Latin for 'no trees' - farming on the remote Nullarbor Plain | Wide Open Spaces #2 | ABC Australia

The Nullarbor Plain is a vast area of flat almost treeless harsh country in Australia. The name itself is Latin for “no trees”. But even in this harsh environment, farmers live and work. In 2020 the area was experiencing it’s worst ever drought. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Landline show visited farmers on the Nullarbor to see how they were coping. Subscribe: ab.co/ABCAus-subscribe
Join the ABC Australia community on social media!
abc.net.au/
Facebook: / abc
Twitter: / abcaustralia
Instagram: / abcaustralia
This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation KZbin channel.
********
Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC's Online Conditions of Use www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm (Section 3).

[@stevegabbert9626]

I visited Australia from Illinois in 2016. When I told a couple of Aussies that I was going to drive to Perth from Melbourne, they said, "Drive? Most people fly to Perth. There's nothing out there." My definition of "nothing" is different from theirs. I knew better. I won't soon forget the Eyre Highway as I crossed the Nullarbor Plain along the coast. Everything, large or small, was new to me. I loved the drive to Perth, and back. I have nothing but the upmost respect for the people who make it their home.

[@dantemadden1533]

Typical city flogs, they think they know everything yet they can’t tell the difference between their arse and their face

[@damagecase3271]

A great example of Australian determination, hard times will come and go but true blue Aussies will always pull through, one day I hope to travel to such a beautiful part of this amazing country

[@lm5050]

It boggles the mind that such large stations exist in what seems like the middle of the desert.

[@testicool6522]

Taxpayer funded

[@justdoesntaddup8620]

@@testicool6522 How u figure that ?

[@kerrileelawrence2402]

Need Trees To Hold The Water Into The Ground.. IT'S A CYCLE OF GROWTH OR DUST.. Although That Red Dirt May Need Alot of Food Waste Dug Deep into Holes to Keep Trees Healthy n Alive..

[@RiazUddin-sk3uw]

I hope things get better for them in the upcoming days 🙏

[@gm16v149]

Small, but annoying point, you don’t “farm” sheep and cattle, you graze them in Australia. It’s fortunate that there’s been an increase in mining just lately east of Norseman to keep the guys at Fraser Range occupied with their earthmoving gear. Also, I know the guy who delivers diesel fuel to Madura Plains, he says the number of gates you’ve got to go through on the new project is amazing. They’ve done a lot of work there.

[@user-sp4gy7ko5l]

So a guy that raises sheep and cattle is not a farmer? You on that wacky weed bro.

[@jackmeoff1406]

Pray for rain but also pray for politicians to take action on water security instead of burning piles of cash on useless programs perhaps help out with fodder sheds and better water storage, it would have great long term benefits and social benefits in the overall community.

[@phyroukann3764]

Some decade back, this India farmer got tired of having a water shortage problems. So he take a small fraction of his somewhat large small farm land, and make a giant pond out of it. Everyone in the village and including his family, thoughts that he was crazy. After the monsoon came and went and his field are full rices and flowers, and so on, he wasn't the crazy one at alls. Now all the villager are copying him. Before long that little dirt ball of the villages are filling with full plants, and animals, and also with alot of happy people. I thinks you folks needs to be clever like that farmer. I hope this help you some. Good lucks, and God blesses you alls.

[@katiekat2921]

The one thing India gets regularly, that farmers near the nullabor don't, is rain. Monsoons, no less. Didn't you see the dam? Empty. Coz ... no rain.

[@tonyrobins2644]

Great story hopeful rain 🌧️ will come soon fantastic landscape from broken hill 👍👌🌧️🦘🦘🍻🍻

[@peterhatch1583]

I remember crossing it and lot of dirt road 1974

[@joebloggs619]

It would be hell on earth living in such outback regions but I have met people raised in such areas who love the desert and wouldn't live anywhere else. One came to live where I was raised, a beautiful sea side location others would love to be in and hated it and asked how I could possibly stand living in such a place and told me how great it was to live out woop woop, middle of nowhere, in the desert, quoting no risk of bushfires or floods and showed me his photos of endless red desert. "Well" I replied "That figures, mate. If it never rains, it can't flood out there. And since there are no trees and nothing to burn down, there can't be any risks of bush fires." He kept persuading trying to persuade me to pack up and come to the outback, where it's all at... But I doubt that I could survive such a harsher existence. Normal rural Australia in the bush is hard enough. But these outback desert people have incredible toughness and can and do survive out there and love it. O once want one holiday to such an area and the sun was so intense I thought I would die any moment. But the locals were dancing in it and celebrating. This outback friend told me it's the place to be to get the best, thickest, juiciest beef steaks and no matter how hot or tote it is, there is always plenty of cold beer and they mine for previous metals, gold, opals etc. But none of the women out there seem to care such about feminine vanity, jewellery, fashion and such irrelevant frivolity. Like they do in Australian cities. It would be a strange existence and one would need to be pretty tough and self reliant to survive there but some very old intrepid local women from where I live love the outback and try to find jobs on tote cattle and sheep stations for no pay, just their good and lodgings. Doing things like helping mothers in such remote places home school their children, which used to be sided by some radio schooling, like we hot, where I live, as kids. We used to love the school radio programs teachings things like music, health and hygiene etc. They were very effective. We had books that went with the radio programs and teachers then set exercises and tests, had class discussions etc to measure and help us apply what we had learner by radio. Some of these old local women were teachers or nurses in their youth and do they have useful skills for local communities where they are welcomed and respected. The find it very rewarding to spend their senior years in such places, doing such work and so glad to be able to go there. But it's not for your average senior citizen type who was city raised or raised in coastal comfort living near the sea and expecting the usual comforts and convenience of such living and unable to cope with isolation and discomforts. I know of women raised in these outback areas who decided to venture to where I live,thinking life by the sea would be so exciting. They take one look at the sort of life we locals love and decide they couldn't stand all these people, cars, shops, roads etc and "no space", like in the outback desert with thousands ofiles of bare flat space and that it is too "cold and wet" and they leave straight away, but leave some obscure address of some place out woop woop that isn't even on map, in case we wish to drop by for a visit one day. Nobody takes up such invitations here, though...

[@mariamsalim1842]

⁰00

[@MrProzacmilkshake]

i like a swim mate

[@octurn]

One thing you can't be outback, verbose.

[@kerrileelawrence2402]

Dams With Zero Shade Dry Out Quicker..

[@davelock3166]

I take my hat off to these people - it looks like Mars.

[@sarcasmo57]

What happens when the bore is dry?

[@petersmith9771]

Please rain for our farmers 🌧

[@gert6800]

No problems with red ants? Solar panels are very sensitive for damage by the small ants. I prefer wind or/and dieselengines...

[@gert6800]

I have bin also boreman in Australië, beautyful job. Its hard somtimes but Every Day again on the dird roads to see cattle check the water and kill some pigs. Covid closed the door to Australië and that's sad! Now i AM back in Holland, but i love Australië. Good Day!

[@irishpirish]

Ga je weer terug? Is het lastig werk te vinden daar? Om er tussen te komen als Hollander

[@petercrowhurst]

Good job guys , Hang in there and all the best . The rain will come again :)

[@user-bc7ob9kj5g]

Any other alternatives except praying for rain🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🌹🌹🌹.

[@flower-uw1hm]

PRAYER for rain does work. I have been praying for rain since 2010 here in Perth. I think my (and other people's) prayers for rain is the reason why we have not had the droughts in Perth that other areas have had.

[@paulveenings6861]

@@flower-uw1hm you will always get rain in Perth , it called geography . Head up the escapement and go 150 klicks or so east and it’s a different story .

[@mariebohacik1230]

Why would you even have animals there. Does not make sense.

[@robman2095]

They can make money from grazing. But after a six year drought the money dries up too. That is common throughout much of Australia that graziers need to have enough in the bank to last them through the bad times because they can make very good money in the good times. When they do have a couple of good years they need to keep some of what they earn for the bad years that often follow.

[@pineapplesideways3820]

Maybe kangaroo and emu farming for these farms kangaroo jerky is a must

[@robman2095]

@@pineapplesideways3820 lol. Do you know why you can’t farm kangaroos? They can easily jump over your fences! 😂😂😂

[@khas684]

What do these large stations do with 1.8 million acres? I can't even imagine that size or how long it would take to drive around. I'm guessing they only use a tiny portion of the land?

[@Fush1234]

1.8 million acres. My god. Have they even seen the whole place

[@brianjonker510]

For the yanks this is about the size of the state of Delaware and much bigger than the state of rhode Island

[@billybongon5535]

Lol it's definitely rained now enjoy

[@hadramcoltzau6135]

What on the earth do the sheep eat out there?

[@looloo4029]

Salt bush

[@marcviej.5635]

sand, dirt, bits of wood

[@brianjonker510]

Walk 50 meters and nibble a little bit off a bush. Repeat all day.

[@mattyallen3396]

What the hell do they eat???

[@SMunro]

Saltbush is a plant with high salt content. But if they grew rows of trees, it would shade the ground and slow water loss. Even a clear plastic bag over the saltbush to prevent evaporation loss would make it so the water stays and irrigates the plant.

[@desertdog8006]

Accurate ! Cheers

[@MrFucius]

Breaks your heart when you know for a fact, geoengineering programs control the flow of moisture in this country and abroad.

[@cawiltu]

Didn’t know anyone lived on the Nullabore, let alone sheep.

[@gkw9882]

And meanwhile, big business makes their plans, for when farmers have some more money.

[@vickidianacoghlan8946]

I will pray for rain.

[@LG_Psalm46]

Watching this in Central Africa, I will pray for rain for these hard working farmers. May they know there is a God who hears our crys for help. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our only hope.

[@gert6800]

True!

[@benp1201]

Same as south coast nsw they have actually changed aboriginal names and spelling to suit the English speaking tongue eg lake burril is buril eg 2 murramurrang national park should be mooramorrang when will this be resurrected when will we use the places real name

[@Rod-rx4go]

So what’s your point

[@kerrileelawrence2402]

Plant Fruit Trees, Mulch Them Heavily.. SO MANY STORIES OF PEOPLE TURNING DESERTS INTO FORESTS.. Start In Winter..

[@faysalahmedsany1832]

Plant Saudi Arabian date trees 🌴

[@nicholasgrobiler5361]

💧💧💧💧

[@isaacpasnin1420]

Why don’t aussies build aquifers so that the water doesn’t evaporate

[@isaacpasnin1420]

Australia isn’t Europe the methods we use obviously aren’t efficient. On the rainy years we should channel water in rural aquifers supporting life when in droughts

[@andrewpinto1778]

There are equipments that take in just air, via conversation extracts moisture & provides fresh water now this should solve water problems. Second like China converting their deserts into forests again by planting trees, more water, improves soil, future $$ on planed harvesting wood a win win all round..

[@andrewpinto1778]

Sorry ment via condensation

[@bryanmower2703]

Farms on the edge of the desert Complains about the lack of water ........... 🤔

[@JohnSmith-ij6ms]

start a farm in the middle of the desert and complain about drought. good onya

[@rizkaramat]

The way he speaks sound saddened or

[@abdullahhakan1]

If you are a developed country, dry and arid land can easily be irrigated by transforming ocean water into tap water and give whatever amount necessary to cattle , vegetables, fruit trees etc. Otherwise you are emerging , developing country. Check Dubai

[@justdoesntaddup8620]

Maybe you should check Dubai’s environmental legislation and EPA legislation, yr can’t just irrigate the Australian desert or tap the artesian basin for unlimited water supply anywhere in this country.

[@rizkaramat]

Why can't you irrigate desert

[@dantemadden1533]

@@rizkaramat because if you move water away from where it naturally flows into the desert than where the water flows becomes a desert aswell, and desalination creates brine which doesn’t mix with seawater and kills anything that enters the brine

[@benp1201]

Who cares about it's latin name what's the name that's been used for thousands of years ? What's it's real name

[@turningpoint4238]

Nullarbor I don't think is true latin for "no trees".

[@damienwilkie6490]

Nulla = Not any , Arbos / arbor = Trees , your right not true but pretty close

[@tedmueller2178]

A surveyor named the Plains , Nullarbor, in 1867. The Aboriginal name for the Plains is "oondiri", the waterless.

[@reddog5378]

Some areas of this country just shouldn't be farmed.

[@testicool6522]

Free money from tbe taxpayer