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Welcome to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences' International Experience Australia blog! This page will dive deep into the daily activities of our Jackrabbits as they spend two weeks visiting both agricultural and cultural milestones in Australia. Our study abroad started back in January when the students began prepping by learning all they could about Australia.

During these upcoming posts, you will see the country trip through their eyes and hear their story while they travel from May 11-26.

May 26, 2026

Written by Payton and Chloe

We started our morning with some final packing and heading to the airport. After a fun, long, incredible, two-week trip, it is time to make our descent home (we just got news our flight is delayed; wish us luck!). It was so surreal to experience and see a different side of the world and how they run their natural resources and agriculture systems.

Some of our students’ favorite parts of the trip include:

“The differences in production. We got to go to the feed lot and see the differences in the types of small grain vs. corn in the U.S. I also found the dairy interesting, and getting to see their amount of sustainability, which is hard to find in the U.S.” – Kole Hawkins

“Midfield was fun because I got to see all the automation in their freezing systems and because it is vertical, which is not as common in the U.S.” – Adrienne Edinger

“Experiencing the Australian culture and lifestyle, and learning about the Indigenous people and their culture.” – LaKacee Lipp

“The sheep operation was the most interesting. Getting hands-on was a welcome surprise.” – Alicia Holtz

We also want to thank our instructors for putting up with us for the last two weeks: Phil Urso, Lora Perkins and Julie Walker. With that, we also want to extend also want to extend our thank you and gratitude to Julie Walker; this is her final trip to Australia with students. We asked her what her favorite part of the trip was, and she mentioned, “It’s watching the students get to experience Australia as a whole.” We wish you the best of luck in your retirement.

Thank you all for following along with us.

May 25, 2026

Written by Adrienne Edinger and Kylie Mockler

Today, we kicked off our last day in Australia bright and early at 5 a.m. in the hotel lobby. Even though some of us were more reluctant than others, we had an extremely busy day ahead of us. Our first stop was the Sydney Markets. The markets are a busy place with lots of options for all types of fruits and vegetables.

As we walked through the markets, we stopped at different producers' stands to look and talk about the product and even got to sample some. The group was able to sample carrots, lemons, chili peppers and a feijoa. The market services both business such as grocers and restaurants as well as being open to the general public consumers. The workers also mentioned that since they are entering their winter season, they heavily rely on imports to make up for their cease in production during these months. After, we went and walked through the flower side of the markets and were given the time to walk around and look at all the variety of flowers and other plants.

After the market, we found some breakfast along with some much-needed caffeine at the one and only Macca’s (McDonald’s). After breakfast, we made our way to downtown Sydney to meet with the Meat and Livestock Australia. MLA works with beef, sheep and goat producers. We learned how MLA helps the producers make profit, be productive and have sustainable growth. We also got to learn about how they grade their beef as they do not use the same grading scale as the U.S.; they have developed one for Australia called Meat Standard Australia. Their systems goes from ungraded to three, four or five stars which is compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture scale of select, choice or prime. One very interesting thing is they do not use color as a grading factor.

After our presentation, we made our way to the Sydney Harbor to hop on a boat for lunch. The boat then took us around the harbor, under the bridge and by the famous Sydney Opera House, which was the location of our next tour.  We learned about the history of construction and incredible architecture and saw some of the venues where major artists, opera singers, ballet and other events take place.

Our last stop was our farewell dinner, where we exchanged gifts with our tour guide, Ron, and delivered a very special gift to Julie Walker. As this is Walker’s last trip abroad with students, we wanted to pay a special homage to her for the impact she has made on us and the hundreds of students that came before us.

Next stop, home!

May 24, 2026

Written by Grace Carruthers and Gavin Whipple

We started our day by heading from Sydney to the Blue Mountains National Park. Seeing the urban sprawl of Sydney made the city folk feel right at home. We also got to see the Nepean River, which is where Australia hosted the rowing events for the 2000 Olympics. The Blue Mountains get their name from the blue hue created from evaporating oils coming off the eucalyptus and gum trees. This phenomenon is called Rayleigh scattering. The Blue Mountains are a part of The Great Dividing Range which is the longest connecting mountain range in one county.

At the Blue Mountains, we took a stop at Jamison Lookout; if you squint and twist your head, we could almost pretend we were looking at a vegetated Grand Canyon. Our very knowledgeable bus driver showed us a plant the Aussie’s call devil’s claw which has a beautiful flower when it blooms. Our next stop in the Blue Mountains was the Three Sisters. Three jagged rocks were created as time and water eroded sandstone. An aboriginal story about these rocks was told to us by our bus driver, who to the best of our knowledge was not a traditional steward of this land. In this story, three daughters fell in love with three boys from another tribe. To save the daughters from an impending war, a witch doctor turned the girls to stone. While the transformation was meant to be temporary, the witch doctor died before he could turn them back, leaving the girls left in stone. This story is meant to teach about tribal law and cultural respect as it is passed down through generations.

Our next stop was Scenic World, where we got passes to ride the scenic railway, skyway and cableway. We also had an option to explore the walkways below. The view from above shapely contrasted with the ancient temporary jungle below. Within the jungle and dense vegetation around us, we spotted lyrebirds which are amazing mimics! As we walked through the boardwalk, we were immersed in the history of the site with varied forms of interpretation happening around us from signage to audio recordings and human art incorporated in the scenic art of nature.

As we left the Blue Mountains heading back for Sydnie, we stopped at the Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park. Established in 1972, this park was originally a poultry farm, owned by Bruce Kubbere. The son of was very into plants and thus added botanical components to the farm when he got older. Seemingly out of nowhere people started to bring injured wildlife animals to the farm. Currently, Featherdale houses one of the largest collections of koalas in Australia. Featherdale has a very successful breeding program of koalas. Koalas are nocturnal creatures and sleep on average 18-20 hours a day. And thus, we count ourselves lucky some of the koala we saw today we awake! It was amazing seeing the conservation efforts happening in the park along with being educated on native Australian wildlife! After our time at the Featherdale, we headed back to Sydney. We currently have the evening free for more exploring, and we are heading out.

See you later, alligator!

May 23, 2026

Written by Ireland McAreavey and Drew Nielsen

We started off the last Saturday of our trip with a short bus ride, where our driver, Cristo, was able to convince our tour guide that we had some extra time to make a detour through the town of Palm Cove, where we were able to see the No. 1 ranked beach in the world. After our detour, we continued on with our scheduled itinerary and made our way to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures.

Our first stop while at Hartley’s was a farm tour where we were able to meet Jake, who was our presenter. He talked to us about breeding crocodiles in captivity and how Hartley’s was the first to ever accomplish it over 50 years ago. Since then, they have grown their small crocodile farm into a full-on adventure park and conservation experience. Throughout the presentation, Jake shared how, through Hartley’s efforts, crocodile numbers in the wild has increased by more than 300% in the past 50 years. It was really interesting to learn not only about the farming side of the operation, but also about the conservation work and education they provide for visitors from all over the world.

While exploring the park, we also had the opportunity to see cassowaries up close and even feed them. We learned that cassowaries are considered the most dangerous bird in the world because of the large middle toe on each foot that they use for defense. Even with their intimidating reputation, we were told that there have only been two recorded human fatalities ever caused by cassowaries (one in Australia and one in the U.S.). Seeing them in person was definitely one of the coolest and most unique parts of the day because of how rare and prehistoric they looked.

After finishing our time at Hartley’s, we made our way to the airport and flew from Cairns to Sydney. Once we arrived and got settled into our accommodations, we had the rest of the night free to explore the city and enjoy our final evening together in Australia.

May 22, 2026

Written by Grace Seefeldt and Kayla Vander Schaaf

Our adventure this morning set sail at 7:30 a.m. to get on a catamaran for our ocean cruise. The boat ride took about two hours to get to the Great Barrier Reef. During these two hours, we prepared for our snorkeling adventures. We received two presentations from our great guide Luca. Luca talked to the group about coral. We learned all about the types of coral we would see, their growth stages and how bleaching occurs. It turns out, coral can reproduce both sexually and asexually. They are heavily influenced by the moon phases. After the full moon in November, every coral will release their eggs (yes, every single one of them!). The strategy is kind of a “strength in numbers” move. There are literally not enough predators to consume all the eggs from the coral during this time, so approximately 90% of the eggs will not be consumed. Even though this was a bit more “touristy” for us, we are grateful to see these wonderful creatures in the wild and hear from Luca.

Once we got to Michaelmas Cay, we got on a semisubmersible boat where we got to see reef and marine life. Everyone’s highlight of this part was getting to see the green sea turtles. After lunch, we all became mermaids for the day and headed off to snorkel in the reef. Here we got to see lots of different marine life like sharks (it was tiny; don’t worry guys) more turtles, a stingray and lots of fish. We were able to get photos of some of the marine life thanks to Walker having the foresight and generosity to rent us a GoPro. We spent two hours out there channeling our inner fish. The boat ride back was a little rough as the wind picked up, but we got back safe and sound. Nobody drowned or puked, so it was a successful day.

Catch ya on the flip side.

May 21, 2026

Written by Alaina and Ginny

Today, we started with homemade brekkie at Mount Surprise before loading the bus at 7:30 a.m. First, we made a quick pit stop at the Innot Hot Springs Scenic Reserve and spent about 20 minutes dipping our feet in the naturally hot water. The rough sand and hot water temperatures were a nice exfoliant on our feet. It was interesting to see and feel that even within the same small pools of water, the temperature varied significantly, both cold and boiling hot. We loaded back onto the bus and drove about an hour to Millaa Millaa Falls, where we got to witness an absolutely stunning rainforest waterfall. The surrounding vegetation was very lush and full of life. The trees were covered in mosses and epiphytes (different plants growing on trees), making for a varied ecosystem.

Next, we drove about two hours back to Cairns and enjoyed the variety of landscapes and mountain views along the way. We enjoyed lunch at Dundee’s with a beautiful view of the ocean. Our lunch options included calamari with salad or a steak burger with chips and ended with dessert of either vanilla ice cream or mango sorbet, both of which came in a waffle cone bowl. We both enjoyed the steak burger and mango sorbet and left with very full tummies.

After lunch, we headed to The Company One aquaculture farm where we learned about how they grow their own algae and the different growth stages of marine fish. Specifically, they bred and raised giant groupers, coral trout and speckled blue groupers. They started by showing us how they cultivate varieties of algae, which were a wide range of colors including greens, yellows and even pinks. Next, they showed us the different sizes of fish and the importance of timing when it comes to separating size classes to avoid any fry cannibalism. Between sections, we had to step through foot baths to sanitize our shoes to minimize cross contamination. They then showed us the big tanks that hold the mature fish and how they simulate the seasons and moon phases, which influence when the fish lay eggs. We ended the tour by learning more about the technologies and methods used to monitor the fish reproduction and growth, as well as talking about the target markets for their fish.

Lastly, we arrived at Cairns for the night. We had time to explore the wonderful city, ride the Ferris wheel that looked over the ocean, enjoy a delicious supper and even do a little souvenir shopping at the night market.

May 20, 2026

Written by Dustin Kolb, Jessica Joens and Kole Hawkins

After starting the morning bright and early with an invigorating, nonoptional cold shower, we made our way to Amber Cattle Station. About 150 kilometers from the nearest grocery store, Amber Station focuses on producing Brahman cross cattle. Being a part of a larger ranch, Amber Station focuses on breeding and calving specifically.

As we talked the production side of their operation, we got to talk about the similarities and differences to Midwestern production. Their culling process is primarily based on the survivability of their heifer calves as well as the weaning rates of the calves. A new management practice for the area that they have implemented is pregnancy checking most of their cows. On the same note, they keep their bulls in for around six months, but with the hot weather, feed conditions and low stocking rate, they have a breeding rate of around 80%. Once calves are weaned between 250 and 500 pounds, they are shipped out on road trains and arrive in their feed yard far to the south to be fed a primarily small grains until slaughter or live export.

More about those road trains. Each road train can be comprised of up to three double-decked stock trailers, hauling a total capacity of 240 calves. These are hauled out of their local yards using a load-out dock that is considered a stressless ramp. By having cattle load in pairs onto the stock trailer, it uses their herd instinct to the producer’s benefit. There is some controversy about the new system, and it is the most watched video on their version of a Stockgrowers website. Look up “stressless ramps” for further context. I don’t know what you’ll find, as I have no service or internet. 

The grazing system was very different in comparison to the United States, any of the forage that they have is grown during their wet season, which is six months, and most all of the dry period, which is the remaining months. Their primary forages consisted of kangaroo grass and Stylo grass. While these grasses are a necessity for the cattle, unfortunately, they do not provide all the necessary nutrients needed. The crude protein levels of these grasses are around 5% with a maximum of 10% on a good year. The ranch utilizes lick tubs that contain molasses and powder supplements of phosphorus. Australia lacks nitrogen in the soil for the grasses to uptake and therefore allowing the cattle to consume. Therefore, they have to supplement a huge amount (up to 30%) of urea in the feed for the cattle.

Got all that? Great, because there is still more. From there, we traveled to the Undara lava tubes. They are part of a larger national park that was recently established in 1992, bought by the government from local cattle producers. The park contains the longest lava flows in the world, totaling 90 kilometers. Additionally, the park is home to many native species and even some that are unique to the ecosystems created by the lava flows, especially termites. While it sounds like they’d wreak havoc on the local tree population, the forest and termites have a mutual agreement to not destroy each other (don’t ask me how, ecology is crazy; we’ll have our wonderful natural resource management students weigh in on that later). Also, despite the region’s history in cattle production, you must obtain a permit to use horses and dogs to get your cows back off the land if they break into the national park.

And, after all that, cattle, birds, butterflies, bugs, trees, lava and so on and so forth, we went back for an amazing buffet-style meal at the camp grounds in Mount Surprise.

May 19, 2026

Written by Kate and Amber

Apologies for the delay in blog posts! Our current accommodations are quite remote, but it's refreshing to be unplugged for a couple of days.

We started today bright and early in Melbourne, leaving the hotel before 6 a.m. to catch our 8:25 a.m. flight to Cairns. We landed in Cairns, and it was an immediate climate change. We were surrounded by beautiful mountains, hot weather and humid air. We then loaded onto our bus with our new bus driver, Cristo, to head to the coffee and papaya farm Skybury, which is the oldest coffee farm in Australia. During this drive, we traveled through the Kuranda Range, driving through a series of curvy and bendy roads that led us from small town to small town until eventually we reached the café for lunch.

Lunch was served at the Skybury Café, and all of the menu options included elements of fresh coffee and papaya. When we walked in, there were fresh passion fruit and papaya chunks on the table and a coffee bar for us to try from. Overall, it was a unique experience, because we typically do not have products at home that are grown fresh right where we are located.

After lunch, we met up with Candy, one of the co-owners of Skybury, and she gave us a tour of the 104-employee farm. We started off with a general overview of what the farm does, learning about how they are reducing their carbon footprint and using cattle manure to manage the fields. We also learned about the shelf life of their products, including papaya, which only has a 10-day shelf life, and the transportation challenges that come with that. We then moved on to the actual greenhouse where we looked at cultures of coffee plants. We learned about how fragile they are before moving into different greenhouses to see them in different growing stages. We also learned that papayas are herbs and have a fibrous stem, while coffee plants are more woody.

We then saw the entire fields of papaya plants and Candy showed us just how quickly the plants grow, from 6 inches tall to producing fruit in just eight weeks; however, they only produce fruit for 18 months. We also learned about the papayas, including how fragile they are and how the ecosystem immensely affects their fruit production. One interesting thing we learned was that when a cyclone (hurricane) came through the area, many of the plants died because of water issues. Half of the plants died from too much water, while the other half died from not enough, truly showing the intricacy of papaya plants.

Candy continued the tour by taking us to fruit-producing coffee plants where we were able to pick the fruit directly off the plants, open them up and try the unroasted coffee fruit. We ended the tour by looking at some banana plants and seeing the other assortment of fruits that they are experimenting with on the farm, ultimately leading us back to the bus where we started our travels for the rest of the day.

After a long bus ride, we ended at Mount Surprise where we had a buffet-style supper, which included lamb chops, sausage, coleslaw and pavlova to finish off. This family-style meal helped make us feel more at home, and we were certainly grateful for it!

May 18, 2026

Written by Mason and LaKacee

On Monday, May 18, we started the day by traveling to Oasis Olives in Shepperton, Victoria. Oasis Olives focuses on growing and harvesting premium olive varieties such as Picual (Spain), Frantoio (Italy), Koroneiki (Greece) and Coratina (Italy) olives. We were greeted by the owner, Marjan Symington, who talked to us about their olive grove and operation. They own five different farms in the area, and the one we visited today was over 700 acres. The average yield from their olive groves is 3.5 tons of fresh olives per acre. She showed us the hopper where they dump the olives that then go up a conveyor belt into a hammer mill and into a centrifuge, where the oil is extracted from the olive. Depending on the order, the oil could then be mixed with other ingredients like garlic, lemon, thyme or rosemary to create different kinds of infused oil.

After the centrifuge, the oil and residual solids were allowed to naturally separate in cone bottom bins. The olive oil can then be packaged up and sent out in bulk quantities. Symington led us through an olive oil tasting of their own product, explaining the bitterness and robustness of different olive oils.

We then walked through the grove getting a lesson in olive oil management. Some of their olive trees are up to 50 years old and are biennials. This means that one year the yield will be better than the following. Other management practices they use include running over 240 head of sheep to help control weeds and overgrowth of grass between the groves. The sheep manure also helps provide a source of nitrogen for the trees. They also supply nutrients to combat different nutrient deficiencies and irrigate in between the trees using rainwater.

Later, we headed south back towards Melbourne to visit AgriBio at La Trobe University. AgriBio is known as the largest agricultural research and development organization in the state of Victoria. They focus on the development of agricultural bioscience research and addressing food security. Professor Jennie Pryce, a research professor at La Trobe University and the research director of the Genomics and Cellular Sciences team within Agriculture Victoria Ģ����ý, gave us an overview and insight on the structure within AgriBio over lunch.

We then split up into groups to learn about the plant and animal science laboratories, smart farm technology and graduate research. Many students travel to AgriBio to pursue research and higher education in improving productivity and sustainability, reducing environmental impacts and supporting agricultural education.

Our group then loaded up the bus to head back to Melbourne to get some rest and food before our early morning flight to Cairns!

May 17, 2026

Written by Sami, Matalyn and Tyler

We started the day in Hamilton and headed out to visit Roger, Dianne and Tara Trewick at Pepperton Sheep, a commercial Dorset and Suffolk sheep operation. Right away, it was obvious that Australian sheep producers do not mess around when it comes to efficiency. We watched them vaccinate lambs and band tails, which was both interesting and a reminder that livestock jobs are never exactly glamorous. Despite the wet weather, this was our first hands-on experience abroad. We got to see and handle their 8-month-old market sheep, weighing around 50–80 kilos (about 170 pounds on average). The sheep market in Australia was impressive, with lambs bringing about $11 AUD per kilo hanging weight (around $5.50 USD per pound). It was really interesting comparing their production system, marketing and prices to what we are used to back home in the United States.

Later, we traveled to Echuca where we spent the afternoon learning about local First Nations culture with the Yorta Yorta People. We participated in a traditional ceremony using red gum branches taking a smoke bath. The smoke ceremony is meant to cleanse and welcome visitors, and we dipped our feet through the smoke as part of the experience. It was a really meaningful opportunity to learn more about Indigenous traditions and cultural practices directly from our Yorta Yorta guide, Ralph. In particular, we discussed cultural burning, Ralph’s skills with traditional hunting methods and the relation and connection he and his family have with the land and animals. The whole experience was moving to some of us, and we really appreciated this opportunity in particular.

We finished the day in Shepparton, Victoria for our overnight stay, where dinner was at the Australian version of the VFW, the RSL. Now we are able to explore Shepperton to end our day!

May 16, 2026

Written by Wyatt Haugen and Peyton Munroe

We started off the morning in Hamiliton, Victoria, acclaimed to be the “wool capital of the world.” Hamiliton is a beautiful little town of around 10,000 people with a lake in the middle and lots of little eateries and shops. We then took a short bus ride where we got a nice view of the Grampians mountain range on our way to a garlic farm.

We arrived at Grange Garlic around 8:30 a.m. and met with Wayne Schild. Schild is a man who didn’t grow up growing garlic, he started out as a EMT and then inherited the land that he stands on today. He had no knowledge of producing garlic, and he just jumped right in and found his new passion from a different angle. Schild took us around his operation explaining how complicated growing, storing and processing garlic can be. In Australia, it is illegal to import garlic cloves for seeding purposes. Garlic can be imported but only for consumption, so to be a garlic grower you must produce your own seeds or buy them from another producer within the country. These seeds are very expensive. Wayne has to save back at least a third of his crops to be able to plant for the next crop production. Garlic seeds range from $30,000 to $140,000 per metric ton in Australian currency, which converts to $21,500 to $72,000 per ton USD. Schild produces all his own seeds and stores them in a specialized shed which regulates temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide and wind speed via fans. He has become very specialized in this area because he lost nearly all of his seeds a couple of years ago.

Inside the same shed as the storage area, there is a production line where that crushes and cleans the cloves to make minced garlic. Schild has entered a very niche market where his one product is minced garlic that is shelf stable for 24 months with no preservatives. He said that he can't produce the stuff fast enough to keep up with supply and is struggling to produce enough seed to keep up with demand. He produces everything on 120 acres and has a three-year rotation between garlic crops.

It was quite nice to chat with Schild as he eventually questioned the group how he can expand his operation and improve efficiency. He is one of the only garlic producers in the region now. Schild was a very welcoming person, was very thankful for our knowledge and hopes to one day expand his company.

The garlic farm was our only stop of the day, so we loaded up the buses and headed to Ballarat for lunch while enjoying the views on the way. Ballarat is a larger town of around 120,000 people with beautiful little shops and a rich gold mining history. We ate a terrific meal at the Golden City Hotel. Wyatt Haugen got the beer-battered flake and chips; flake is a type of shark that is beer battered, and chip are fries. Peyton Munroe got penne carbonara, a creamy garlic pasta with mushrooms and mixed herbs. For dessert, both got a gooey brownie.

Then, we headed downtown to explore the shops and get a feel of Ballarat life. After that we loaded up and headed to our destination for the night, Bendigo. Tonight, the group is at leisure to find food and explore the city on our own.

May 15, 2026

Written by Clint Determan, Tayler Franz and Elijah Moore

The 14th of May started off bright and early with a trip to Macca’s, known to us as “McDonald’s," at 6:45 am. Once our breakfast trip concluded we made our way to the Midfield Group dairy in Warrnambool. We toured their abattoir, where they showed us their automated packing and cooling systems along with the only knife-sharpening robot in the southern hemisphere. Midfield group is not just an abattoir, they own and manage multiple meat and dairy operations. We later toured Cooramook, which is one of their dairy operations they own and manage 2,500 head of dairy cows, which are milked two times a day. 

Lunch was held at Green Hills Pub and Hotel in Condah. Green Hills Pub felt extremely homey and authentic. Here, we celebrated Mason’s birthday. In the area, we visited McKenzie Ag services where we toured the farm and feed lot and got a greater understanding why feed lots are not popular in the area but are becoming more common. After McKenzie Ag Services, we visited Bruanlea, which is a feed mill for McKenzie and other cattle operations. Scott is the property manager, and he led us around the feed mill and talked about what type of mixes they make for cattle and sheep. At the end of the tour, Justin showed us how they use the dogs to work sheep. The day concluded in the town of Hamilton. 

May 13, 2026

Written by Josie Nold and Alicia Holtz

We started the day bright and early at 6 a.m., Australian time, arriving in Sydney after an exhausting 17-hour flight from Dallas. After landing, we faced the daunting process of navigating customs and airport security. After some honest miscommunications, we had to backtrack through the terminal and then make our way through the correct security line. By the time we completed the process, we ended up missing our connecting flight and spent an additional two hours waiting in the airport before finally boarding our flight to Melbourne.

Once in Melbourne, we were warmly welcomed by our tour guide, Ron, and began the next leg of the journey: a three-hour bus ride to Warrnambool. After a very long day of travel, we finally arrived and were given about 15 minutes to refresh in our motel rooms, which are actually more like large apartments than hotel rooms.

That evening, we met with several local producers for dinner. The meal featured a variety of dishes, including a vegetable medley, pickled lamb, beef, pork and potatoes, all showcasing the region’s local agriculture. During supper, something we noticed was the noticeable lack of seasoning as every pepper shaker on the tables seemed to be empty. And unlike back home, even the whipped cream was served without sugar. However, Aussies put gravy on everything, a practice brought from England.

The dinner itself was graciously hosted by Karen and John Jackson, who also invited several members of the local agricultural community to join us. Among the guests were a veterinarian, local farmers and a woman who will appear on next year’s season of "Muster Dogs." She shared insights into the training process for working dogs and offered some memorable stories from her experience preparing for the show.

Unfortunately, we are still missing seven of our comrades, as they are catching up to us, currently on their 17-hour flight over the Pacific Ocean. Despite the travel challenges and long hours, the day ended on a high note with great hospitality, interesting conversations and an introduction to the local farming community.

May 11, 2026

Written by Phil Urso

Well, the Australia trip started with some lessons in flexibility. Our original flight was canceled early in the morning. Thanks to some rebooking with our travel agent, we all were rebooked for the May 12. The caveat was that we now had to travel to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in waves before meeting to board a flight to Sydney.

The first two waves made it okay and are working on their blogs, but the final wave consisting of Julie, Phil, Alaina, Kayla, Gavin, Ginny and Tyler were subjected to flight delays.

However, we made the best of the situation! Phil’s mom, Dee, came to the rescue and the group had a great time in the city of Dallas and Fort Worth. The group got to taste Blue Bell ice cream, eat tacos and explore the Fort Worth Stockyards for the day. We saw the Fort Worth longhorn herd that travels the yards every day and saw what the yards used to be in its prime.

While it has been frustrating, heartbreaking and exhausting, we are grateful we have each other and have faith that we will rejoin the group soon.