Last night after dinner, a few of us went to the Thirsty Crow to meet with Aussie Uni students. After closing down that bar, we moved to Ramano's. This was quite an inviting atmosphere, our group shared many facts about America with the bartender. We had a great night!! Wyatt, Shelby, and I were going to be smart and get back early to go to bed. Well, we took a wrong turn and didnt get back until 15 minutes after the other group got back. We had a nice little hour walk around Wagga that not everyone got to experience.
This morning began with a tour of the Charles Sturd University ag facilities. They were very elaborate and well designed. On our way to one of the farms we went past a machine shed and I saw a planter that had John Shearer wrote on it, as if it was a brand!!! How cool!!!!!
After a long bus ride that I took full advantage of, we finally arrived to the beautiful city of Sydney. We finally got to see some souvenior shops and city life. We just got back from a dinner cruise along the harbor. The opera house was huge and absolutely phenomenal!! There are many other buildings and light shows that were lighting up the skyline, too. Tomorrow, we catch a flight to Cairns where we will spend the remainder of the trip at. I opted ouy of Sydney night life tonight, but expect many stories from our night in Cairns tomorroe!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Cargill/Teyes Partnership
We began the day by visiting the Wagga Wagga Livestock saleyards. This was quite a new experience, the methods were very different than the traditional American yards. They have a very efficient way of staging cattle before coming into the first pen in the sale ring. Then, the lot will go to the next pen where it is actually sold, before going out into a holding area and then to the buyers pen. Auctioneering methods also differed, as the Australian auctioneer shouted numbers without the extra rattle sound to it. All lots were extremely cheap! We did a quick conversion and it was close to 85¢ per pound on average. The saleyards have a sale every Monday for cattle, with smaller lots than what we are used to. Sheep sales are every Thursday.
Next, we began the tour of the Cargill/Teyes facility. We got to tour the much Americanized abattoir, and then listened to a brief presentation. The boning room especially resembled American plants. Grading standards are very complex, and not even required for all cattle. That specific plant does 50/50 grass fed and grain fed cattle.
We stopped in Temora for lunch, and the group was very exciting about the free choice off the menu until they told us a quarter of it was out of stock. After lunch, we had some time to do some looking around. Prices are very high on ALL items, not just the alcohol!
We finished the day by visiting Jindalee Feedlot. All cattle are purchased on arrival weight. They run a 100 day probram, implanting them only once during that time. The cattle are fed twice a day, with 35% of the ration being fed at their sunrise feeding. 60,000 tons of wheat or barley are used each year! The cost of gain per kilo was roughly $2.05-2.20. We also learned that 95% of the catte there were eligible for Certified Australian Angus Beef.
Driving back to Wagga, we got to see a very pretty sunset with a lot of great photo ops that Wyatt was excitec about. =) Tonight, we are going to dinner at the Victoria Hotel, then possibly exploring Wagga's other hotels!
Much love,
~Kaycie
Next, we began the tour of the Cargill/Teyes facility. We got to tour the much Americanized abattoir, and then listened to a brief presentation. The boning room especially resembled American plants. Grading standards are very complex, and not even required for all cattle. That specific plant does 50/50 grass fed and grain fed cattle.
We stopped in Temora for lunch, and the group was very exciting about the free choice off the menu until they told us a quarter of it was out of stock. After lunch, we had some time to do some looking around. Prices are very high on ALL items, not just the alcohol!
We finished the day by visiting Jindalee Feedlot. All cattle are purchased on arrival weight. They run a 100 day probram, implanting them only once during that time. The cattle are fed twice a day, with 35% of the ration being fed at their sunrise feeding. 60,000 tons of wheat or barley are used each year! The cost of gain per kilo was roughly $2.05-2.20. We also learned that 95% of the catte there were eligible for Certified Australian Angus Beef.
Driving back to Wagga, we got to see a very pretty sunset with a lot of great photo ops that Wyatt was excitec about. =) Tonight, we are going to dinner at the Victoria Hotel, then possibly exploring Wagga's other hotels!
Much love,
~Kaycie
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Too Much Fun, What's That Mean?!
Happy Memorial Day weekend Americans!! This morning started a little rougher than any other morning we've had here in Australia. We had a blast last night at Bended Elbow!! We have many laughs and stories about the night, it was really fun to get to see Aussie night life. We started the day going to Trigger Vale, a Polled Merino and White Suffolk sheep operation, and learning many new things. They are highly educated about each breed and strive to be the best performance based herd in the area. While we were there, their daughter Ruby had a few day old lamb that had been left in the pasture alone. What a cutie!! We got a chance to look at the different breeds wool, too. The Merino wool was absolutely beautiful!!!! Clean, bright, strong wool that is great for thin, fine thread. Their Suffolk wool is similar to America's wool...dark, dirty, and gross looking.
After a short nap on the bus ride, we then visited an emu farm. The birds we saw were very different, obviously, than any other farm animals we have. They are easy to maintain, as they peck the seed from truckloads of wheat brought in from the bottom of local grain bins. Emus are very territorial animals which led to many fights between birds this morning. The end product is no less than 10 liters of oil priced at $50 per liter. After an unsuccessful attempt to feed the birds, we went to the huge, elaborate house for lunch. We had a traditional barbie that featured steak, bratwurst type meat, potatoes, and salad.
From there, we went on to Spry's Shorthorn. This set of bulls was hands down the best group of Shorthorn bulls I have seen in a very long time. The yearling bull on display was recently sold for $46,000! We discussed their operation and their cooperator herd situation, and I was very impressed with their methods and ideas. We then had another barbie followed by a few hours of friends, Aussies, and, of course, the Australian drink provided at all meals, beer. After dark, Shelby and I had to go to the toilet that was down the path a little ways. It was pitch black and we didnt have a flash light or cell phone light, so we came up with a brilliant idea to take pictures to light the way! Smart, I know!! =)
It's early, but I'm heading to bed. Good night!
Much love,
~Kaycie
After a short nap on the bus ride, we then visited an emu farm. The birds we saw were very different, obviously, than any other farm animals we have. They are easy to maintain, as they peck the seed from truckloads of wheat brought in from the bottom of local grain bins. Emus are very territorial animals which led to many fights between birds this morning. The end product is no less than 10 liters of oil priced at $50 per liter. After an unsuccessful attempt to feed the birds, we went to the huge, elaborate house for lunch. We had a traditional barbie that featured steak, bratwurst type meat, potatoes, and salad.
From there, we went on to Spry's Shorthorn. This set of bulls was hands down the best group of Shorthorn bulls I have seen in a very long time. The yearling bull on display was recently sold for $46,000! We discussed their operation and their cooperator herd situation, and I was very impressed with their methods and ideas. We then had another barbie followed by a few hours of friends, Aussies, and, of course, the Australian drink provided at all meals, beer. After dark, Shelby and I had to go to the toilet that was down the path a little ways. It was pitch black and we didnt have a flash light or cell phone light, so we came up with a brilliant idea to take pictures to light the way! Smart, I know!! =)
It's early, but I'm heading to bed. Good night!
Much love,
~Kaycie
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Opposite Ends of the Spectrum
Today, we visited with Lawson Angus and Yima Park herefords. First, we met with Harry Lawson. He was very educated! He ru s a close partnership with Gardiner Angus Ranch in Kansas. His philosophies about business and cattle were spot on, for the most part, with my ideas and theories. He runs calves in both Western Australia and in northern Victoria. The bulls for the sale are developed on the ranch we saw in Victoria, while his mama cows calve out in Western Australia. We finished the trip by going to Mendala Winery for a hot beverage and biscuit. We found that their 'biscuits' are very similar to a dry combination of a cookie and a piece of cake.
Next, we went to Yima Park to meet with Hemish McMilan about his Hereford herd and his lamb herd. He and one other guy run 500 Herefords and 3000 ewes. His views were very odd!!! From there, we went into Albury for the one night stay. We ate at the Soden's Hotel' and it was very nice to have a steak!!! A few of us stayed out last night and drank a few at the hotel, before heading to the Bended Elbow! Today is a busy day so I better get started!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
Next, we went to Yima Park to meet with Hemish McMilan about his Hereford herd and his lamb herd. He and one other guy run 500 Herefords and 3000 ewes. His views were very odd!!! From there, we went into Albury for the one night stay. We ate at the Soden's Hotel' and it was very nice to have a steak!!! A few of us stayed out last night and drank a few at the hotel, before heading to the Bended Elbow! Today is a busy day so I better get started!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
Friday, May 25, 2012
Rainy Day
Good morning, Kansas! We are finishing up our eventful Friday, having left Melbourne and now staying in Seymour. We began the cold, rainy day by visiting the JBS Brooklyn Abattoir. This was my favorite tour so far!!! The plant was MUCH smaller and slower in production that any of the beef plants I have seen back in the States. They do not rib the carcasses during this process either, because they dont use the ribeye to grade. The sheep facility was very interesting, as it was the first plant I have been in. They are much quicker and efficient on the sheep line. I was very excited about seeing the facilities, and I can't wait to tell my GreelS friends all about the abattoir!!!
After what seemed to be the group's favorite meal on the trip this far, we then went onto Webb Black Simmental ranch. Brothers Phil and Bryan own the now 6 year old operation, while Lynton is the stud manager. They raise Black Simmental, Angus, and SimAngus cattle, with the focus being completely on their homozygous black Simmental herd. Phil was quite the jokester, but his business theories are very serious and competitive. They seem to be facing similar challenges, with their main challenge being the lack of communication to the consumer. The Australian mother downgrades the marbling, while the Webbs are promoting marbling EPD's to their bull customers. Another big issue they are facing is to expand numbers, as they get all semen from America. They have a beautiful operation and the few yearling calves we got to see today were high quslity, as well.
After our visit with them, we headed into Seymour for the evening. It took a little longer than expected to get to our hotel, due to a navigation error (men never ask for directions!), but we made it. The rooms are very spacious and the beds are comfy. Tonight is going to be a short night for me, because the longer I sit on the bed the sleepier I get. Tomorrow we are visiting Angus and Shorthorn ranches, before traveling to Albury for the night.
I will hopefully post pictures sometime soon!!!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
After what seemed to be the group's favorite meal on the trip this far, we then went onto Webb Black Simmental ranch. Brothers Phil and Bryan own the now 6 year old operation, while Lynton is the stud manager. They raise Black Simmental, Angus, and SimAngus cattle, with the focus being completely on their homozygous black Simmental herd. Phil was quite the jokester, but his business theories are very serious and competitive. They seem to be facing similar challenges, with their main challenge being the lack of communication to the consumer. The Australian mother downgrades the marbling, while the Webbs are promoting marbling EPD's to their bull customers. Another big issue they are facing is to expand numbers, as they get all semen from America. They have a beautiful operation and the few yearling calves we got to see today were high quslity, as well.
After our visit with them, we headed into Seymour for the evening. It took a little longer than expected to get to our hotel, due to a navigation error (men never ask for directions!), but we made it. The rooms are very spacious and the beds are comfy. Tonight is going to be a short night for me, because the longer I sit on the bed the sleepier I get. Tomorrow we are visiting Angus and Shorthorn ranches, before traveling to Albury for the night.
I will hopefully post pictures sometime soon!!!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Australia's Largest Brewery
Good evening mates!! Kyla, Wyatt, and I just got back from the bar on the river close to he hotel we are staying at in Melbourne. We definitely saw all the culture we needed to see during ghe one drink we had. A 18 year old Aussie girl was there close to the area we chose to enjoy the river and the scenary. She had so much to say..she first didnt vall us nice names because we were in Australia (we hope she was just kidding about that!!), then she proceeded to teach one of the guys how to roll her smoke (cigarette), she leus with 'good to meet you Americans, Australians are just a bunch of failures. Off she went, leaving us to deal with the now angry Aussies that were standing behind us, overearing the entire conversation we just had. As Kyla, Wyatt, and I were leaving we left Brad and Wimer to assure the guys that, in fact, we would let the m speak for themselves. Obviously, Australia isn't a bunch of failures, we were all dying to get to Australia and we have all loved every minute if being here!!
Before we had dinner and a few of us went out, we went to the Carlton U ited Brewery. It is Australia's largest brewery, and the home of Foster's Beer!!! Although Fosters isnt as popular any,ore, it still tastes very good. My favorite at the brewery was Carlton Dry. This beer was our Coors Light taste. I also tried Carlton Drought which was too bland, VB which was decent, and Fosters which was a little sweet, but still okay.
Tomorrow, we are visiting JBS abattoir and a Simmental ranch. It's getting late here so I am going to bed. Good Night Australia and Good Morning Kansas!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
P.S. I hope to figure out the picture situation tomorrow, as I said before we are having some internet difficulties here in Melbourne.
Before we had dinner and a few of us went out, we went to the Carlton U ited Brewery. It is Australia's largest brewery, and the home of Foster's Beer!!! Although Fosters isnt as popular any,ore, it still tastes very good. My favorite at the brewery was Carlton Dry. This beer was our Coors Light taste. I also tried Carlton Drought which was too bland, VB which was decent, and Fosters which was a little sweet, but still okay.
Tomorrow, we are visiting JBS abattoir and a Simmental ranch. It's getting late here so I am going to bed. Good Night Australia and Good Morning Kansas!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
P.S. I hope to figure out the picture situation tomorrow, as I said before we are having some internet difficulties here in Melbourne.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Simple Things
Mates-
It's currently lunch time here in Melbourne. The group just finished listening to a presentation from three guys from the Victoria Animal Health and Welfare Department. The major focus was on their methods of tracking animals from producers to feedlots to abattoirs. The beef industry seems to be more successful than the sheep industry, as the rate of acceptance is 99.5% in the eef division. We are now getting ready for a trip to the Carlton Brewery! As college kids, we are all VERY excited about free tastings of Australian beer.
Let me leave you with a few simple thoughts.
1. Enjoy the luxury of high-speed, relatively fast internet! We are experiencing Many problems with trying to connect to the internet, even with the data plans we have.
2. Don't take ice for granted! We have yet to get ice in our drinks, including the pitchers of water brought to our table last night.
3. American cities are disgusting!!! Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia, is very clean and the only smell I have experienced is cigarette smoke. Aussies love their smokes!
Much love,
~Kaycie
We made it!!!!
Hey everyone!!!! We had a great flight from LA and most of us got a decent amount of sleep on the HUGE plane we were on. I think I slept about 10 hours, and I was sleeping so good I was dreaming. =) I sat with Kara and Shane for the long flight. We were all kind of scared that Shane wasn't alive, because Brad was shaking him for a good 5 minutes and Shane didn't even flinch! We got into Melbourne around 8:15 this morning and have been on the go since. We all got our luggage in Melbourne and then proceeded to Customs before we go onto the bus. I also saw my first SMART Beagle dog as a sniff dog going through one of the customs lines.
We got out of the airport around 10 then we hit up the local McDonald's for a quick breakfast. It was fairly similar to the taste of America's food. From there, we started a journey to Healesville Sanctuary for the rest of the afternoon. It was very interesting to see all of the native Australian animals. I got to see my first koala!!! Mom--they are just as cute as I imagined!! There are so many types of parrots, it's unreal. We got to watch a flight show toward the end of the zoo trip. What they do with those birds is amazing-- they were going from side to side and flying inches over the crowds' heads during the show. The bird master would signal to the birds and they would react on command. We are now on our bus heading to check into our hotel and get a SHOWER!!!!!! We have dinner scheduled for 7:30, so we will have a couple hours to get settled in before our first night on the town. Tomorrow, we have a brewery tour scheduled so it will be fairly relaxed.
Much love,
~Kaycie
P.S. We are all still trying to adjust to the right handed driver seat and the opposite driving directions!! It all looks so weird.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Flight Day
Hey everyone! Not too much has happened today, we have had two great flights so far. We are waiting for our long flight now in Los Angeles. The flight is a long 16 hours, but we are hoping for comfy chairs so we can sleep a little bit at least. When we arrive in Melbourne, we will hit the ground running. We will be seeing Australian mammals first thing Wednesday morning before we even check into the hotel!! Have a happy May 22nd and think of us while we are in the air!!! The next blog will be coming to you from Australia!!!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
Much love,
~Kaycie
Friday, May 18, 2012
Flight Schedule
It's getting closer!!!! I can't believe it =) Here are the flights I will be on heading to Australia and coming back to the States:
May 21
Depart Kansas City 2:35 pm
Arrive Dallas 4:15 pm
Depart Dallas 6:15 pm
Arrive Los Angeles 7:35 pm
Depart Los Angeles 11:30 pm
Arrive Melbourne 8:20 am May 23rd (I will never see May 22, 2012!!!)
While we are in Australia, we will be flying from Sydney to Cairns on May 30th.
After a fun-filled, busy trip, we will be returning home on June 1st.
Depart Cairns 5:30 am
Arrive Brisbane 7:35 am
Depart Brisbane 10:35 am
Arrive Los Angeles 6:40 am (seeing June 1st for the second time!)
Depart Los Angeles 10:40 am
Arrive Dallas 3:40 pm
Depart Dallas 5:15 pm
Arrive Kansas City 6:45 pm
It is required that we blog daily, so be sure to check back here to see what we have done and seen that day!! I will also commnicate with family via Skype, so be sure to check with my parents and Johnnny, too.
The next time I blog will probably be THE BIG DAY, until then I plan on soaking up as much family and friend time as possible!! Have a great weekend!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
May 21
Depart Kansas City 2:35 pm
Arrive Dallas 4:15 pm
Depart Dallas 6:15 pm
Arrive Los Angeles 7:35 pm
Depart Los Angeles 11:30 pm
Arrive Melbourne 8:20 am May 23rd (I will never see May 22, 2012!!!)
While we are in Australia, we will be flying from Sydney to Cairns on May 30th.
After a fun-filled, busy trip, we will be returning home on June 1st.
Depart Cairns 5:30 am
Arrive Brisbane 7:35 am
Depart Brisbane 10:35 am
Arrive Los Angeles 6:40 am (seeing June 1st for the second time!)
Depart Los Angeles 10:40 am
Arrive Dallas 3:40 pm
Depart Dallas 5:15 pm
Arrive Kansas City 6:45 pm
It is required that we blog daily, so be sure to check back here to see what we have done and seen that day!! I will also commnicate with family via Skype, so be sure to check with my parents and Johnnny, too.
The next time I blog will probably be THE BIG DAY, until then I plan on soaking up as much family and friend time as possible!! Have a great weekend!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Cram Time!!!
Hello Mates!
I can't believe it is almost here!! The countdown is already down to 4 days.... Eeekkk!!! This week has been filled with packing my suitcase, organizing my things for my summer internship, and trying to spend as much time around home as I can. Monday was consumed by laundry, laundry, and more laundry! Of course I had to re-wash all my clothes I brought home from Manhattan, because I convinced myself they somehow got dirty in the move home.
Tuesday, I spent some time getting my hair colored then I went with a good friend, Kaitlyn Bressie, to watch her little sister play in the regional softball tournament in Ell-Saline..man that girl can pitch!! Yesterday, I spent the day at the house picking up outside and mowing the yard. What a nice afternoon!! This afternoon, Johnny and I are going down to Wichita to spend some time with Grandma Janet and Rose before the busy summer gets away from us.
I will try to get my flight itinerary uploaded tomorrow, because I know some of you are just as excited as I am about grtting there.......FINALLY!!!!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
Tuesday, I spent some time getting my hair colored then I went with a good friend, Kaitlyn Bressie, to watch her little sister play in the regional softball tournament in Ell-Saline..man that girl can pitch!! Yesterday, I spent the day at the house picking up outside and mowing the yard. What a nice afternoon!! This afternoon, Johnny and I are going down to Wichita to spend some time with Grandma Janet and Rose before the busy summer gets away from us.
I will try to get my flight itinerary uploaded tomorrow, because I know some of you are just as excited as I am about grtting there.......FINALLY!!!!!
Much love,
~Kaycie
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