Acknowledgements

To my friend Kerry, who really did get stuck up a tree on a pig hunt, thanks for the inspiration, and I’m glad you made it back down. Steve, if I ever find myself in Kerry’s predicament, you will be the one I call – thanks for the tips on shooting. Thanks also to Kathy, my wonderful friend who really did get stuck in dust storms and wrestle snakes at the clothesline; it’s always fun sharing adventures with you. Members of Gunnedah Pony Club gave me a great excuse to come and research a beautiful town. Ben Browning helped by sharing his experiences in Barraba with me! Thanks also to the friendly officers at the Gunnedah Police station for the lowdown on life in the lock-up.

Most importantly I want to thank Charlotte Gerhardt, who kindly allowed me to use her blog entry about the drought to give true insight into the conditions our farmers were facing at the time of writing this book. Thank you, Charlotte, and may you get rain soon.