This job is done 3-4 times a year...the least favourite of his jobs, but has to be done all the same.
Safety is the objective here with harness properly fitted, the adrenalin is pumping with a 60ft Southern Cross tower to scale. He's not that happy about it! I can't even repeat the question our little fella asked before climbing, lets just say my husband is pretty superstitious and after the loss of a great cattleman and industry leader this year, we are only far to aware of what can happen.
The mill is turned off by a leaver at the base, which isolates the tail of the mill, so that it stops pumping water while he's on the job.
This however doesn't stop the fan from spinning and of course the wind whipped up!
There's talk of retiring the old girl, windmills are iconic in the Australian landscape. They have been harnessing wind energy for over a century, but perhaps with increasing efficiencies and technology I think the long term plan will be to put another solar on the Lake and lay more poly pipe...there is no end to it is there!
Our reward for supervising duties (with heart in mouth might I add) was to go and see a few cows...all very pregnant!
We are always trying to improve production whilst trying to maintain good ecology. We are trialling a new way of looking after our soon to be first calf heifers...so its going to be an interesting 12 months.
A bit of rain for everybody wouldn't go astray either,
so you stop dreaming and go and check the waters again!
