Central NSW Harvest

Kevin

Kevin

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A couple of weeks back I went out to Central NSW to help with harvest for several days (right near the Cairn representing the geographic centre of NSW). The crops are in excellent shape, double density and the headers have to move slowly because it's so thick. It's believed a reason for this crop density is the lack of wildlife eating the grain as they had either moved away and/or culled by the drought. I saw no emus or kangaroos at all, even road-kill, which is very unusual. (I once had roos jumping over my Outback when driving between these paddocks many years ago; I could watch them through the moonroof!)

After so many years of drought it was also fantastic to see the headers moving from job to job on the roads and very busy stripping the crops late into the night.
Harvest 2020.jpg
 
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Good to hear, Kevin.

I'm hoping to drive through there on the way to Queensland early next year. Fingers crossed.
 
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Oh, yeah, I got that too.
 
How do you get onto harvesting jobs? Need a heavy rigid licence or just know how to hold a steering wheel?

Cheers

Bennie
 
El_Freddo said:
How do you get onto harvesting jobs? Need a heavy rigid licence or just know how to hold a steering wheel?
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Bit of both, Bennie. I learned to drive heavy vehicles on big tractors. These days I have a National Heavies licence.
 
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El_Freddo said:
Need a heavy rigid licence
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Well the trucks collecting the harvest were 2 carriage road-trains; the property has a semi with a tipper bin but it would not be able to keep up with the harvester; besides it was already full of grain. As for driving the harvester itself it takes experience; which I certainly don't have! My cousin used to go to South Australia for the grape harvest where he drove B-Doubles.
 
Ratbag said:
I'm hoping to drive through there on the way to Queensland early next year. Fingers crossed.
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You can come up tomorrow John - just tell them that Kevin sent you :LOL:
 
subyroo said:
Just don't drop dead on us when you see the course fee. :lol1:
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Thanks for those links. Course fee isn’t bad. My first aid refresher course is about $700 plus site fees. It’s a four or five day course for Wilderness First Responder recertification.

I wouldn’t be able to do this job as much as I wouldn’t mind trying it out for a season - I don’t think school would be happy for me to drop a term to drive around in a paddock :ROFLMAO: Mind you, if I took a few students to get a job as an excursion it could be a different outcome :unsure::unsure:

Kevin, I’d like to get my multi combination but I have no use for it, nor would any company let me near their equipment without the experience building up to the skill level to independently and safely operate it the way they want you to... I have my heavy rigid non synchro licence and that’s more than enough for what I need atm. I do love driving things though!

Anyway, all the best to those out there doing something different for a change or by necessity in the current employment climate.

Ratbag said:
These days I have a National Heavies licence.
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What’s the difference between national and state heavy licence? (Sorry for the off topic!).

Cheers

Bennie
 
El_Freddo said:
What’s the difference between national and state heavy licence? (Sorry for the off topic!).
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It started in response to heavy vehicle drivers having a different licence for each state.
They only lost them one at a time ...

The national heavies licence initiative reduced this to one licence issued nationally, but by state authorities. I suspect (know ... ) that there was wholesale fraud in this process. Now my licence just reads "Heavy vehicle driver licence Victoria Australia" and is type "CAR HC". Allows me to drive anything roadworthy on public roads.
 
El_Freddo said:
My first aid refresher course is about $700 plus site fees.
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Holy Crap!, that is some refresher course, I just had a squiz at what is covered. You have my respect mate. (y)
And I thought my old job as an Airport Safety Officer (25 yrs) was stressful and complicated.
 
Thanks @Ratbag - my licence says similar but HR or something. I’ll have to look again, it’s been a while. I find it odd when I see a car licence with the blue banner up top these days!

@subyroo - I recommend everyone that goes bush to do the leader’s advanced wilderness first aid as a minimum to help others if something were to happen. Still not a cheap course but gives you understanding of what to do when medical assistance could be hours or potentially (but not likely) days away. A level 2 first aid doesn’t cut it well outside an office or worksite! I’ve gone the Wilderness First Responder for the extra anaphylaxis training “just in case”. Never had to use it thankfully.

As for extra work over summer, seems even some fruit picking is the wrong time of year - I can’t afford to move away from the family to chase a few extra bucks so I’ll go back to the drawing board and see what or ignore I come up with anything.

Cheers

Bennie
 
@Kevin How did you organise helping out with the harvest? I'd love to get involved.
 
@temmah - relative's properties mate! The harvest there should be done in another week. For future reference I'll ask them if there if a volunteer program of some sort to lend farmers a hand
 
Kevin said:
I'll ask them if there if a volunteer program of some sort to lend farmers a hand getting their multi-million dollar crops off.
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Updated your post for accuracy @Kevin
:ROFLMAO:
 
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