“We’d begun the habit of dropping into the Bull ‘n Barrel Pub on Friday nights to sit in a cosy corner and dine on generous servings of fish ‘n chips. One evening, before we knew what was happening, there was a cheerful greeting and Eddie roguishly ushered us to our table.”

“‘What’ya eatin’ tonight?’ he demanded, staring at the blackboard menu. ‘Try the curry. It’s bloody yummy.’”

“Then, with a loud belching chuckle, Eddie flamboyantly renamed The Engineer with the grand title of ‘Mr Needs a GPS to Survive’. His voice was very deep and loud. And when he announced that I was to be ‘Harri-Henry our Country Chick’, the regulars drinking at the bar burst out laughing. “

“But our real favourite character is Earthy Murphy. Earthy Murphy is a retired cattle farmer and training greyhounds is one of his passions. Stories are told about how he is a ‘few roos loose in the top paddock’. He is known as the bush mouse because of his reputation for falling sound asleep anywhere out on his farm. ‘His mouth wide open and snores so loud the wallabies come over to check him out,’ said Dusty with a grin. “

“We met Earthy Murphy as we went into the pub one evening. He was leaning on the counter and he turned and greeted us enthusiastically. Then, with disconcerting frankness, he looked me up and down and in a booming voice announced that, in his experience, old women farmers were as rare as rocking horse shit!”