Tall Ship Adventures - 6. TSA Chapter 6

“Zack, before you and Jordan take the trainees back to the mainland, can I please have a short chat with you please,” the skipper said to me, as the trainees were having their last meal onboard the ship. Five minutes later I left the chart room, with a request to remain on the ship for a second week of sailing on the ship, and although I was surprised, I didn’t hesitate to accept.

I made a quick call to Dad to let him know that I have been asked to stay for a second week on the tall ship, and I asked Dad to let my work boss know that I won’t be available for the second week of holidays either. “So, our little songbird is staying for a second week,” Jordan said once I had finished my phone call with Dad.

“What do you mean songbird?” I asked suspiciously, and Jordan chuckled. “Who do you think it was that recorded you singing in the crow’s nest, the first time you were onboard this ship?” Jordan responded, “You? Why did you do that, I don’t want people to know that I can play the tin whistle and especially I don’t want anyone to know that I am a good singer,” I answered sounding very annoyed, which I was.

“That is why I made sure that the angle of the phone was just right, so as not to show your face at all, and by the way, I think you have a beautiful voice, and it is a shame that you hide it from everyone,” Jordan said to me, which made me blush a little.

“Thanks for that, but I am very serious, I do not want anyone to know that I can sing, ok!” I said seriously to Jordan, “OK, I will keep your secret that you are an awesome singer, only on the condition that you will sing to me once in a while when we are alone,” Jordan said to me. “I will think about it,” I replied.

“Awesome, so we now have a day and a half to relax, until the next group of brats, I mean trainees arrive, so what would you like to do,” Jordan said to me, and I laughed at these comments about brats. “I don’t know, I have never been to Dampier before, and all I know about here is that it is a big mining area, as is most of the Pilbara region,” I answered.

“Ok, can I suggest that maybe you call your Dad back and ask permission for me to show you around the place, and maybe spend a night camping out at a national park?” Jordan asked me. “You would do that for me?”, “Sure, we are friends are we not? I like your company, and I think it would be great to show you around the area since I am a sort of local to this region,” Jordan replied.

“You are, I had no idea, I thought you were from the city like most of us,” I said sounding quite surprised, and Jordan smiled, “Nah, I am actually from near here, our family has owned a cattle station for three generations now, and since I am the owner's second son, I can get away from station life now and then to enjoy some time sailing on a tall ship,” Jordan replied.

“Wow, that is amazing, so where exactly is this family cattle station of yours?” I asked, “Well it is a fraction closer to Dampier than South Hedland, but I have my vehicle here, and it will take us about 1 ½ hours to get to my family station if you would like to experience a bit of real-life on a cattle station,” Jordan replied.

Half an hour later, after getting the approval from Dad on the phone, Jordan and I had packed an overnight bag, and we were on the road heading northwards up the North-West Highway. Jordan explained that the Station homestead was located just 23 kilometres inland from the coast, 120 kilometres from Dampier, 25 kilometres southwest of Whim Creek Hotel, and 130 kilometres from South Hedland by road.

After 75 minutes of travelling along the highway, shortly after crossing the Sherlock River, we turned off heading north on a gravel road towards the station homestead, and I wondered how much further we had to go.

“How long before we enter your family’s cattle station and get to the homestead?” I asked out of curiosity as we passed over a cattle grid, and Jordan laughed at this.

“That smaller river we crossed over before the Sherlock River, that bridge was our boundary, and we have about five minutes before we get to the homestead, oh the name of the station is Sherlock Station” Jordan replied, as I continued to stare out the windscreen, and saw a lot of flat country, with red dry dirt and very low shrubs sparsely cover the ground in patches.

“How do you live and survive in a place like this? It is so bare and dry,” I asked Jordan, “With a lot of grit and hard work mate. By the way, do you know how to ride motorbikes or drive a vehicle?” Jordan replied, “No, not really, I have just got my Learner, so I am still learning how to drive,” I replied.

“Never mind, I will give you a driving lesson that you will never forget,” Jordan said smiling, and I wondered what he meant by that, as we crossed over a driver river bed, and changed directions slightly to follow the river that we had just crossed.

When we finally arrived at the homestead, I was surprised to see a lot more buildings, as we drove around to the back and parked in a large shed. “Grab your gear and I will show you where we will be sleeping for the night,” Jordan said to me, as we climbed out of his Holden Colorado Ute, grabbing his small backpack, he started walking towards the main group of buildings.

“This is my place, that I share with my older brother Tim, while the younger siblings still live in the main homestead over there,” Jordan explained, as we approached the cottage, and pointed towards the main building. “How many siblings do you have?” I asked.

“There are five boys in total, Tim is the oldest at 24 years, then there is Angela, she is 22, and she is in the city attending university, then there is me and I am 20 years old. The other two are late arrivals and twins, Ricky and Scott, and they are 13 years old,” Jordan answered.

“Wow, quite a big family,” I said with surprise in my voice, “Yeah, and in that bigger cottage, there are our grandparents, who still work full time, Pop does most of the office work these days and also some of the water runs, while Nanna helps run the homestead and look after the younger two siblings, especially with their homeschooling, which Nanna did for all of us,” Jordan replied.

I spoke to my Grandfather before we left Dampier, so the family knows that you are staying overnight at the station, so once you have settled into the sleepout and changed into some suitable clothing, I will lend you some if you don’t, we will go out for a drive to show you around the place before dinner,” Jordan announced.

“More driving? Don’t you get sick of all of the rough roads and tracks?” I asked as I wasn’t keen on spending a lot more time in a vehicle on bumpy tracks, and Jordan laughed. “That is all part of life on a cattle station mate, it’s a tough life, and the rough station tracks are just part of it, but what I have to show you will knock your socks off, so hurry up and get changed, and we can be on our way,” Jordan replied.

Reluctantly I walked into the cottage spare bedroom, referred to as the sleepout, as it is located on the back verandah, and changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt before I found Jordan on the front verandah speaking to an elderly gentleman, whose hands were very wrinkled and his skin very tanned from a lot of time outdoors by the look of it.

“Pops, this is my young friend Zack Hynes we are shipmates on the tall ship STS Leeuwin, Zack, this is my grandfather - Jeff Sanderson, the first generation of our family on this station,” Jordan said making the introductions. “Nice to meet you, sir,” I said as I shook his hand firmly. “Hello Jordan, you look a little too young to be sailing on the tall ship as a crew member,” Jordan’s grandfather said to me.

“I am 16 and in Year 11 at a Grammar school in Geraldton, and I started sailing when I was 12, when I did a basic sailing course, before joining the STS Leeuwin as a trainee this year and now as a volunteer crew member, sir,” I replied, “I see, and where does your family come from, young man?” Mr Sanderson asked me.

“We come from Dongara sir, my father is a Radio producer and announcer in Geraldton, and my Mum is a Librarian at the local school and community library too,” I replied, “I see, very interesting jobs, well I better not keep you, if you want to go and see my grandson’s pet project and get back here in time for dinner, off you go now,” Mr Sanderson said to us.

“Pet project? What is he talking about?” I asked Jordan, once we had climbed into one of the station vehicles and headed off in an easterly direction. “You will see my friend. I am sure that you will like what I have. I have been working on her for two years now, and I am not that far off from finishing,” Jordan said to me.

Just over thirty minutes later, after following a rough station track, and crossing over a sandy dry river two times, we were approaching a river with water in it, but as we rounded a corner, I was shocked to see a Sunreef Catamaran sailing yacht moored beside a small jetty, as we came to a stop nearby.