jackaroo jillaroo downunder

For a taste of mustering/jillarooing head up to John Wades farm in Bingara. Good food, good accommodation, great horses. Loved watching John and the girls educate young horses to be ridden or used as carriage horses. Experience the thrill of mustering horses and finding sheep in the countryside. It is better if you can ride, however John will give you points on the art of riding and mustering, if you don't have a clue. There is also the two hours trail rides on the Gwydir River in town. Any length of stay is catered for - spring is great lovely sunny days and foal season. Overall, it can be a very different adventure from just the normal trail/horse riding.

The hosts - John and Sharon. The well tempered horses, the ute ride when we mustered the horses. Riding by the Gwydir river was special.

13th April '13' i left Richmond to start my 10hr trip to Bingara NSW. I arrived in Bingara to find a lovely well set town. 14th April i met up with 2 guys who were also doing the stampede with jillaroojackroodownunder. We went to cathy and johns house to be well greeted. John waisted no time and took us out on the back of the 4wheel drive on an epic drive over his land to see and feed many horses, it was great fun.That afternoon we made our way to their outsted land about 24km in the middle of nowhere called Garrawilla to find a lovely 3000 acre land & property with great accommodation for the guests. we were made to feel right at home. within 30mins john took us all up to the horses showed us how to break in a non tamed horse it was great to watch and very interesting, we then saddled up and waisted no time to go out on a trek, we went up into the mountains and rounded up some horses to bring down to the property it was epic fun. Phoenix the horse i rode was a pleasure to ride he was great to ride and control. The monday we did the same again and made a full day of it. the tuesday we began our stampede of mustering a mob of 200 horses into town....IT was fantastic. We stayed the night in bingara, the next morning we mustered afew of the horses that we bought into town back to property 24kms away. Although its only 24kms, it takes a good 5/6hrs on horseback. Well you are in the bush and time doesnt mean a thing.The thursday the guys went out for a little trek to fetch the sheep in, I didnt go as i wanted some time by myself to absorb the beautiful land i was surrounded by (I could live there to be honest).when they all arrived back john showed us how to shear sheep, broke in another horse and then we all just relaxed for the day as we were leaving the next day.John and Cathy are such lovely people, great hostess's and there hospitality is certainly above and beyound.......and as for Cathys cooking WOW.John and Cathy have a little helper called 'Blade' hes 10yrs old and boy, He puts experienced riders to shame, hes a well mannered polite young man and hes a credit to John and Cathy.I myself would like to thank John & Cathy Wade for a truely magical experience and for being such great hotess's....THANK YOU.Although they only do stampede 4 times a yr they do a jillaroo week that incolves alot of treking and mustering up horses from the mountains and allow you to farm duties if you like too.Please check out there website : www.jackaroojillaroodownunder.com.au