Biggest Beef ever!

It’s been a big fortnight. Huge. Massive.

As a result this post is going to similar. Big. Huge. Massive. (It could be an idea to bring caffeine and/or alcohol!)

You see once every three years, an event called ‘BEEF WEEK‘ takes place in Rockhampton, Queensland.  It’s held at this kind of interval because, seriously, it takes that long for Rocky (and all participants) to recover from it.

We had a trade site there – a 10m x 12m space on which we showcased our business.  And me (being me) decided it would be a great time to rebrand as well.  Because, you know, it’s not like I need to rest or recuperate after the challenges of the past 12 months… but as I said, the chance to launch like this only comes once every three years…

After a great deal of consideration (and a mountain of ideas and options) we had decided, in the weeks preceding Beef, on this for our new logo…

We affectionately call this the ‘Bimbadeen Bubble Bull’… something a little different and memorable. (Memor-a-bull?)

He had a pretty great reception from clients and friends – and he got incorporated into plenty of marketing material.

We made a very groovy clip  about our place and our business.  We called it the ‘Bimbadeen Experience’.*

We also had a lot of balloons…

Because you know, there is a kid in all of us who loves a helium-filled balloon!  That’s our friend Lisa who helped us out during the week – she’s started a great little agribusiness (check her out here) and was launching it at Beef too.

Of course I had plenty of images on display, including some from my Outback Paparazzi mate Ann Britton.  These couches were VERY well used throughout the five days!

My clever husband had been busy in the shed in the lead-up to this event, making these great ‘gate signs’ with our new logo (the one on the left with the light was recycled from last Beef).

We were lucky to get a spot on what is usually the cricket oval, so we had the luxyury of grass through our site.

Our cattle (four bulls and three heifers) had nice pens with sawdust bedding, and hessian to give them a sense of safety as hundreds of people poured through the site.

They all behaved beautifully…

Especially this dude – Kosciusko – who is a huge pet (at 750kg).

Dash loved spending time with this enormous 18 month old bull – who has everything including an awesome temperament!

This is Mr Incredible and I towards the end of the week.

(After camping for more than a week in a caravan in an extremely crowded camping area, and being ‘on duty’ for five days straight, I wasn’t doing close-ups by then…)

Among the hundreds of amazing people we got to chat to… (ready for the ‘selfie avalanche’?)

The fabulous Catherine Marriot (who has quite rightly been nominated as a ‘Living Legend’ by RM Williams Outback magazine.)

Miz Marriott is a pretty special human being –  motivational as hell and just a lovely, lovely friend.

The ever-ready bunny herself, Georgie Somerset (VP of Agforce Queensland, wife and mum and general force to be reckoned with!).  An awesome agvocate in general and also a terrific mate.

The stunning Courtney from Bush Chooks Photography (WA) also called by – it was the first time we had met in person! Such a talented girl!

My long-time friend Michelle… words simply cannot express how special her friendship is to me.  She has been an absolute rock over the past year – she made me the most amazing quilt which I still have to blog.  Remind me!

This is Kristy – at our first time face-to-face after much contact via Facebook and mobile phone. Our boys are friends at boarding school (both started this year) and Kristy has been wonderfully generous in taking Dash out during their visits to Rocky.  She also runs a fabulous Facebook page called Better Internet For Rural, Regional And Remote Australia.

I have written previously (at length) about this chick (and her hubby) – Sarah Cook who I met exactly three years ago at this very event.  I count Sarah as a very close friend these days (she was one of the first on the phone to me after my diagnosis last year).  I don’t mean to embarrass her but she also has the most beautiful eyes…

I have to mention Buck too – a wonderful man from Texas, whom we also met at Beef 2012 and whose wife my daughter fell in love with.  It was lovely to see his smiling face again…

While our Aussie beef shows are a little more laid-back in nature than American versions, Buck fit right in! (Pictured below having a laugh with my parents!).

While I didn’t get to see too much else of the Beef 2015 sites (too busy talking in our own!) I did make it to a couple of events.

One was the showring (Wednesday)..

Our jillaroo Mikki was a bit nervous in only her second ever attempt at leading cattle.

She did really well with our two young animals.  We didn’t bring home any big ribbons but our heifer and bull stood up well against the big classes they were in.

It was good fun watching the ‘professionals’ do their thing. It’s a proper art, presenting cattle in a show like this!

This pair battle it out regularly in the show ring!

You will never guess what we had that night (and many others)…

STEAK!

We tried a  number of on-site pop-up restaurants – they were all pretty good!

Another event I managed was the Ladies Luncheon on the final day (Friday). It was HUGE – just under 600 women in one room!

Special guest speaker was Mary Coustas, well-known comedian and an incredibly moving speaker – she shared her anguished journey to motherhood (at age 49!) in a very powerful speech.  There was not a dry eye in the house.

You will never guess what was on the menu? Steak! Heh. This was poached eye fillet. Scrumptious!

And this was a deconstructed Beef Wellington. With a bit already eaten… it was REALLY yum!

I have to mention this amazing chick too – someone whom I am linked to in many different ways (through mutual friends and mutual love of all things ag, having met at this previous event) and for whom I have the utmost respect. Pip Courtney is a workhorse and very smart cookie, reporting for, putting together and hosting Landline – Australia’s fabulous television showcase of agriculture across this wide, brown land.  She’s a pocket rocket and a great mate. **

Here’s another pocket rocket and one of my favourite people in the world…. Violet the Irrepressible.  Complete with painted ‘tattoo’ from the extremely popular Kids Space area of Beef Week.

All good things must come to an end however. And our ten-day trip away ended on the weekend, in a frenzy of packing up a week’s worth of dirty laundry, clearing out a caravan, deconstructing a caravan awning and a Beef site, loading cattle and beginning the drive back home.

This was my ‘trailer’… a 28 foot caravan which was a pretty good ‘home away from home’ – although I have to say I have a new respect for caravanners, especially on narrow bitumen roads!  I was so relieved to get it back to it’s owner safely.

After nine hours of driving, this was the best sight of all…

The grid into our house paddock…

I wasn’t the only one feeling good to be here either…

A couple of our weaner bulls who played with the ducks after breaking into the house yard upon their return…

Who was chasing who?

Funny boys!

And our big boy, Koz…

Enjoying a bit of a dust bath…

I did something similar, but in our shower.  A long, hot, cleansing shower before I fell into our bed.

AH, it’s so good to be home!

*I plan to share it here on the blog soon – stay tuned!

**The ABC Landline coverage of Beef Week can be seen here!