Tucked away down the bottom paddocks and chugging away without a care in the world was a fully restored 1957 Cat D7 cable blade dozer (convert). I was welcomed with open arms and, as the stories unfolded, I was invited to get in the old Toyota and have a look at some old working equipment that was to really blow my mind. Phil Sweet, his brothers and his dad Wally run a family farming operation where they grow and distribute one third of Australia’s Strawberry Runners and is located just out of Stanthorpe in southern Queensland. My introduction to a young bloke up on the New South Wales/Queensland border certainly had me hooked from the minute I stepped onto the farm. It is a chance for them to take us back to the good old days, when our beloved industry was really a tough gig, and to survive and prosper the men had to be real tough. However, what really rocks my boat is when I have the chance to meet the pioneers of our farming and earthmoving game. I am so thankful for the opportunities to get first-hand knowledge and access to the newest, most modern, technologically advanced equipment and to demonstrate the newest machinery into the country and to get to report my opinion of them to you. Many of us think that it is the machinery, either new or vintage, is the glue to holding a group of people’s interest in our history or direction, but to me it is all about the people who have made our industry so darn interesting and appealing. The feeling of meeting people at random, in those random little places and the excitement of ‘cold calling’ plays a big part in the thrill of the chase when hunting down those fair dinkum blokes that make our passion for the earthmoving or farming industry a reality.
Whenever I get the opportunity to pack up the Land Cruiser and head off on another one of Ronnie’s Road Trips, it is rarely planned to any degree.
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