Tony Parsons is an amazing person. It seems he has always had a pen in his hand! If he hasn’t been writing bestselling novels, such and Call of the High Country and Return to the High Country, he has been penning articles for Agricultural magazines or books on how to train the most magnificent breed of dog, the Kelpie.

He founded the well-known Kelpie stud “Karrawarra” in 1950 and later, in 1992, he was awarded the prestigious Order of Australia Medal for his “contribution to the propagation of the Australian Kelpie sheep dog”.

Before that, he was a professional sheep and wool classer.

I feel very privileged that Tony has agreed to answer some of my questions. Tony’s books are favourites of mine and are wrinkled, dog-eared and creased, to prove it!

Nearing eighty, Tony still has a pen nearby and is due to release a new nonfiction books ‘The Kelpie – a definitive guide to the Australian Working Dog’. Today he answers some of my questions.

1. I began writing articles in dog magazines when I was 16. I was largely influenced by my clever creative mother who pushed me to read very early. I could read the Sydney Morning Herald from cover to cover when I was 7.I read the Billabong books every Christmas holidays from about that age. I went sick and well to primary school for four successive years because they offered books for exceptional attendance. These books were the beginning of my library. The only thing I was any good at, lesson-wise, was essays. I was no good at anything else but sport and I adored opera (still do) and great singing. I suppose that I always wanted to write books but it wasn’t until my last child (we had five) left school that I could opt out of fulltime work, take a part-time administrative job (for not much money) and start writing books. Since coming to Queensland in 1984 I have written drafts of 18 books.

2. Julie Watts (Ali’s mother) who was publisher/Children at Penguin, read Call of the High Country and recommended it’s publication. I wasn’t unknown at Penguin because Viking published two of my three Kelpie books. Nelson published the first and Penguin/Viking acquired certain categories of their books. The two Call books have sold over 100,000 copies and are still selling. The Call got up to No 6 on top 10 lists and Valley of the White Gold was in the top 10.

3. Story line. You either have imagination or you don’t. Sometimes it’s working actual events into a story. Or maybe something suggests itself and you add to it. You need to have a good knowledge of bush life so that what you write appears to be absolutely authentic. I think this has been one of the strengths of what I’ve done. People have told me so, anyway. I think you absorb facts and they’re in your head and they come out when you need them.

4. The new book The Kelpie is to some extent an amalgam of my three earlier Kelpie books which are out of print. These books were/are making hundreds of dollars on E-Bay and they were too dear for  all but the most committed Kelpie people. Rather than reprint any of them I suggested that we do a new book and bring it up to date as a lot has happened since the third book was published in 1992.So we’ve got the best of those three books plus a great deal more. It’s a beautifully presented book- the best thing I’ve ever done and I understand Penguin think its great too. There’s a mix of technical and story and some wonderful colour pics. The book will go on into the future long after I’ve gone.

5. There is a novel manuscript (Back to the Pilliga) at Penguin but I haven’t heard whether they like it or not. It’s a kind of detective story with the Pilliga Scrub ( a million acres of forest and scrub) as the backdrop. I camped there years ago with my dogs and it’s a spooky place at night. I have the draft of a huge novel about the search for a war criminal here and if I rewrite that it might see me out!  Penguin read it and suggested some changes. I did a lot of research and read a great number of books after speaking with a German soldier who fought in Russia.

6. The next book is always rewarding and exciting because writing is a lonely game. You put a lot of effort into a book and to see it finally finished and then published gives one a lot of satisfaction. There is also the fact that you build a bank of readers and they’re always wanting more books. The problem is that they read a novel in two or three days and then want another one without recognising how long it takes to write a book and then get it through the publishing system. This is where a book like The Kelpie will have it over a novel because Kelpie people will keep referring to it.

7.When I’m in full flow I try to write from breakfast to lunch and perhaps for a little while after lunch. I have to feed and water animals early and late.

8.The ending. I think it is for everyone. The endings of many notable books have been disappointing. How do you finish? That is the big question. You usually have something to say so  you begin well and you tell the story but bringing it to a close is another matter.

9. Re covers. I think I should give Penguin designer Karen Trump most credit for creating the covers of Valley of the White Gold and Silver in the Sun. I suggested certain approaches and I obtained the pictures used for the latter book. I can claim some credit for the cover of The Kelpie which is simply stunning. I wasn’t stirred by the first two approaches as they didn’t depict Kelpie ‘character’ which is what I sought. Feedback from here and overseas for the cover has been fantastic. It will really stand out in the book shops.I worked very closely with Karen on this cover.

10. I don’t think anything is more exciting than getting married and knowing you’re going to be with your lady fulltime. Now, nearly 55 years later, we’re still together and Gloria has been with me through good times and bad. I’ve had a few successes and a few failures but having the right partner makes a huge difference. The successes are transitory

but a partner that’s there for you can’t be equalled.

11. Books. Goodness. There have been so many. I began with the Billabong books and have read a great variety up to Bertrand Russell. One of the most interesting books  was Eastern Approaches by Brigadier Fitzroy McLean. I was hugely impressed with Louis Bromfield’s books on Malabar  Farm and with some of his novels. Hemingway has his moments but some of his endings aren’t so hot.Liked Mark Twain and some of  Truman Capote’s writing. I was very taken with Agatha Christie’s autobiography What a woman. I like some of Arthur Upfield’s novels because some of his descriptive writing about the Australian outback is as good as I’ve read. It isn’t as much ‘over the top’ as Zane Grey’s descriptive writing of the American West. Likewise, I like some of Ion Idriess’s ( I met him) books. Very authentic.I could write for a week about war books.Les Carlyon’s books on The Great War and Gallipoli are terrific. Likewise Chester Wilmot’s Struggle for Europe and Lord Slim’s book on the Burma Campaign.

I read Aldous Huxley and wasn’t impressed. His books didn’t do anything for me. But there have been so many outstanding books I’ve read since I was seven years of age that I couldn’t name them all.

12. I hate to ‘give’ advice. Writing is a hard game. It’s like finding a job. You sometimes need experience to land a job and how do you get experience if you haven’t had a job.

Some publishers won’t accept unsolicited manuscripts and it’s even tough to find an agent unless you’ve got a name.You just have to keep trying with the publishers that will accept manuscripts or part thereof. There’s plenty of instances where stories knocked back by certain publishers get accepted by others and go on to be bestsellers. You have to persevere and believe in yourself.

13. Dinner. Who would I favour as a dinner partner? That’s a tough one. Maureen O’Hara was my fantasy woman and the idea of  having dinner with her would be unreal.  But I think that being a great Kelpie person I’d settle for dinner with John Quinn(deceased) so we could discuss Kelpies then and now. Who was John Quinn? You’ll have to read The Kelpie to find out…………………………………..

I organised it for a Saturday morning, while the kids were doing their swimming lessons; I knew I would have to be in one place for at least an

hour, that way!

I think the book club meeting went really well! Yes, there are a few things still to iron out, but I’m pretty sure I know how I’m going to do that.

We were discussing Phillipa Fioretti’s “The Book of Love” and there were many interesting questions. It came through quite clearly, that Phillipa has a love of antiques and overseas travel! We were really grateful that she came along.

I’m just waiting to hear back from another author and then I’ll up-date you on what book and when for next time!

The kids and I were out in the garden this morning. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day, with brilliant blue skies, a gentle breeze and a forecast for rain. I hadn’t taken much notice of the latter; I couldn’t see a cloud anywhere!

But out of nowhere, the breeze picked up, bringing the gorgeous smell of rain, with it. On the horizon, the purple clouds, that had suddenly appeared, were closing in quickly.

It only took minutes to get to us and as the rain bucketed down, cold on the backs of our necks and soaking us through, we rain around trying to get the clothes off the line, put the lawn mower under cover and take CD player inside!

Then we stood at the window and watched the rain fall, thankful that it keeps falling!

We don’t often let these two rascals play together – it’s not good for Buck, since he’s supposed to be learning how to chase sheep, not Jack Russell’s’ and Rocket, well he thinks he’s ten foot tall, but unfortunately, he’s nowhere near close to it! Their rough and tumble games, as Buck gets older, could leave Rocket with injuries.

But today was different. We’d had a few days where the dogs had either been on the chain or in the house. Cold, wet and miserable days! Rocket was dying for a run and so was Buck, and the thought of walking two of them together was rather daunting, so I relented. “Let them chase each other,” I decided, “and wear each other out, without me having to do anything!”

They made me laugh. Round and round and round the house they went, playing “chasey”. Rocket was ducking, diving and turning sharply to avoid Bucks sharp teeth – he tends to latch on to Rocket’s neck, when they get close!

Occasionally you’d hear a loud “thump”! I’d look around and they would have run smack into a window or tree!

As they start to become tired, the game ‘I’ve got the bone… too bad you haven’t!’ comes into play.  Rocket finds a bone and lies on the lawn, chewing it, under Buck’s watchful gaze. Buck creeps closer, one foot at a time, thinking Rocket isn’t watching, and then when Buck gets too close, Rockets snatches it up and rips across the lawn, with Buck at his heels!

And of course, as all good mates do, when the ‘work’ is finished, you need to have a drink together!

I know this is short notice, but I wanted to take advantage of having Phillipa (and she’s heading away for a month, so it really needed to be now or never!) discuss The Book of Love.

I think that the best time for the first meeting will be at 10:30am this Saturday (28th Aug). Please don’t worry if you haven’t read the book – there will be quite a few that haven’t. You’ll just get the opportunity to chat with the author and talk with other book lovers.

There will be instructions and links posted on my website very soon.

I’ll also get a bit of a schedule and books that we’ll read, up and going after we get past this first one, so you’ll all have time to get the books.

I’m sure there will be some teething problems, being the first ever one, we’ve done, but hopefully we’ll get them ironed out in time for the next one.

Talk to you on Saturday! Hope you’re as excited about it as I am!

I’ve know Nick all of my life – he’s my brother. I am not biased when it comes to his musical ability. He is seriously good and I’m not the only one who thinks so!

“Parnell wields the mallets with the nonchalance of mastery … virtuosity worthy of the highest praise.” – The West Australian

“Dazzling dexterity … balanced with supreme delicacy.” – The Advertiser.

Nick started his musical career by hitting empty Milo cans. He graduated to a drum kit and funnily enough, he never once drove any of our family, or neighbours, mad with his drumming. I think we all knew he had a talent, even back then.

He’s about to embark on a tour that will cover WA, SA, NSW and Victoria – look for him at a venue near you. Being a country boy, he takes his tours to the rural areas as well as the city.

Here, Nick answers some questions about being a professional muso, but before that, here’s just a bit about his tour:

Award-winning percussionist Nick Parnell is one man with 50 instruments in a high-energy performance of festive Brazilian rhythms, ethnic drums, soaring Bach and Gershwin melodies. Following a sell-out 2010 Fringe Festival season, Parnell is joined on stage by visiting US pianist Graeme Burgan for a national tour of Bach to Brazil. Opening on 10 September until 10 October, this latest tour traverses Western Australia, SA, VIC and NSW, seeing him visit both regional and metro venues.

Audience members will be entranced by tuned wine glasses, bamboo chimes, ethnic drums, woodblocks, piano and vibraphone, as they all get a serious work out. The highlight of the evening is Parnell’s interpretation of Brazilian composer and percussionist Rosauro’s 27-minute masterpiece Brazilian Rhapsody.

Parnell’s innovation and precision playing heralds him as one of a new generation of Australian musicians stepping into a glittering career as a master of percussion.

Nick Parnell

Tell us a little about yourself

Well, I’m a concert percussionst. So I hit things for living!

I grew up in country SA in Orroroo and went to boarding school in Adelaide, where I now live. But I’ve enjoyed living for short periods of time in London and Denmark. These times were all music related and gave me a real sense and direction with my percussion. I have a wife and a dog! I’m passionate about striving for excellence with my music and giving audinces all over Australia a real experience when they see one of my shows.

When did you know (and why) that you were going to make music your life?

It was about year 8 at school. I knew I loved playing music, but then I didn’t know exactly what avenue of music I would persue. I orrignally wanted to be a rock drummer, then jazz drummer but ended been a percussionist that plays a lot of classical and world music.

What instruments do you play?

I play most percussion instruments. Most of my music is actually “melodic” in nature and played on the vibraphone or marimba (which look like a xylophone but sound like a piano). But I also play all sorts of drums, gongs, cymbals, bongos etc. Some of the more unusual instruments include tuned wine glasses and bird whistles. In this coming tour (Bach to Brazil), I’m actually playing over 50 different percussion instruments!

What study have you done to get where you are?

I’ve just completed my PhD in percussion performance. So I’ve done a lot of study. But music is really a life time of study. You are always learning and refining your art. Theres no way I could learn everything about percussion in my life time.

What does a normal day for you entail?

Everyday seems to be different. Somedays I’m performing, or travelling to a performance, or taking a school workshop or in the recording studio. But most I make sure I get a few hours of practice done.

If you could chose one musician to play with, who would be it be and why?

There are so many musicians out there who are great, that I cant answer that. But my musical hero is rock guitarist “Slash”, there is just something about the way he plays that gets me…. I can’t explain it.

Who is your inspiration?

In terms of percussionists – Gary Burton (American Jazz Vibes player), Safri Duo (amazing multiple percussinist from Denmark). But I get inspired by listeneing to all sorts of music (classical , jazz, world, pop) and musicians. Right now I’m listening to Santana album that someone leant me – and its making me want to go a hit some drums!

What is your ultimate goal/challenge?

To have a complete mastery of my instruments. I’m not sure if “complete” mastery is possible, but its what I strive for.

NICK PARNELL: BACH TO BRAZIL – TOUR DETAILS

Friday 10 September          Jerdacuttup , WA – Community Hall

Sunday 12 September        albany , WA – Town Hall Theatre

Wednesday 15 September            Bunbury , WA – Entertainment Centre

Friday 17 September          dalwalliNu , WA – Town Hall

Saturday 18 September WYALKATCHEM , WA – Town Hal

Wednesday 22 September            thornlie , wa – Don Russell PAC

Thursday 23 September esperance , WA - Esperance Civic Centre

Sunday 26 September        MURRAY BRIDGE, SA – Christ Church Lutheran

Tuesday 28 September      MELBOURNE, VIC – Melbourne Recital Centre

Wednesday 29 September            WAGGA WAGGA, NSW – Riverina Conservatorium

Thursday 30 September Sydney , nsw – NSW Art Gallery

Friday 1 October                  ORANGE, NSW – Orange Conservatorium

Saturday 2 October Yass , NSW – Memorial Hall

Wednesday 6 October        NOWRA, NSW – Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre

Friday 8 October                  muswellbrook, NSW – Upper Hunter Con. (School Hall)

Sunday 10 October             Byron Bay, NSW – Community Centre

www.nickparnell.com

I’m guessing that many of you think that living on a farm is peaceful. Quiet. Well let me tell you otherwise!

It was a gorgeous morning. We’d had a heavy shower the night before, which had netted us 8mm, so we were smiling! The trees and grass were weighted down with rain and everything was sparkling with dew-drop diamonds.

As I opened my eyes first thing, I listened to the birds singing. That’s a regular occurrence, but this morning, they were singing louder than normal. I could pick a few calls – Wattle birds, Butcher bird. There was a Magpie in the mix and the little Silver Eyes were really going for it!

I wondered outside with my morning coffee and could hear the next farms’ cattle bellowing. I guess they’re doing some cattle work that involves splitting the cows and calves, because it was a panicked, ‘Where’s my baby,’ type of bellow!

I could hear stock trucks rumbling along the road and for a moment, worried that they might be turning in our driveway – the truck carting our lambs, wasn’t due until Wednesday. I could even hear our neighbours dogs barking. (They live a good three or four kilometers away from us!)

Anthony, Shaun and I started our day in the sheep yards and we were also splitting mums and babies, but ours were sheep. The noise was unbelievable! In all the time I’ve worked with stock, I don’t think I’ve heard a louder mob of ewes! I was standing about ten metres away from Anthony and I couldn’t hear what he was saying! (It’s quite funny when you can see their lips moving and hand actions, but not hear anything!)

So today, the farm was far from peaceful – this photo, really tells lies!

I met Margareta through writing. In fact writing has introduced to me to so many people. Although Margareta contacted me for help with her writing, we actually became firm friends after discovering we had a few interests the same!

It was as I got to know her that I was really taken with her dedication to her family and her community. She works so hard to keep her family happy – she might ‘just have to go down to Dad’s to help with the cattle,’ or ‘just out driving the truck,’ or (and this one I love because of the visual thoughts I get!) ‘Just going over to my aunt’s – she’s got possums in the roof and we have to get them out!’ (I’m sure she doesn’t really crawl around in the roof, chasing possums, but that’s what I imagine!)

Her community is important to her as well. As you’ll read she’s involved with many different organisations and that’s why, she’s a Rainbow!

I’m a fifth generation farmer in East Gippsland, Victoria. My family has called our valley, tucked into the lee of the Great Dividing Range, home since 1862. Our blood is literally soaked into the soil; we are this place, it’s what defines us and makes us whole. I have spent time away, working and living on cropping, dairying and broad acre cattle properties from other parts of Gippsland to far outback Queensland, but I always keep coming back; my sense of place is inherent.

In earlier years I forged a successful career in Landcare and agricultural extension, helped along in 1997 by a Victorian Rural Women’s Leadership Bursary. In 2007 I gave away off-farm work to concentrate on our young family and small farming business. I jammed some land management study into my ‘spare time’ amid the irrigating, shifting fences, cattle work etc. My dad needed a hand on a family property too; three kids and their sports also demanded attention. I was just like any other country wife and mother treading the waters of life, trying to keep at least one nostril above the surface. But something was missing.

All my life I’ve been a voracious reader. In the drought of the early eighties dad had me driving an old grey Fergie tractor, towing a trailer mounted with a furphy tank and watering every tree on our dairy farm. It took weeks and I managed to devour the whole Billabong book series, sitting in the shade of the tractor wheel while the hose dutifully did its job. None of the trees died whilst a dream was born in a 12 year old mind. One day I was going to write rural novels, just like Mary Grant Bruce.

Thirty years on and much writing later, I don’t quite write like Mary Grant Bruce. More in the vein of contemporary rural fiction, with stock whip wielding heroines and drop dead gorgeous cattleman slogging it out in rugged places from remote outback Queensland to the wild and majestic mountains of my home.

My recent novel ‘Long Way Home’ has been developed whilst studying writing for two years with the Victorian Writers Centre, under the guidance of Sallie Muirden and Andrea Goldsmith. The novel is fast paced with plenty of action, tension, romance and humour. Created for the rural genre, it can be likened to those of the wonderful and supportive Fleur and my long-time friend Rachael Treasure. Now, I just need to find a publisher!

I also write for the gorgeous and popular magazine, ‘Gippsland Country Life’, in amongst doing normal rural community stuff. I’m an active fire-fighter with experiences I’d rather forget of the massive 2007 alpine fires and the aftermath of Black Saturday. Our brigade members are also gun sandbaggers, due to the huge floods our area sporadically experiences.

I’m secretary and treasurer of the fire brigade, on the steering committee for our proposed rural multipurpose building and the Christmas tree committee. Our family is also committed to the local motorcycle club where my husband’s vice president, ensuring I hone my canteen skills to perfection and rarely get to watch my son race. That’s good and bad, depending on how you look at it. The ride with him in the Helimed One helicopter last year springs to mind.

Throw in Monday mum’s tennis, support to the school and the church flower roster and even I’m exhausted reading this! How do I fit it all in? It’s easy, I don’t. Things are always falling off the edge because I decided years ago I’m no superwoman, never intend to be one and that sits OK within my skin. Thankfully I have the world’s best husband and a very supportive family, so everyone pitches into help. It really is a team effort. In my case, a sense of community drives it all and that feeling can be attributed to my parents, who have given decades of support to local organisations. I suspect this intergenerational family commitment, ultimately circles back to that inherent sense of place. We are very lucky to have ‘grass roots’, which in these modern times is something many people can’t find or miss.

Life has thrown me many curveballs and backhanders’, some which have forced me to pause and take stock, but I have been lucky enough to achieve many dreams – the most recent being completing my novel and obtaining a heavy duty truck licence. I somehow managed to pull that off in a 550 hp 18 speed split shift Western Start prime mover. All I wanted was to be legally able to drive the forty year old, eight tonne cattle truck that choofs ‘I think I can …, I think I can…’ anytime it even looks at anything over a grade of five degrees.

My wonderful father, in his exasperated moments, calls it ‘pig headedness’ but I prefer the word ‘determination’. That’s for me and the truck.

Gill and Mandy are mates of mine. We share a love of food and wine, not to mention we are farmers’ wives.

These two women haven’t let distance from town stop them opening a catering business – they prepare the most delicious food and are passionate about educating people to the benefits of home cooked food.

Gill is not only a wonderful cook, but a keen gardener and reader. She helped me calve out the story of Amanda, in Blue Skies. She is actively involved in running their farm, mothering her three girls aged ten and down and involved in basically anything that is happening in the community!

Mandy is also a gardener and reader, ‘farm wench’ (that’s what she calls herself!) and mum to two young boys. She’s the treasurer to the basketball committee and this is why, these two girls are Rainbows!

Mandy and Gill:

Wow what a week we have had!

Gill and I have been flat out all week working on ways to wow the tastebuds of 130 or so women at this year’s annual SEPWA ladies day. Think we nailed it…there was no food left! Is this good or bad? Did we thrill everyone enough for them to go back for seconds or was there just not enough food? Let’s hope it was the former!

We supplied morning tea, which consisted of gourmet lamb sausage rolls, gluten free almond cake a very decadent chocolate and caramel slice, all homemade and many home grown ingredients used, and a cheese tasting table that had every one wanting more and the one bottle of red wine that was on the table, purely for display, nearly getting corked!

You see this is what Gill and I do. We cater. We bake. We create. We love food and all that goes with it. Ask either of us in any one month how many foodie magazines we have bought and it would be embarrassing to think of how much money we have spent on them. Then there is the endless hours on the phone comparing recipes and “oh did you see that lamb dish on page 84 of this month’s Good Food mag?” only to have our hubbies wander through the kitchen or office and glare in the general direction of the phone and reminding us that yes we have children and they too need to eat…oops.

So you can see we have a passion. A passion for food. A passion for educating our friends, family and anyone who might listen on the benefits of a home cooked meal with food prepared from our own gardens.
We started this craze in 2007, though it was probably before that, but official we supplied our first baked item for Coffee Cat in August of that year. Amazed at what people thought of our food, business took off and grew and grew. So now we were not only stay at home Mums with young children & hands on farmer’s wives, we now ran a business. Crazy you may be saying quietly in your head, believe me we did too. But imagine how it felt for us being able to supply honest, homemade food, with no artificial flavours or colours and no preservatives either!! What a blast.

People love homemade food and wholesome food also and this is where Gill and I felt right at home. We once served curried eggs at a function and spent the whole time thinking how uncool it may be, only to discover the platter returned to the kitchen empty!

If we could all make one small change to the way we eat. What we eat. And where we obtain our food from, imagine the impact this may have on our wonderful planet! We could make that carbon footprint maybe only a size 8 instead of a whopping size 11. Ask yourself next time you go to Woolworths, Coles or where ever you like to shop, do we need to buy oranges for the USA? That orange has travelled thousands of kilometres to get to your table! How can that still be fresh? How much sweeter an orange grown in Australia would taste and how much prouder we could feel knowing that we have supported a local industry and done our bit to help in the war against global warming. Or one step better, plant an orange tree…get your kids to plant a fruit tree. How lovely for them to take a home grown piece of fruit to school.

So my final word to you is turn off the TV, set the dinner table, don’t answer the phone and enjoy a home cooked meal together with your family. Chat, laugh and most of all enjoy.

Bon appetite!

Well I asked a little while ago, who would be interested in joining a book club on my website. The response on both Facebook and Twitter was huge!

Thanks to Nyssa, I now have a chat room on the site and with internet un-savvy (!) people, like me in mind; it’s very easy to use and not at all scary! Having never been in a chat room, in my life, I knew it needed to be that way! A bit later on, we’ll put up exact instructions on how to use it and protocols.

What I’m looking for now, is for you to email me you interest. In the email, can you tell me your name, what sort of genre you like to read, what state you live in – just a small bio of yourself (you can email me from the here)

To choose the book we will read, I’ll email one of you every so often and ask for your choice.

There is NO pressure in this club. If you don’t want to read the book, don’t. Life is too short to have to read and participate in something you don’t want to. If later on you see a book that we’re covering, that you would like to read, please feel free to join in discussions. Like I say, no pressure!

The book club isn’t ready to start, just yet – I have two busy weeks of shearing coming up, but after that, we’ll get started.

Hoping to see lots of emails flooding in from you!