Booleroo View B&B was born out of a drought. We had a small, well maintained but empty cottage that we were looking after for no return. We had let it out but found it didn't meet our needs, so decided to give providing short term accommodation a go.
The only industry locally that was thriving during the prolonged drought was and still is - tourism. Not knowing anything about the B&B business other than visiting a couple of local ones, talking to other operators, we dived in feet first.
After repainting, a super clean up and fitting out, re-furnishing, garden tidy up etc we found we had guests with in 3 weeks of opening the doors. What an exciting boost to our confidence. From there the business has taken on a life of its own.
We are 4th and now have a 5th generation farmer, the family having settled in the area 1875. The original family moved from one farm to another in 1882 and we still own that 2nd farm. While not many of the original buildings remain, we do have a rich family history, like so many other families in the area. From time to time we find much pleasure in showing our guests around the farm(s) when time or guest interest allow.
Our farm production relies on wheat, barley for the grain and oats for either hay or grain.
We also run sheep from time to time and in the summer or 2006-7 we had up to 3000 lambs in a feedlot. While from time to time, we do have ewes and lambs, but we are not essentially breeders but rather, opportunists. We position ourselves so we can jump in and out of the market quickly, with out the need to preserve any breeding stock. The feed lot does keep us busy for much of the year. and we are often found working in the yards by guests who in turn seem to enjoy helping.
The house and cottage are serviced by rain water and the gardens by high quality bore water. The garden as such, has undergone a hard time because we often have so many sheep in the feed lot and the water source is a windmill equipped bore. When the wind doesn't blow, no water is pumped and the need to conserve water for the sheep is the priority. The poor garden knows all about not getting watered for up to 6 months at a time. The 7 years of drought conditions have really tested it.
From time to time bunnies and roos come and help themselves to what ever might still be alive in the garden.
