Dust fills a cloudless blue sky as 2,000 head of cattle slowly move down a narrow dirt road in outback Queensland.
Drovers on horseback gently walk alongside and behind the herd, and working dogs help to keep the cows moving in the right direction.
The quiet outback scene is interrupted only by the shuffle of hooves on black soil, a message over the two-way, or an occasional whistle to the working dogs.
It’s a scene you’d expect to see in an old western movie, but this is modern cattle droving.
‘Married to the mob’
The brahman cattle are being walked along part of the state’s stock route network — colloquially known as “the long paddock” — from Julia Creek in the state’s north-west to Tambo in the central west.
It’s a journey of more than 1,200 kilometres, which will take up to five months for Bill Little and his team of three — plus the help of 23 dogs and at least a dozen horses.
They set off at the end of July and expect to reach their destination in the coming weeks.
“We don’t even know what day it is half the time,” head drover Bill Little said.
“We do the same thing every day.
“We get up early, we look after cows all day, we try to go to bed early, and we just do it all again the next day.”
Mr Little, who has been droving for 40 years, said he was “married to the mob” and he loved his work.
“It has its good and bad points, but I’m still doing it so it must be alright.”
Buying time while prices are low
After the Bureau of Meteorology officially declared an El Niño weather event late last month, prices fell across a number of markets, and producers began to prepare for oncoming dry conditions.
For the first time since 2014, the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator (EYCI) is sitting below $3.50 per kilogram carcass weight.
While prices are expected to continue falling in the coming weeks, Longreach livestock agent Boyd Curran is optimistic prices won’t be this low for long.
“The seasonal outlook is having a major impact on what’s happening with cattle prices,” Mr Curran said.
“At the moment, I feel very fortunate that we’ve got beautiful feed and we’re able to take advantage of the lower cattle prices.
“When we have a widespread break in the season, we’re going to see a major correction in these cattle prices.”
Wide open spaces
Back at the drovers’ camp, the team is up at the crack of dawn to pack up camp and get ready for another day on the road.
After a quick cup of coffee as the sun starts to rise, the team saddle up their horses.
Then, the temporary fence is taken down and 2,000 head of cattle are on the move again.
For Lucy Spranger, it’s the best job in the world.
“Where else would you want to be?” Ms Spranger asks.
“Mornings like this, it’s just insane.
“There’s always something going on … sometimes you miss talking to people, but it’s great.
“Just wide open spaces — I love it.”
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