The dust hangs in the air, the cattle are in the yards and his kids are never too far from his side. Neil Farmer is a busy man.
The father of three grew up on Queensland cattle properties, but he didn't think he would end up on one.
"Growing up I was always the kid who had 50,000 pets," he explains. "I was 16 when I knew I wanted to be a vet. And I saw that as my main thing, not running a big property."
But today Neil has the best of both worlds. He juggles a thriving veterinary practice with running Lake Learmonth, 2400 hectares of prime cattle country just north of Rockhampton, where he lives with wife, Clare, and their daughters Annabelle, 7, Adelaide, 5, and 18-month-old Charlotte. "I love that the kids get to experience life here," he says.
Ask Clare Farmer what she loves most about her life on the land and the answer is simple: "You can't beat the wide open spaces and the room for our girls to run."
Working together with extended family is also important to this solicitor, who spent a lot of time on her grandparent's sheep property as a kid. "It was an invaluable childhood that my children are now also getting to experience," she says.
Days start early at Lake Learmonth. "The girls are pretty good little alarm clocks," says Neil with a smile.
Although his days can be hectic, family comes first. "I try to be present. Every day goes by so quickly. I try to stop and appreciate the moment. Childhood is only a snippet of time."
