Take a tour of beautiful Bandana Station
BANDANA Station at Rolleston is first and foremost a cattle station – and always will be.
BANDANA Station at Rolleston is first and foremost a cattle station - and always will be.
But Olivia Evans, alongside her dad, Bruce Mayne, and husband Nathan Evans, is now growing a business that is proving very popular.
Bandana was bought in 1998 by Bruce and Lucinda Mayne, but now the family is busy expanding it into a bigger and better investment.
Bandana Station Sunset and Camping Shows is drawing in more people than Olivia, Bruce and Nathan ever dreamed of - and is supplementing the family income while keeping to what they know - cattle, and the land.
Olivia has a background in tourism and marketing, Nathan was an accountant for 10 years and Bruce has spent his whole life on the land, but now the trio are busy putting their combined skills to good use.
"We are trying to make the most of what we have in a sustainable way," Olivia said.
"So we've gone to organics in our cattle, and we are appreciating the land we have."
With about 2200 head on average and about 1000 breeders on the 42,000 acres, Olivia said the tourism was almost turning into a full-time job as well.
"We started the sunsets three years ago, and I was thinking that I would contribute to the farm. We were sort of expecting two people sitting on a log once a week," Olivia laughed.
"We average about 30 (people) a night over the season now."
But the family puts on much more than a few seats and a sunset. Olivia said it was a full show, with poetry and her dad, who is a singer/songwriter, performing as well.
"We really do go the extra mile ... sometimes we have up to 50 people and within half an hour we know everybody's name," she said.
With two small children, Jack (4.5) and Thomas (2), Olivia said the family was kept on their toes but was absolutely loving the business they had begun.
"I have had an absolute love of Bandana since I was little," she said.
"So I was thrilled when my accountant husband decided he wanted to be a farmer and we moved back home."
For more information visit the webpage at www.bandanastation.com.au.