Day 293: Sheep Herding and Sheep Shearing (Eek!) on Curringa Farm
Teddy spotted lambs and a few sheep milling around on our back porch this morning when he went to exercise. Ha! Here was the breakfast scene — kids eating cereal, Teddy talking to his brother on the deck.
By 10 am we met up with ranch hand Sophie, an 18-year-old local, and Billy the sheepdog, for a tour of the farm.
We checked out the crop rows and learned about the sheep breeding process.
Also took a nature walk by the river to see what the grounds look like when they’re not cleared for farming. Spotted a few curious wallabies and an echidna. Thankfully, no snakes.
But Sophie had saved the best for last: A sheep-herding demonstration by Billy! As we drove into the sheep pasture, Billy started pacing and whimpering in the back of the jeep, soooooo excited to get out and do his job.
I think I mentioned, but we’re reading “Babe the Gallant Pig” right now, so this was all almost too much for the kids (and me!) to bear.
We stopped and Billy leapt from the car and immediately got to work rounding up the sheep.
(As noted in Mongolia, btw, when sheep bleat, it sounds like they’re saying Teddy’s name: “T-e-e-e-e-e-e-d.”)
Sophie was yelling commands, including one that went, “Ride up there, Bill, ride up there!” We can’t stop saying it.
Also, we loved that she was calling a dog named Billy “Bill.” You know, in his professional setting.
She even instructed him to push the sheep in close around us for a photo opp. Ha!!
His work done and the Sullivans sufficiently delighted/satisfied, we drove back to the lodge for tea and scones. There was talk of feeding a lamb named Annie a bottle but she ran away into some brush.
We did stop to check out the “silkies” (the funny/fancy-looking chickens) and the three resident alpacas, one of whom was named Misty like Teddy’s childhood dog.
We decided to drive into the small town of Hamilton to see what was happening for lunch. Stopped at the Fennel Cafe for potato and leek soup, which was delicious and warm on this chilly day.
The kids wanted to run around a nearby playground. Teddy joined them while I sat in the car — I’m such a wuss about the cold. So don’t have the right gear.
By 2 pm we were back at the visitor center to catch a sheep-shearing demo. We weren’t alone — there was a Chinese tour group of about 25 people there too!
Curringa has (shrewdly) concentrated its marketing efforts on wealthy Chinese, Singaporean and Malaysian tourists.
We all piled into the shed and met Logan, a tatted-up Tasmanian sheep-shearer. Apparently there are 85 million sheep in Australia and only 4,000 professional shearers. The good ones can do 250 sheep in a day and name their price.
I’m not sure what we thought it was going to be like. Maybe like seeing Molly get a bath at Petropolis? You know, like, the sheep’d maybe be a little antsy but otherwise would just stand there and get groomed?
No.
Logan disappeared into a corral and came barreling back out through the swinging doors, violently dragging a giant ewe on her back by her two front legs! I think all four Sullivans went, “Oh no!” at once. Poor girl!
He then basically gator-wrassled her into a bunch of different positions, knocking her around, pinning her each time with his stocky legs while he ran the giant electric razor over her bod in rough scrubbing motions. It looked so painful and uncomfortable.
When it was over, we were invited over to take pictures with Logan and the newly naked sheep. It felt weird, honestly. But we did it. I think my face says it all.
You don’t think of wool as being a harmful or disturbing animal violation — but now I get why people may not be ok with it. Vegans, I hear you.
Back at the house we were kind of annoyed that the kids wouldn’t just play by themselves. They never get no-parent time to romp in a giant field and explore — and they were wasting their chance! But Willa wanted to read Harry Potter and James was lonely and bugging everyone.
Finally it was time to put them to bed!!
