Dust-filled nostrils and grit in the eyes are givens when rounding up hundreds of cattle in the outback. It’s the noise that’s so unexpected.
The deafening sound of a swooping helicopter, the roar of motorbikes and quads, galloping cattle crashing through dense tussocks, yelling, whistling, neighing and shouting — it’s a cacophony of organised chaos.
Horses and motorbikes are used for mustering cattle. (ABC News: Jan Kohout)
It’s early morning, but the team at McArthur River Station, about 80 kilometres south of Borroloola near the Gulf of Carpentaria, is already tearing through the dusty scrubland trying to corral 400 head of cattle.
Head stockman Jasper Dando says adding to the difficulty of today’s muster in the dense bush is the sheer number of cattle they are trying to round up — over hundreds of hectares — and herd into a comparatively small holding yard.
“We’re trying to round up 300 to 400 but it will be a mixture of cleanskin and a mixture of branded,” he says.
Head stockman Jasper Dando watches the mustering. (ABC News: Jan Kohout)
The “we” is a team of three ringers on horseback, two on motorbikes and a helicopter hovering nearby.
But things don’t always go as planned, especially when you are dealing with heavy cattle.
As the morning unfolds one of the bullocks makes a dash for the bush.
Mr Dando rides after it, along with ringer Tilly Metcalf.
Riding in numbers is a key safety measure when rounding up cattle because they can be unpredictable, as Mr Dando is quickly reminded when the renegade bull T-bones him, sending him flying out of his saddle.
“I thought I’d give him a nudge but he thought he could give me a bigger nudge, next thing I know my horse is getting lifted,” he says.
“But Tilly came and saved me, thank god. Better to have a mate with you just in case.”
Tilly Metcalf is in her second year at McArthur River Station. (ABC News: Jan Kohout)
Ms Metcalf explains that T-boning isn’t unusual during a muster.
“Pumba [Mr Dando] and I went around to try and get this big bullock and then it T-boned his horse,” she says.
“I was there trying to spook this massive bullock that was probably as tall as our horses.
“Then he came off a second time.”
McArthur River Station manager Chris Bateman says safety is a priority at the station, and he loves teaching the next generation the ins and outs of the cattle industry.
Chris Bateman says safety is a priority at McArthur River Station. (ABC News: Jan Kohout)
“We teach them horsemanship and cattlemanship and how to do both safely,” he says.
While every cattle station in Australia has its own way of mustering, Mr Bateman, who’s managed McArthur River Station for the past six years, prefers mustering to be done on horseback.
“Horses have a calming effect on the cattle, therefore, we prefer to focus more on horses as opposed to bikes,” Mr Bateman says.
“Horses keep it nice and steady and slow them right down to a walk.”
The noise of motorbikes can send cattle running in all directions.
Jim Parkinson, one of the ringers at McArthur River Station. (ABC News: Jan Kohout)
Today, however, ringer Jim Parkinson is one of two ringers on motorbikes because he needs the speed to get around the herd.
“The point of a bike is really to help the chopper out,” he says.
“Sometimes when you’re behind a mob of cattle, when you’ve got cattle lying down, you might [use the bike to] try and stand them up.”
The helicopter finally lands after a successful day of mustering. (ABC News: Jan Kohout)
He then herds the mob towards the ringers on horseback, who then drive the cattle towards the yard.
Jim’s only been at McArthur River for six months and says he’s having a great experience.
“Its pretty different to the last station I was at. I’m loving here so far, though,” he says.
Ringers keep close to the herd to prevent cattle from running back into the bush. (ABC News: Jan Kohout)
‘We’re in full swing’
It’s Tilly Metcalf’s second year at McArthur River Station and she says it’s been a great start to the season.
“We’re in full swing of the muster and I’m loving it so far, but we’ve got some big numbers ahead of us which will require bikes,” she says.
“The landscape looks amazing after the big wet season we just had … it’s still green and it just looks so good.”
Ms Metcalf is completing her second year of Charles Darwin University’s agriculture and rural operations course.
Cattle herded into yard after a long day of mustering. (ABC News: Jan Kohout)
The course provides students with a range of skills from stock handling and station management to horsemanship and rural businesses operations.
At McArthur River Station today, some of the teams are earning points towards their certificate qualifications.
Annie Murphy, who is an assessor for the CDU course, goes from station to station evaluating different students.
She says the team is showing a lot of promise.
“Everyone is working well together, there’s a lot of communication with the crew, which is awesome to see,” Ms Murphy says.
“In the course, there’s a cattle component of mustering and moving.
“We look at how they work a mob of cattle, if they are in the right spot at the right time.
“The whole purpose of the course is to assess the essentials of mustering not to teach ringers how to muster.
The cattle have been rounded up over hundreds of hectares. (ABC News: Jan Kohout)
“The head stockman is the one that teaches the ringers what to do.
“We’re here to give a helping hand if they need it and we are here to assess on what is required for the certificates.”
After the day’s mustering, the team at McArthur River Station have rounded up about 300 cattle and herded them into a holding yard.
The cattle will be taken on livestock trucks to Darwin, where they’ll be sent on live export ships to Indonesia.
But for now, everyone is dusty and dirty and ready for a wash, and some well-earned dinner.
