THE peace and tranquillity of the rural landscape and the connection with the land, environment, animals and nature, is often something farmers and people from regional communities take for granted.
There are a few farmers and pastoralists however, who realise the opportunity they are able to offer those who do not experience this in their everyday lives, or who may never have had entertained the option before.
With Western Australian's being urged to 'Wander Out Yonder' within their own golden backyard, it is experiences like the well-established Lindum Farmstay, near Carnamah, that have suddenly been thrown into the limelight.
Lindum Farmstay is on the Dring family's farm, on the Bunjil-Carnamah Road and is between Latham, Coorow, Perenjori and Carnamah.
Although it is nowhere near the much-publicised and popular WA coastline and beaches, what really makes Lindum stand out is that it is a real working farm.
Owners and hosts, Roger and Angela Dring and their children Olivia, 20, Jackson 18 and Reuben, 16, have a mixed farming enterprise consisting of large scale cropping, a smaller sheep operation and also a heritage chicken breeding enterprise.
"We love to share all the aspects of farming and farm life with our guests," Ms Dring said.
"Roger and I are really passionate about farming and the food we produce.
"Having people come to stay lets us put it all into perspective for them, where some of their food comes from, whether it be the wheat we grow that is ground into flour and made into bread or pasta, the malt barley which is used to make the beer we all enjoy or seeing (and sampling), the prime lambs we breed, it is often a real eye-opener to our visitors.
"Our aim is to give a really genuine agricultural experience.
"If they come when we are doing an operation, a ride on the tractor or in the header is on the cards to give a real feel of what it is like.
"We've even had guests help us with sheepwork which was their first contact with sheep.
"We also love the interaction we have with the people that come to stay.
"They bring their story and experiences which we enjoy hearing."
An authentic experience is a term that is often splashed around to promote tours, but with regards to the Lindum Farmstay there are no extras being promoted, it truly is all about being authentic and allowing people to see what it is like to live and work on the land, the way farmers live everyday.
The Drings travelled and worked on farms abroad in their earlier days, and this experience of really immersing themselves in another culture and learning first hand other agricultural systems, was a spark in igniting their farmstay.
So in 2017, when Mr Dring took his sons to Melbourne he came up with the idea on how they could share their agricultural experience.
"We were on a boys trip and were staying in an AirBnB and that's when I had an idea on how we can bring people to the country," Mr Dring said.
"We had an extra house on the farm that wasn't being used, and as they say, a house lived in, is a house loved.
"So we just signed up and listed the cottage with AirBNB and we have not looked back."
Maybe it was the foresight of Mr Dring's parents, Peter and Judy Dring, who transported the cottage from Kewdale back in 1999 that was the true beginning of Lindum Farmstay.
They trucked it up and created a home for extra staff and family as the business began to grow.
Visitors started arriving at Lindum, and they had all kinds of ideas of what they could offer and how their stay could be improved - because the hosts asked.
"We encourage feedback from our guests which we take on board," Ms Dring said.
"We have changed and improved a lot of things over the last few years.
"It is ever evolving."
Farmers know that being versatile and diversifying their business keeps their enterprise viable and creates a sense of purpose - it was this mindset that set the Drings on their current path.
Although Lindum Farmstay is more of a hobby to the family, they treat it like all facets of their farming business and they are passionate about aiding people in having the most relaxing or adventurous time they possibly can whilst experiencing the rural life in all its splendour.
"We are true to who we are and what we have to offer," Ms Dring said.
"We offer a humble cottage that takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the ideal place to relax and explore the nearby countryside.
"The income is good, but for us it is more about the connection visitors make with the rural landscape, the native animals and plants in the bush and our farm, the farm animals, the lifestyle and our community."
Ms Dring said they wanted to offer people different options to what they may be used to.
"The government tourism advertising wants people to go out and book tours with companies, like boat tours, wine tours etcetera," she said.
"They don't want you to head to a destination and just 'drop and flop'.
"But we don't mind if guests need to recharge the batteries and get away from it all.
"We encourage people to come here to relax, listen to the tranquillity of nature and just enjoy the evening campfire - which is a highlight.
"However some guests especially families and adventure seekers love to take a day trip and get out and about and explore the many and varied points of interests spread around the region.
"We can point people in the right direction such as take a tour to a local farmer producing honey who will teach people about bees and honey or where to get the best One L Lamb burger in town.
"We provide a little compendium of must-see things to do in the region, but generally people make their own plans."
The remoteness of the farm means it offers crystal clear night sky panoramas to truly see the stars in all their glory.
"The star gazing is just divine here, without any light pollution," Ms Dring said.
"We have a good front verandah where guests set up their telescope to the milkyway.
"There's nothing more sobering than looking into the night sky at 3am to remind us how lucky we are to have this planet earth, and how precious it is, and how small we are, and how important it is to take care of her."
The wildflowers at Lindum are amazing from June to October and Ms Dring takes guests on a short bushwalk to highlight the flowers and orchids.
"Sometimes it's the guests who are pointing out new flowers or birds to me," she said.
Ms Dring also takes groups on longer bushwalks through their pristine private bushland and finishes up with a billy tea.
These bushwalks need to be prearranged.
Their farm offers the perfect location as a base during the wildflower season plus native bird watching and wildlife such as echidnas and kangaroos.
"We believe the Mid West has so much to offer," Ms Dring said.
"All our guests receive farm fresh eggs and a complimentary jar of local honey or homemade marmalade upon arrival, as a little welcome gift.
"We also offer the option, depending on the time of the season, of home-cooked meals, and try to source the food as locally as possibly - so it's usually a big roast lamb with our famous plum sauce and herb crusted roast veg.
"A pudding or pav from the farm eggs to top it off with some good Western Australian red wine.
"We can provide breakfast too if they just don't want to think about bringing their own food.
"Guests usually get their own lunch at the cafes and bakery's dotted around the towns during their outing.
"After a year with people just dropping in for one night and not really absorbing the full experience, we decided to make the accommodation a minimum two night stay.
"Best decision ever."
The Dring's farm is a total of 4500 hectares, and they grow wheat, barley, canola and lupin crops, that are all completely non GM.
They have a small flock of around 200 Merino sheep for grazing and their lamb production.
"But I also like to spin wool," Ms Dring said.
"So as part of the farmstay I do spinning demonstrations to interested people and provide a spinning wheel for anyone who would like to have a go.
"We sell balls of homegrown spun dyed Merino and alpaca wool, which my friends and I spin, and I make beanies and things which are also available.
"Guests like to take a little memento from the farm, so we also sell the honey, jams and sauces and eggs if plentiful.
"Another aspect to the farm is that I breed heritage chickens."
This has been a hobby of mine since I was a girl growing up on our farm in Boddington.
"I sell fertile eggs across Australia, with eggs posted out on a Monday."
Ms Dring said that while COVID-19 had affected air freight in 2020, making egg shipments going east a little unreliable, they continued to supply the WA market and breed the chickens and it is also part of the farmstay experience, with lots of baby chicks in the brooder for visitors to hold.
"Something about COVID-19 actually increased chicken sales during lock down last year," Ms Dring said.
I think people had time and were nesting down and chooks really provide that home-grown feeling, recycling food scraps and entertainment and education for children.
COVID-19 may have affected their chicken breeding business, but it also had a very positive effect on their farmstay business.
So much was the uptick in visitors looking to travel across WA, the requirement for places for people to stay could not keep up.
During the height of the season once regional borders opened, the Drings were also able to offer their workers quarters on the farm as a second cottage, which is sometimes available pending staff on site.
"We have an exclusive camping option too," Ms Dring said.
"The camping experience here at Lindum is for people who are fully self-sufficient.
"We offer a private site nestled in the bush out on the farm with easy RV access.
"We provide a campfire and firewood and campers may swing by the tanks at the sheds with their vans and top up their rainwater if they wish.
"One of the campsites on top of the hill has almost 360 degree views of the horizon, perfect stargazing location."
Mr Dring said they have enjoyed their experience with their farmstay and meeting all the visitors they have had, and they were talking about expanding in the future.
"We have another cottage we can fix up and are even considering converting our shearing shed as an option to host functions or campers," he said.
"We have an art group coming this year so will turn that into a temporary studio for the artists - after shearing that is."
With the options to see tractors on the farm and headers in action, along with spring baby lambs and chickens, the farm has so much for potential visitors to see and do.
"We try to be as flexible as possible with very few rules, however our guests safety is first and foremost on our agenda, so we discourage guest from self tours through the sheds," Ms Dring said.
She said the option to stay on a farm in WA was such a safe environment.
"We don't have the fear of exotic diseases, or dangerous animals like lions and tigers threatening people, you can be free on the farm in that respect," she said.
"I think this safety is actually something we Aussie farmers definitely take for granted," she said.
"We have made some walking tracks in the bush nearby and the boys have even created some bike tracks, jumps and berms included.
"We encourage people to teach their teens to drive out here as they are unhindered and in a safe space.
"And we encourage people to enjoy themselves, make some noise, bring your pets, do things you can't do in a city, dance around the fire, have a party if they wish, as there is no-one to disturb, there are no neighbours to upset."
Prior to COVID-19 the Drings had a steady stream of both Australian and international visitors, with quite a few of the caravanning and grey nomad crowd attracted to the region for wildflower season.
"Prior to COVID we had visitors from Texas USA, China and the East Coast etc," Ms Dring said.
"Last year we had a German backpacker come to stay and he repainted the interior of the cottage for us.
"Everyone who comes to stay takes something different away from it.
"The highlight for one couple was to see up close their very first echidna in the wild.
"We really like our Western Australian guests though, they are acclimatised and have a vested interest in discovering their State.
"Our history is their history.
"Some guests used to live in the area and return with their families to share their story and rekindle memories."
What COVID-19 has highlighted is the need for more accommodation options in WA.
"There are not enough beds in rural WA," Ms Dring said.
"So many people wanting to travel and just not enough places.
"This was discussed recently at an Agritourism workshop I attended.
"It was organised by the Shire of Mingenew in response to assisting farmers and the local community gear up to accommodate for the massive influx of travellers to the region looking for these types of agritourism experiences.
"We farmers are generally so busy just getting on running our farming business that we struggle to find the time or inclination to move into the tourism line.
"Over the past few years, I bet there was not one farmer who didn't think - how can I help/capitalise on these hundreds of caravans passing by the front gate every day?
"We know we have something to offer, its just a matter of us being creative and bold and opening our doors.
"Plus weighing up our time versus reward."
This comment is backed by the recent calls from Exmouth Shire president Matthew Miikkula who asked that people ensure they prebook their accommodation before heading to the town this year, as there were simply not enough resources available for them.
Exmouth was so overwhelmed with travellers who had not booked accommodation, in 2020 post lockdown, that travellers were just setting up camp wherever they saw space, and the infrastructure of the town was not able to cope.
Other popular tourism hotspots have waitlists for the school holiday periods and were booked out a year in advance.
Ms Dring said that while they didn't offer the same tour options as places like Exmouth and major tourist drawcards, farmstays offered a completely different holiday experience and one that was also unforgettable.
"We can take you on a personalised tour of the farm and help point you in the direction of other activities off farm in the area," she said.
"There is an incredible Tractor and Historical Museum in Carnamah and a fabulous local café, One L run by farmers Lydia and Brendan Haeusler serving homegrown lamb and Barramundi from the Morawa fish farm.
"Plus there's a lot to see in nearby Perenjori and Coorow and beyond.
"There are also other small agritourism businesses in the Mid West starting up which will be on the ground come spring time.
"There really is a lot to see and do."
Lindum Farmstay has been a positive experience for the Dring family and they would definitely recommend the venture to other farmers who may have a spare house on their farm and enjoy the company of tourists.
"There are a lot of empty houses on farms," Ms Dring said.
"Other farmers can do this too.
"Start simple and just offer what you enjoy and what you are passionate about.
"We really didn't spend that much getting the cottage ready to be a farmstay and the benefits have been wonderful, whether the income or the people we have met along the way."
Ms Dring said she really only had one crucial piece of advice for any other farmers thinking of starting their own farmstay.
"You do need to have support," Angela said.
"We are a family business, Roger and I do everything on this farm together and the farmstay is another part of the business, you need to help one another out.
"Our family has been right behind us too and step in when we need them."
Ms Dring said the only other requirements are a cosy house with some nice beds and linen, a barbecue and a campfire.
"Also listen to the feedback from visitors, they are what is important to your business
"Be true to yourself, don't try to be something from a magazine, just offer your own unique experience."
