by Tony Parsons
‘A lot of things have become clearer to me lately, Mrs H,’ he added.
Chapter Eighteen
Ian shut the door of the ute and opened the passenger door for Billy just as Leigh Metcalfe sauntered out onto the verandah.
‘G’day, Ian. What brings you up here this fine day?’
‘I need your expert opinion,’ said Ian.
The two sat down at the big table that looked out over the river. Billy squatted beside Shelley who, as usual, sat obediently beside his owner. After setting Billy up with some drawing paper and pencils, Ian continued. ‘I’ve been trying to draw up some plans for the caravan park and aviary, and am finding it very difficult. Originally, I had envisaged placing the caravan park adjacent to the river with the motel next door. It’s a delightful spot with a great view of a long stretch of river and majestic gums. Aesthetically, it’s the best place for the caravan park, but the river poses a problem. If families stay there, as we hope they will, children could very easily come to grief in the river. This could only be prevented by erecting a child-proof fence right across the paddock, which would spoil the look of the place to some extent.’
Leigh nodded, ‘Go on.’
‘Well, then I thought we could place the native bird enclosure there, but this wouldn’t help the aesthetics because it would mean an even higher fence. River access is so important, Leigh. I don’t want anything built that will deny access to people who want to have picnics and go fishing. I realise this is no light matter that can be changed on a whim – the whole complex has to be approved by the shire council.’
‘And don’t forget that the bird enclosure will have to be approved by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service,’ Leigh added. ‘Have you thought about the size of the park at all?’
‘Well, no, I haven’t got that far.’
‘You wouldn’t be able to compete with the big bird complexes over on the coast in terms of numbers or actual layout. It would cost more money than you’ve got and you aren’t proposing to put all you’ve got into the bird park. Also, you’re starting from scratch so you’re going to have costs galore even if you discount volunteer labour. I think the way to go is to concentrate on the endangered and vulnerable parrot species because then you’ll be contributing something really worthwhile and different. Sure, have some of the more popular varieties because they’re showy and easy to buy, but put most of your effort into the scarce varieties.
‘What you’ve also got to consider is that you can’t just throw in a whole lot of male and female parrots and expect them to behave. You can run a lot of males together but if you want to propagate birds, you’d have to run them in pairs – male and female. Some species are more troublesome than others. Bluebonnets are fairly aggressive, so I wouldn’t go overboard with them – one pair for starters. Rosellas would be best kept on their own too. I think you could run princess parrots, cockatiels and budgies together, but males only, to be on the safe side.’
‘Are there some species you could run with ground birds like quail?’ Ian asked.
‘The dove varieties would get on okay with quail, but bear in mind that ground birds like quail need grass cover,’ said Leigh.
‘I’d like to have one or two walk-through aviaries so that people can experience the birds up close,’ Ian suggested.
‘Good idea.’
‘What about the endangered species? Can you buy breeding stock?’ Ian asked.
‘You can, but some are very difficult to get. Some are reasonably priced and some cost a packet. The golden-shouldered parrot is endangered and expensive. It breeds in termite mounds on Cape York. The hooded parrot is from the Northern Territory and breeds in much the same conditions. Now, look, if you go ahead with this park, I wouldn’t be too ambitious at the start. I’d stick to a few seed eaters that aren’t difficult to handle and don’t require special feed or conditions. And that’s another thing: how do you propose to look after these birds? They can’t be neglected or Parks and Wildlife will take away your licence. You’d need somebody on site all the time.’
‘Well, Leigh,’ Ian paused, ‘I was hoping you might want to get involved, at least part-time anyway.’
Leigh shook his head, ‘Sorry to disappoint you, matey, but I wouldn’t cope with having to talk to a lot of tourists. That said, I’m more than willing to help you from behind the scenes – to tell you what to buy in terms of feed and so on – but I wouldn’t want to be your front man.’
Ian was crestfallen, but moved on quickly, ‘So could you recommend someone else to run the park?’
‘What could you offer them?’ Leigh asked.
‘Not much to begin with. Later, if we could propagate some of the more endangered species we might be able to sell some to help with expenses. I’m going to put a couple of on-site vans next door and whoever we find to manage the park could stay there rent free. I thought it might suit an older retired person who’s keen on fishing and wildlife,’ Ian said.
‘Hmm. I wonder …’ Leigh scratched his beard in thought.
‘Does that mean that you know of someone who might fit the bill?’ Ian asked.
‘Maybe. There’s a bloke I know – a bush poet, knocked about a fair bit in his time: Luke Weir. He’s been working on a property at Longreach but he reckons he’s too old for it now.’
‘Is he reliable?’ Ian asked.
‘He’s been on the same property for a long while. He wouldn’t have lasted that long if he wasn’t reliable.’
‘Does he drink?’
‘Occasionally, but he’s not a booze artist. He’s a clever old bloke. He can turn his hand to just about anything.’
‘He sounds promising. Can you mention the bird park and see what sort of a reaction you get?’ Ian asked.
‘I’ll do that.’
Billy looked up from his drawing, ‘Look Ian, I drawed a bird.’
‘That’s beaut Billy. How about you draw Leigh a picture of Shelley now? I’ll bet he’d like to put your drawings up on his wall.’ Ian winked at Leigh.
‘Sure would,’ smiled Leigh.
‘Okay.’ Billy settled down next to the dog again.
‘But we’re still stuck with the problem of position, Leigh. Where can we put the birds?’
Leigh paused and gazed at the river for a moment. ‘Let’s look at your proposal in a different way,’ he said.
‘What do you mean?’ Ian asked.
Leigh pointed a finger towards the river. ‘The stuff in there is the answer to making your proposal a success.’
Ian was perplexed. ‘I don’t follow you.’
‘You’re driving in western Queensland, the temperature is forty-plus and there’s no relief in sight from more of the same. What would you be wishing for?’ Leigh asked.
‘Somewhere nice and cool and a dip in a pool,’ Ian answered.
‘Exactly. You’ve hit the nail right on the head. The first thing you’ve got to do with your Murrawee complex is to set it up as a kind of oasis and promote it as such. Now, what are you doing for water for the park?’ Leigh continued.
‘We’re proposing to pump water from the river into an overhead tank so we can reticulate it throughout the area. The existing bore is hot and while that is going to be an asset when we eventually put down the swimming pools, it wouldn’t be any good for other purposes,’ Ian explained. ‘Here’s a survey map that shows the position of the bore.’
Leigh studied the map for a moment, then reached for some writing paper and began making a few rough sketches. ‘The way I see it, the first thing you’ve got to do is create something that is going to make an instant impression on your visitors. That means a great entrance. You need a rainforest with ferns, cycads, cordylines and the like, and running water. You drive through this entrance to the caravan park and bird complex, and then take either a left or right fork. The swimming pools would be on the right-hand side of the complex. Here,’ Leigh pushed the piece of paper he’d been sketching on across the table to Ian.
Ian star
ed at it for a little while and then closed his eyes. ‘Yes, I can see it.’
‘“The Oasis of Murrawee” or something along those lines,’ Leigh said. ‘You’d place tables and benches under greenery and there’d be a trickling fountain and a pond. You’d have a watering system set up to keep everything fresh on even the hottest day. All that and the river close by – but you need trees and plants galore. Understand?’ Leigh asked.
‘Perfectly. So one of the first things we’d need to do would be the plumbing. We’d get the overhead tank erected, lay the pipes and then set out the gardens,’ Ian said.
‘That’s right. You’d need to fit larger gauge steel piping from the hot bore and cap it near where you’re proposing to put the swimming pools because that bore is plumb in the middle of your bird aviaries. I don’t know which water you’d use for your cold water pool. Probably bore water too, but allowed to cool down. You’d also need rain-water tanks for drinking water,’ suggested Leigh.
‘Frank Morton thought we should request council funding for an ablution block and toilets that would serve both the caravan park and the main reception area,’ Ian said.
‘Yeah, well, that sounds okay. I reckon that you should be able to dig up enough blokes to do the plumbing work and erect some fences, but I’d recommend that you employ a top gardener or landscape designer to lay out the gardens. Tell him what you want and let him have his head. It wouldn’t be cheap, but it’s the recipe for success.’
‘The more I think about it, the more I think you’re right about the “oasis” concept, Leigh. It’s different, and that difference might be just the magnet to pull people into Murrawee. If we get that right, we can build everything around it. But I would like to get some big aviaries constructed and also some smaller ones for breeding,’ Ian said.
‘You’ve got to provide shelter for all the birds so they can get out of the wind and rain. That means proper sheds, not just hollow logs. They breed in hollow logs but they need to be under cover. The more natural you can make the set-up, the better. I’d put a lot of thought into the fresh water aspect too. All birds need little pools to splash about in,’ Leigh said.
‘What I’ve had in my head is that people first walk amongst the birds in the big walk-through aviary. The birds would be perched up high or flying overhead. And then what I’d really like would be a series of large cages that you enter through fences of vines if you follow what I mean. Like a series of new discoveries,’ Ian said enthusiastically.
‘Sounds good. Who have you got in mind for drafting the proposal for the council and the Parks and Wildlife people?’
‘Frank told me he uses Geoff Greenaway, a retired building inspector in Roma. He used to be with the shire and he knows the business backwards. It seems that he’s fished in Murrawee and wouldn’t mind getting involved. Retirement doesn’t suit some blokes,’ Ian said.
‘Yeah, well, you could be on a winner there. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s red tape and bureaucrats.’ Leigh grinned as he ruffled Billy’s hair.
‘Here’s Shelley,’ giggled Billy and held up his drawing for the men to see.
‘That’s great, Billy,’ said Leigh. ‘You’ve been a good little fella sitting there for so long. So what do you reckon? Do you think it’s time we got you something to eat?’
‘Yeahhhh!’ Billy cried, and then jumped up and ran up and down the verandah.
Chapter Nineteen
Fiona was putting a huge effort into the trial. Ian had deputised Peter Cross, who was good with sheepdogs and attended every meeting, to act for her, along with a couple of local property owners, one of whom put Fiona in touch with a sheepdog trialler in Roma called Lou Rydge. Lou came to the second meeting and laid out what would be required. It seemed fairly simple the way he had described it, but there had been days when Fiona had wondered whether they’d ever get there. Someone had to make sure that there were sheep at the ground and that they’d be taken away and fresh sheep brought to replace them. Her preoccupation with getting every detail right and her concern that something might go wrong elicited a mild reproof from Lachie. He very seldom had occasion to find fault with his daughter, of whom he was exceedingly proud, but on this occasion, Lachie had little doubt that most of Fiona’s anxiety stemmed from wanting to prove to Ian Richardson that she could make a real success of the trial.
‘Can’t you delegate some of these jobs to the rest of the committee?’ Lachie asked as he and Fiona had driven to Toowoomba to select trophies. Ian was keen that placegetters receive trophies and ribbons to remind them of the trial in Murrawee, and Kanimbla had donated some money to buy these. On top of this, Fiona had managed to persuade a few private companies to donate some extra funds, so they could afford some impressive trophies.
‘They’re all busy too, Dad,’ she replied. ‘There’s just so much to do.’
‘Well, don’t exhaust yourself completely, or you won’t even make it to the big day!’
Lachie and Fiona had stayed overnight in Toowoomba and were amazed at the development taking place. So much there and so little in Murrawee, thought Fiona as they drove down from the motel on top of the range. But instead of depressing her, she felt more inspired than ever to put Murrawee back on the map.
Bearing in mind her father’s advice, Fiona had called Ian and asked if she might meet with him, Leo and Peter to finalise some important details. The four of them sat at a table on Kanimbla’s verandah.
Fiona looked down at her list. She had been so busy with the trial that she had found herself less distracted by her feelings for Ian. Yet she knew that one look into his tanned, handsome face, and her resolve would melt. ‘If you don’t mind, I’ll get straight to the point,’ Fiona began. ‘We need a truck to take sheep to and from the ground and someone to be responsible for that side of things.’
Ian looked at Leo. ‘You can use the Kanimbla truck if you like, and Peter, can you be responsible for driving it?
‘No problem,’ said Peter.
‘What sheep will you need?’ asked Leo.
‘I’ve talked to Joe Barker and he says we can use his wethers but that we’ll have to transport them in batches. There’s a field next to the trial paddock where we can run them, but we’ll need to rig up a portable yard so we can load them,’ Fiona said.
‘Righto,’ said Leo. ‘We can provide equipment for the temporary yard. Peter, can you also see to that?’ Leo said in his usual brisk fashion.
‘What else, Fiona?’ Ian asked.
Fiona continued to avoid eye contact with Ian, and instead addressed Leo. ‘Who should we get to judge the trials?’
‘Good question,’ Ian remarked. He was especially cheerful today and did not seem to notice her avoiding his gaze. ‘A big name judge could go a long way towards attracting triallers to Murrawee.’
Leo folded his arms across his chest. ‘I suggest that we invite David MacLeod. I know he’s a very busy bloke so he might not have the time, but we’ve used a couple of his rams, and that might go in our favour.’
‘I’ll call him today,’ said Ian. He’d heard MacLeod’s name mentioned many times since arriving in Australia and was keen to meet him; he had the feeling that David was a man who’d be able to teach him a great deal.
‘Will you work Gus, Ian?’ Leo asked.
‘Oh no. I couldn’t ask David MacLeod to judge one of his own dogs. It wouldn’t look right if Gus won the trial,’ Ian said. ‘And the MacLeods can stay with me so you won’t have to worry about sorting out their accommodation, Fiona.’
‘That will be nice. Thanks.’ Fiona glanced at Ian. He was such a considerate man, and so handsome in his white short-sleeved shirt, she thought to herself. If only …
Leo interrupted her reverie. ‘If you’ve got any problem sheep-wise, or man-wise for that matter, and I mean in terms of staging the trial, don’t get in a stew about it, Fiona. You can bet your life we’ll be able to help you.’
‘Thank you, Mr Blake. You’ll be pleased to know I’ve got Que
ensland Country Life interested in doing a story about the trial and I’m sending press releases to all the major rural newspapers.’
‘Great stuff,’ Ian said warmly. ‘And now, I have some news to report about the Murrawee developments. The plans for the caravan park and aviary have gone to the shire council. Geoff Greenaway says there shouldn’t be any problem with either project. At this stage we’ve only pencilled in the areas that would be used for the motel and swimming pools because we’re still chasing finance on those,’ Ian explained.
‘That’s great news Ian,’ Fiona said warmly and felt a sudden urge to hug him. How inappropriate that would be in the circumstances, she smiled to herself.
‘We don’t yet have permission in writing, but Geoff doesn’t think there’ll be any holdups. Most shires are all out for keeping people in the country – they don’t want townships to die. And they’re very aware that tourists can do a lot for the bush,’ Ian said.
What he didn’t tell Fiona, Leo and Peter was that the wire and piping for the first stage of the Murrawee project would be paid for by Kanimbla. He knew that once they got the fencing and water sorted out, it would be so much easier to get financial backing for the motel – the next big phase.
Chapter Twenty
‘Will I be safe?’ Fiona asked with a laugh when Ian rang to invite her to visit Leigh Metcalfe.
‘You’ll be safe with me,’ Ian replied. Fiona had obviously heard about Leigh’s weakness for women. ‘Anyway, you told me you wanted to see Top River,’ he added. He’d heard that she had been working too hard on the trial and that this might make a nice break for her.
‘Only joking. Of course I’d love to come,’ Fiona said.
When Ian pulled up in the twin-cab ute to collect Fiona, with Billy in his little seat in the back, she was a little disappointed. Billy was a lovely boy, but having a third person along put a different complexion on the trip. She wished Ian had mentioned Billy when he’d phoned her. However, as soon as Billy clambered out of his seat and put his arms around her neck, her disappointment dissolved.