A young newlywed couple are set to go on the ultimate honeymoon and dedicate their 2020 volunteering their time to help with the day-to-day duties of drought stricken farmers.
Oliver and Meg Clothier packed up their lives this week and began their Two Young Nomads campaign to caretake properties so farmers could have a well deserved break.
Having married two months ago, the boilermaker and occupational therapist spent the last 12 months working in Broken Hill and are no strangers to the drought conditions.
"At Broken Hill it hasn't rained for four years," Meg said.
"My parents are on a property east of Packsaddle and in 2018 they had a total of 191 points (67 millimetres) of rain. This year they have had 133 points (46 millimetres) literally spread out over the year. It's devastating."
The pair are originally from South Australia and have family and friends across Queensland, NSW, South Australia who have battled drought for four or more years.
"It's absolutely devastating to see people go through this and we want to really help out," she said.
"We wanted to travel around a bit and just help people. We know how people are feeling and they need to have a break because Australian farmers are the backbone of Australia."
Two Young Nomads was launched from about December 13 and within six days the duo had already filled their schedules until the end of January.
Their first posting was two weeks on a 22,000 acre sheep property near Cunnamulla where the stocking rate of 6000 was reduced to 400 head.
From there they were bound for Coonamble for another two weeks and then further west.
There is no catch. The pair simply ask for a full tank of diesel to get to their next property and a place to rest their head.
"We have been inundated with messages from farmers and farmer's children requesting us to help their parents," Meg said.
"We will head absolutely anywhere. They have just got to take into consideration, if we are in the middle of Queensland and they want us in South Australia they are just going to have to wait a couple of days for us to get there.
"We know farmers are either selling their properties, they are walking off their properties and they are at the end of their tether really.
"This will help them to have a break to get away from their property, even just to go and see their own family."
So committed to the cause, the pair were set to have Christmas together by the pool in Queensland.
"We are always a phone call away," Meg said.
To request a visit from the Two Young Nomads simply send an email with the preferred dates and property details to twoyoungnomads2020@outlook.com
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
