Grey Nomads join Frontier Service’s Outback Links program to volunteer to help farmers
No job is too big or small for the 1000 volunteers who have signed up to lend a hand to Australia’s farmers hit by the drought as they travel the country. SEE HOW YOU CAN JOIN
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Through the drought cracked land of rural Australia, seeds of hope are being planted by an army of Grey Nomads who are dedicating weeks and months of their lives to help battling farmers.
More than 1000 volunteers have signed up to Frontier Service’s Outback Links program which connects farmers to people willing to help with tasks ranging from feeding cattle and repairing fencing to cooking and cleaning.
Many farmers have been forced to spend exorbitant amounts of money on cattle feed which takes hours to dole out, pushing day-to-day tasks further down the to-do list.
No job is too big or small for the volunteers, who are mainly made up of Grey Nomads looking to lend a hand while travelling the country.
Frontier Service’s national director Jannine Jackson said the organisation was often told by farmers the service was the “best drought relief” they’d ever had, and for volunteers the experience is “life changing”.
“It works for both parties in quite profound ways,” she said.
“It doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you speak with people afterwards they will tell you that their life has changed.
The impact of the volunteers goes far beyond repaired fences and painted houses.
For many farmers, just having a fresh face around to talk to goes a long way in cutting through the isolation of living rurally.
“Farmers have hope, they feel like they have a lifeline,” Ms Jackson said.
“You could actually even save someone’s life and I’m not saying that lightly.”
‘IT’S OPEN ARMS, A HUG AND A KISS’
Petra Mason, 50, and her husband Ben, 49, have owned their 62,000 acre farm south of Mitchell in Queensland for almost 20 years.
Gowan, 70, and Judy Cooke, 71, were the most recent Outback Links volunteers to help relieve the couple of some of the pressure brought on by the drought far from their home in Geelong, Victoria.
By chance, Gowan had experience driving tractors which allowed him to get behind the wheel of a dozer and help the Masons with land improvement works.
“That was all we needed to free us up to do everything else,” Petra said.
“He just turns up with his lunch every day and goes and comes back nearly after dark and has a beer with us and goes home (to his caravan).”
Petra said feeding their 2500 head of cattle had eaten into time to tend to other things on the farm and was setting them back $40,000 a month in extra costs.
But for her, the saddest part was waiting for the day her cattle could go into the paddock and eat grass again.
“That’s why you lie awake at night thinking about what you’re doing to do next, how you’re going to feed everything,” she said.
She said she was “amazed” at the help that had been provided to them through Frontier Services who had been there for the farm in “good times as well as the bad”.
But the impact on the volunteers is just as significant.
Gowan said being able to help gave him and his wife a purpose during their retirement.
“We really get a buzz out of it,” he said.
“We meet the people as complete strangers and when it comes time to leave, it’s no shaking of hands. It’s usually open arms, a hug, perhaps a kiss and a tear in their eye as we wave goodbye.”
Gowan has volunteered on five farms with Judy by his side at all but one.
The couple also take pride in being able to help break down the stigma of mental illness in rural communities just by being a patient ear for their hosts.
“It transfers them out of their hardship for a little while,” Gowan said.
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‘EVERYONE’S SO DESPERATE’
New South Wales farmer Bronwyn Sargeant, 57, has had four lots of Outback Links volunteers which helped her juggle running her Gravesend farm with completing a Master’s Degree and working as the director of a mobile preschool.
Bronwyn said her latest helper, Bernice Reid, 68, had relieved some of the pressure by feeding the animals and driving her elderly mother to doctor’s appointments.
Her beloved 1060 acre farm, which was brought for her and her sister when they were young, has been hit hard by the drought which forced Bronwyn to recently sell 30 of her 100 head of cattle.
Her partner Gordon, 71, underwent surgery in July and while he was recovering Bronwyn would come home from work, strap on a headlamp and feed her cattle in the dark.
Bernice travelled more than 400km from her Valla Beach home on the state’s mid-north coast for her first Outback Links placement to help the couple with her skills in aged care and cattle.
She previously volunteered through Willing Workers on Organic Farms while travelling Australia with her husband.
“I have a cattle station upbringing in North Queensland and I remember as a kid going through five-year drought and I just know what it’s like,” Bernice said.
“Everyone’s so desperate and having to make really hard decisions.”
But the volunteering goes beyond the physical labour for Bernice who said just being available for farmers to talk to had a big impact.
“Sometimes for them to voice their situation, that makes it a little bit clearer and you can talk about it,” she said.
Bronwyn said the willingness of the volunteers restored her “faith in human nature”.
“I’m just amazed of the generosity of time that they put into looking after us,” she said.
Having Bernice on hand allowed Bronwyn and Gordon – who hasn’t left the farm since July - to get away for the weekend.
‘IT’S WONDERFUL FOR SOMEONE CAN GIVE A HAND’
Muriel and Alan Hunt, both in their late 70s, have been running a 3000 acre sheep farm in Cowell on the South Australian coast since 1996 and are experiencing their most “grim” drought conditions yet.
Due to the financial strain of the big dry Muriel, an ex-nurse, has returned to the workforce as a disability support worker for three days a week.
Outback Links has provided the couple with two sets of volunteers so far and their third set, Grey Nomads Fiona, 61, and Colin Kupke, 66, are stopping by to help for two weeks while travelling the country.
Muriel said all of the volunteers she’d hosted had been “so obliging” and ready to tackle any jobs that needed doing on the farm.
“I think it’s really wonderful to have someone that’s prepared to give their time and give a hand and to just be there as emotional support,” she said
“If you live in one of the capital cities or the better areas you don’t really realise what it’s like.
“Until you get down to the nitty gritty and realise some people are prepared to get out and face the odds to keep Australia going.”
Fiona and Colin have been travelling for the past eight months after renting out their Loxton home in the state’s Riverland for a year.
Not satisfied with just taking in the sights, the couple – who come from farming backgrounds - have already volunteered twice with Outback Links in Queensland and New South Wales.
They are expected to reach Muriel and Alan’s farm tomorrow (Monday).
“It’s fulfilling, that’s the biggest part of it,” Fiona told News Corp after a day driving across the Nullarbor.
“Building a bit of a friendship and being able to do small things, it’s really satisfying.
“It breaks the monotony of travelling which is really good.”
So far Fiona and Colin have helped farmers with a wide range of tasks including fencing and odd jobs around the house and said they would continue to volunteer while they’re able.
Many volunteers stay on the properties in their caravans and help with farm work but Ms Jackson said there was work available for all skills.
“You name it, we literally get it. It could be tutors, fencers, caretakers, electricians, and mechanics,” she said.
One farmer was linked with a retired nurse who helped provide him with end of life care, so he could die in his home with dignity.
“We’ve even had photographers go out and take family photos that have never happened before,” Ms Jackson said.
“Even if someone hasn’t done something like this before, I would suggest absolutely putting a hand up and giving it a go.”
If you’re interested in volunteering or needing a hand, go to frontierservices.org