Its extremely rare that it happens, but there is no better working day then when you can take someone special along with you for the day.
In my case, there are two people in my life that I enjoy sharing my projects with the most. My Grandfather Fred and my eldest son Eli.
Due to the many protocols surrounding site access and personal as well as project privacy in our industry the opportunity to take these loved ones for a tour is very very rare, we fully support all the safety measures within our industry, its what ensures we get back to our family every night and we take pride in doing our part to be leaders in a safe workplace.
However, when permission is granted or the timing is right, taking these guys for a drive is so rewarding. Eli’s face gasping at the size of the machinery is priceless, and Freddie will have a question or a story to go with everything we see for the day.
Fred was a dryland farmer in the Mallee for his entire life, he farmed cereals and livestock and did it all the hard way. You would think a person who had to bale his own straw because there were no machines for that in his day would look at big modern machines with envy, but not Freddie, he marvels at the power and technology behind modern day harvesters, earthmoving machinery and construction methods. He often speaks of the new developments with pride, understanding that the land that once could barely grow a wheat stalk, now produces a diverse array of crops yearly and are being exported around the world.
My grandfathers property alone has seen huge development over the past 30 years, when I was just a little tacker, one of the paddocks that must have been a real disaster to crop each year became a limestone pit, to this day local earthmoving groups mine the limestone from the paddocks my grandfather Fred once worked and use the limestone throughout the region for roads, bunkers, pads and civil earthworks, they then return the paddock to the farmer in a better condition then it once was.
We will drive past a new tree development these days, possibly almonds or vines and Freddie will roll out where the channels used to run through the paddocks, the original landholders name, what sort of truck they first bought and if they were any good of a footballer or not. They were all hard as a cat’s head in pop’s eye. He will then go on to say how great it is that the land is providing work for so many people which helps keep his old local community alive and well.
Freddie at the end of a day out around our projects will always finish with ‘well thanks for that, I learnt a lot today’……… but really, you know darn well I learnt more from him telling tales, over 80yrs experience in the Mallee you sure to learn a thing or two.
Looking forward to the end of COVID-19 Freddie so we can tour again, we have plenty to show you.
And as for my young bloke, you will get to drive the big tractors one day mate.
