May 28th : Day 6 : Wagga Wagga

May 28, 2012: Day 6: Wagga Wagga

Well today is day 6 ! Where has the time gone? We have been just cruising our way through Australia and it has been awesome! This morning we woke up around 6:00 , got ready, and went and had some breakfast. Our hotel once again has bunk beds, very interesting. I guess since there are like three of us in a room they think we all need our own beds. Also while we were at the hotel Katelyn, Elizabeth (my roomies) , and I all bagged up some laundry (jeans mainly) to be washed. The weather right where we have been has been chilly.

Our first stop for the day was to the Wagga Wagga Saleyards. We toured and talked to the manager about the differences between our saleyeards and Australia's. We sat on a live sale where the manager said they run about five hundred cattle through the sale in an hour or less. They have two pens where you can currently see what is being sold and also what is up next. It seems like it saves time.

Cattle in the saleyards

The second stop for the day was at the Cargill Beef abattoir. Here we suited up in our fun white outfits, hard hats, goggles, rubber boots, and we were off to tour the plant. Oh just to mention the boots I had to wear were like size 13 and reached up more than half my legs. Imagie that scene. In the plant they are basically on an American system, which is efficient and organized. The plant is clean and they have about thirty differnt nationalities that are employed. They export a bunch of tongue,and different parts of stomach compartments. Cargill strives for honesty, loyalty and success in their company. Much like Cargill in America. This was the first abattoir in Australia that we toured that had grain fed cattle that are harvested.

Auctioner running the sale at the saleyards

After Cargill we were off to lunch and the Jindalee Feedlot. We went to Terminus Hotel in Temora. I ordered cajun chicken and it was pretty good. Very spicy but very tasteful. They also serve french fries with everything which is getting old . I probably wont be eating much more french fries ! After lunch we visited Jindalee Feedlot which is a part of Cargill feedlots and send most of their beef to the Teys Cargill abattoir , which we visited earlier today. They have a capacity of 17,000 and currently have about 15,000 currently there right now. They feed a different feed ration unlike ours. It was very interesting.

Today we learned a bunch and tomorrow we are headed to SYDNEY !!! Cant wait!

So long mates !

-Kara