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An Outback Legend Shares His Story |
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Written by Philip Engelberts for SATC
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Saturday, 07 May 2005 |
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An Outback Legend Shares His Story
Those saddling up for The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive should listen
closely to the advice of its Droving Ambassador Eric Oldfield.
For more
than 20 years Eric made his living droving cattle in the Aussie Outback, and led
one of the last great cattle drives along the Birdsville Track in 1972.
He now runs a caravan park in Marree, so The Great Australian
Outback Cattle Drive, which started on Saturday 30 April, will be a
"bit special" for him.
"I guess it's a trip down memory lane," Eric says. "It's important to do this, to keep the history alive."
"It
was a sad day when the great cattle drives ended - hundreds and
thousands of cattle once made their way down the Birdsville Track. In
the right season you'd pass six mob of cattle coming down to Marree
when you were on your way home."
Born in Marree in October 1933,
Eric rode his first horse at six and was put in charge of his first
cattle drive - 450 cattle and four men - at the age of 16.
He's lived all his life in the Outback, and loves the place.
"The
pleasures we've got out here, city folk don't realise what they're
missing. We've got big, wide open country, none of that hustle and
bustle that they put up with in the city. No way I would swap it, no
way," he says.
Eric Oldfield will entertain guests on each stage
of The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive with stories of his
droving past. He will also be available for media interviews during the
event.
Very limited tickets are still available for either four
or six day droving tours during The Great Australian Outback Cattle
Drive, which runs until 11 June.
In summary:
The Event:
Over six unforgettable weeks, some of Australia's most famous,
experienced drovers are uniting to herd 500 head of cattle by horseback
down the legendary Birdsville Track and relive one of the world's great
cattle drives.
The Experience: Visitors to
Australia can be right there in the saddle alongside the drovers,
discovering the secrets of horsemanship passed from generation to
generation. The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive will provide
memories to last the rest of your life.
The Outback: Witnessing spectacular sunrises and sunsets, and hear stories of Aboriginal culture and life on an Outback station.
For further details visit www.cattledrive.southaustralia.com Very limited tickets are still available for either four or six day droving tours.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 13 August 2006 )
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