This weekend I am travelling to Queeenlsand's Wine Centre at Stanthorpe to assist a farmer eradicate some feral pests. He has issues with feral pigs, cats, foxes and dogs which are attacking his poultry, and also the newborn lambs in the fields at this time of year.  I am travelling with my neighbour, Leigh, who is also a keen conservationist hunter.

We will be accommodated in a shearer's shed which has the necessary basics (open fire, tank water, beds, electricity) but we don't spend much time indoors as the outdoors is far more interesting.  The night skies are spectacular.  With no interference from city lights to contend with, and no air pollution like the northern hemisphere of our globe has,  the stars of the Milky Way just take your breath away.  It is so clear at night you can identify the Internatiuonal Space Station as it passes overhead, and the occasional satellite as well.  Shoorting stars are an added bonus.

For those residing in the northern hemisphere, unless you have travelled to the bottom half of the world,  you would struggle to comprehend the lack of air pollution here.  The skies here are bright blue, and at night the stars are just brilliant.  It is a wonderful world we live in.

The Granite Belt (a name easily understood when you get there) is a producer of excellent wines and being only 3 hours from Brisbane, it is a great escape for the weekend.  You don't have to 'rough it' like Leigh and I are doing though.  There is an abundance of very nice B&Bs, and cosy cabins with open fires, etc - just the place for a romantic getaway or a base to explore the wineries.

I'll report back on our success (or otherwise).