lKk. A tad bigger than the VW Up! on which she passed her test!

She's on 12 hour day shifts fertilising and in one shift you get through half the field; 6 to 6 and you refuel and hand over to the Kiwis who do the night shift. Apparently she knows all the playlists and all the ads on all the radio stations. The thing drives itself on the straight, so you drive across the field on auto for 4 minutes, turn it, then let it drive back, and repeat. For 12 hours. Meanwhile you live your life in 4 minute chunks, during which you can message your mates if they're awake, poll Facebook, etc.

I hadn't appreciated just how full on farming could be - or how industrialised. There's more to it than the tractoring thankfully, but in some respects she could just be in an office...

[Herb]

I've done some work for Case and New Holland in the past and the level of technology in some of these machines is astounding.

Well done to your daughter. So many opportunities for travel and broadening horizons open to our kids now. Fair play to those that have the confidence and ambition to go for it.

[JamesL]

Well thanks both - she seems to have taken to it and I'm trying not to think of all those hunky farm hands inviting her over to view their etchings...

Good on the Aussies too, they're not too bothered whether you're a Sheila, and give you lots of early responsibility. She's going to find Blighty a bit tame on her return I think...

[Mitch1100]

Well thanks both - she seems to have taken to it and I'm trying not to think of all those hunky farm hands inviting her over to view their etchings...

Good on the Aussies too, they're not too bothered whether you're a Sheila, and give you lots of early responsibility. She's going to find Blighty a bit tame on her return I think...

Lots of women driving huge mine machinery, interstate trucks etc..more sympathetic to machinery😏
Is she touring Australia?

[Dickl]

The world is full of coincidences - I live in Warwickshire and in 12 days (and counting!!) I shall be off to NZ and then Tasmania!

[JamesL]

She's always wanted to see Oz, so the idea was to get some work experience and earn a bit, then a few weeks travelling. She comes home to do her washing, and then she's off for a stint with Camp America... So much more you can do these days!

Good luck with the NZ / Tassie trip Dickl, have you been before? I loved Kiwiland - worked there for 6 months and did LOTS of tramping, all over. I've never been to Tassie but apparently it's gorgeous and like 1950s Hampshire or Devon - a serious time warp! Apparently farms are going dirt cheap out there, but that's because there's simply no money in it. So embracing the lifestyle is more challenging than you'd hope...

[Mitch1100]

The world is full of coincidences - I live in Warwickshire and in 12 days (and counting!!) I shall be off to NZ and then Tasmania!

More than 70 fires are burning across Tasmania and flooding on East coast atm