When I first came to Australia, for a year, we lived in a cabin in a paddock which was often full of cattle. Cattle came right up on our verandah. On occasion, when I set off for work in the morning, I would have to push one or two aside in order to get to the van.

The cows also liked the gates, so every time I got to a gate, I had to get out, push the cows aside and kind of chase them off, then open the gate, drive through quickly, and shut the gate.

Sometimes I would walk out instead of driving, and yes, the cattle would close ranks and start trotting toward me, but waving my arms and rushing toward them would make them run off a little ways. If I had to walk through them, I just walked through them. They'll move if they have to.

That said ... if there is a bull somewhere in the herd, it's a whole different story. Sometimes they'd let the bulls into the paddock, and when they did, I'd have a look to see where the bulls were, and if they were anywhere nearby, I'd opt not to walk. I started to walk across the paddock once, when I heard one of the bulls growl. It was still some way off, but it was staring at me, and pawing the ground. I turned around and walked slowly back into the shelter of the trees along the edge of the paddock again. Better safe than sorry.


That's our van and the wood pile next to the cabin we lived in ...