I grew up on farms. I come from far north Queensland, being on the land is in my blood.
I joined the rodeo circuit when I was 14 and 15 and 16.
The coming out process for me was a bit different
because I couldn't see myself living with a partner on the land and farming
and associating with other farmers, and be gay at the same time.
It didn't seem to fit together for me, so I changed and for about 10 years I didn't do any of that stuff.
I moved to the city, I tried to listen to music that everyone else was listening to.
I tried to dress how everyone else was dressing.
So I spent a lot of years, I guess conforming to a stereotype of what I thought a gay person was.
Miki came along, and that was really the start of me realising that I could have both.
So at the end of '09 I quit my job in Melbourne and took off travelling around Australia.
Several months later, ended up in North Queensland, and that's where we met.
I'm not going to go and say something gooey like it was love at first sight, but it was pretty close.
After a year or so, we left North Queensland
and travelled much of the rest of the country together.
We both realised at that point that this is where we wanted to live, and we've been here ever since.
We live on a 155 acre beef cattle property in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales.
There's a mix of pasture and steep country.
It's absolutely wonderful, the landscape is incredible, there's so many smells and sounds.
First thing in the morning, the kookaburras start, and then we get all the rainforest birds that come in.
And then the roosters start to crow.
The mist is extraordinary here because we're in a valley.
It sort of comes across like a curtain. It's really incredible.
On a regular day, on this farm Miki and I would get up just before sunrise.
Then the morning sort of ritual commences.
I think a lot of the time people think that we sit on the verandah and watch storms come in
and we go for nice, long leisurely rides and look at cows all day, and enjoy that lovely energy.
But it's pretty hard work, and it can be dangerous I guess as well.
Far out! That's hail, Dan! Shit.
You know, things are moving fast.
When half of them go in, just walk straight through the middle.
And a cow flicks her tail, or kicks out and you end up with a face full of shit quite literally.
The mess and the dirt and the cattle shit, it covers you by the end of the day. It's just everywhere.
Of course there's pressure.
We fight over where something's going to go, or what priority certain things are or whatever.
What do you wanna do?
We're just waiting for them to eat.
Oh, okay. Yeah - but do you want the horses away because we're gonna...
Are we putting through the race straight after?
Yeah next, yep.
Really no different in that regard. We fight just like any other couple would.
Miki, what?
Dan, what am I supposed to do about it?
No big deal. Sorry for shouting.
Thanks.
And we make up just like any other couple would.
Then we'll also have that, bringing togetherness of experiencing a calf being born
or having a great ride in an afternoon, or taking the horses for a swim.
Dan will often say, 'Look, just remember it's tough, it's hard work and we'll get through it,' sort of thing.
And we do. I love being here, I love having the animals around, and having my partner there too.
And learning in the whole experience as well, you know
I'm not an experienced farmer, I'm a city boy turned farmer.
I suppose this place for me is where I'm most comfortable. I feel at home and I feel at peace.
You've got it round the wrong way, babe.
Okay, it's great. She's just an old thing, she doesn't like to...
Have to listen?
That's the main thing, really.
For people that say that you can't do certain things because you're gay
this isn't a crusade for me to prove that I can be a gay cowboy, or anything like that.
I'm just someone who enjoys this environment, and this particular lifestyle with the man that I love.