Bonrook’s Brumbies: Life during the Australian Monsoon

Here on Bonrook’s grazing lands, we are in the middle of the monsoon season. The early rains in October and November were generous, quickly filling all the waterholes and billabongs. Lush green feed is growing everywhere on the property, and fortunately, we’ve had no flooding so far. Our Brumbies are healthy, and toward the end of last year before the grass grew tall, I spotted many newborn foals – a promising sign.

During the rainy season, the Brumby herds don’t roam much, as they find plenty of feed and water in their immediate surroundings. The wet, overgrown terrain also makes them harder to spot. From April onwards, when the rain eases and the ground starts to dry out, I’ll be able to see them more often again as they roam farther in search of fresh feed and water. During that time, they’ll come to the water points more frequently, where they feed on the mineral and salt blocks I regularly lay out.

Building a Dam for Year-Round Water

The past few weeks have been very busy. Just before Christmas, we built two dams (12 x 12 m and 30 x 30 m) to provide water for the Brumbies all year round. Unlike tanks and troughs, a dam allows the horses not only to drink but also to cool off during very hot, dry days. We built the dams at an old quarry in the northern part of our property, which had once supplied stone for the main road. This meant we didn’t need to clear original vegetation—just regrowth. On my last inspection run, I discovered a family of about ten water buffalo that has settled there.

Building a Shelter for the Station Horses

After Christmas, we built a large shelter (6 x 18 meters) near the paddocks. It provides our rescued horses and retired riding horses with extra shade beyond the large trees—especially vital in the hot months, and also during monsoon season to protect them from heavy rain.

Unexpected Visit from a Deadly Snake

We had an unexpected encounter in early January when we found a snake in our horse feed shed one morning—most likely a death adder (Acanthophis praelongus), one of the most venomous snakes in the world! We didn’t disturb it, and it has since moved on. In recent years, we’ve occasionally had snakes in the shed, but usually only harmless pythons or tree snakes. For added safety, we’ve now installed a battery-powered LED light system so we can see better when feeding at dawn.

Second Water Source for the Homestead

We are currently working to reactivate an old water bore near the Homestead. It hasn’t been used in years, but are planning to install a small pump to collect a water sample for testing, checking for minerals and chemical residues. This would give the Homestead a second water source for both people and animals—an important backup in case the main supply fails.

Fire Protection Measures

Maintenance around the Homestead is also in full swing. I’ve been trimming trees and shrubs and mowing the pastures. This work is especially important during the rainy season, as without regular cutting, vegetation can grow up to two meters tall, posing a serious fire hazard during the dry season.
Everything is running smoothly on Bonrook, and we’ve had a great start to 2025.

Sam Forwood – Citizen of the Year, Pine Creek

As every year, Bonrook’s station manager Sam Forwood attended the Australia Day ceremony on January 26 in Pine Creek. During the event, he was honored with the title “Citizen of the Year of Pine Creek.”
The award came as a surprise, following a nomination supported by a community member. Sam didn’t know he would receive the recognition. The award was presented by Yvette Williams, the elected local representative. It recognizes Sam’s 10 years of volunteer service as a firefighter, including the past two years as fire captain. He is also chairman of the Pine Creek local council and helps organize the ANZAC Day Ceremony.