Holstein Highlights heads to the tropics

Holstein Australia is heading to Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands, the heart of Far North Queensland’s dairy industry, for this year’s National Awards Dinner and Annual General Meeting in October.

Ourway Holsteins’ Colin Daley, chair of the FNQ All Breeds Dairy Committee, says that the region’s Holstein and wider dairy community are looking forward to welcoming Holstein Australia members to one of Australia’s most unique dairy regions.

“Centred on the towns of Malanda and Millaa Millaa, the Atherton Tablelands dairy industry is the only tropical dairy industry in Australia and one of the few anywhere in the world,” says Colin.

“Dairy farmers in our region, whatever breed of cattle they milk, are also really focussed on working together to grow the industry and ensure that the community supports each other.

“As a community, we were delighted to be asked to host this year’s National Awards. We plan to really showcase the Tablelands to Holstein Australia members and our many friends from the Holstein Community from all over the country,” says Colin.

Holstein Highlights 2024 takes place from 20th – 23rd October.

Download and complete the Holstein Highlights 2024 Registration Form by 11th October to reserve your place.

HA’s return to Queensland

The last time the National Awards Dinner was held in Queensland was at Toowoomba in 2014 for the Association’s Centenary, an event still remembered fondly by many members.

Holstein Australia president, Gino Pacitti, says: “As a national association it is important that Holstein Australia supports and acknowledges members across all our states and regions.

“I’ve known Colin and many of our members in Far North Queensland for a long time and know how proud they are of their region and what they have achieved for the Holstein breed not only up north, but nationally.

“This year’s Holstein Highlights will be a great opportunity for all our members to see one of Australia’s most remote and unique dairy regions and enjoy a warm welcome and some great hospitality and experiences,” says Gino.

Kickstart your summer

Being held at the end of the Far North Queensland dry season, interstate visitors can expect to kickstart their summer early with a tropical spring.

The itinerary includes time in Cairns, the gateway to Queensland’s tropical north with its beautiful beaches, great restaurants and bustling markets, and a must-do Great Barrier Reef trip to Fitzroy Island (where you can go on a guided snorkel tour, head out on a glass-bottomed boat and explore Fitzroy Island – the choice is yours) before heading inland to the Atherton Tablelands and Lake Tinaroo Resort for the AGM and National Holstein Awards.

Atherton based company Travel Experience, are able to arrange flights and travel for Holstein Australia members and guests attending the event or planning to extend their stay in the region. Travel Experience contact: Kimba Daley direct on 07 4091 3411 / kimba@travel-fnq.com

Holstein Highlights 2024 Itinerary

Sunday 20^th October

• Arrival Cairns
• Welcome dinner Hemingway’s Brewery
• Overnight at Cairns Pullman International

Monday 21^st October

• Great Barrier Reef & Fitzroy Island trip
• Overnight at Cairns Pullman International

Tuesday 22^nd October

• Transfer to Lake Tinaroo Resort via Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
• 2024 Annual General Meeting
• Overnight Tinaroo Lake Resort

Wednesday 23^rd October

• Explore the Atherton Tablelands
• Visits to Ourway Holsteins and Bevandale Family Farming
• National Awards Dinner, Tinaroo Lake Resort

Thursday 24^th October

• Depart Lake Tinaroo Resort
• Transfer to Cairns CBD / Cairns airport
• Optional tours / onward travel

Holstein Highlights guests will have the opportunity to visit two well-known Master Breeder herds, Ourway Holsteins and Bevandale Family Farming.

Ourway Holsteins

Colin Daley founded Ourway Holsteins with wife Shelley in 1989 and is the third generation of dairy farmers on their 305ha Millaa Millaa property.

Milking around 200 registered Holsteins, as with most dairy farms in the region, milk is produced almost entirely for the local and domestic market. Paddocks, ringed with concrete cow tracks to resist the extremes of the wet season (Millaa Millaa recorded 2,018mm of rain over the first 100 days of this year!), back onto the rainforest – not a sight many interstate visitors will have seen previously.

Ourway has bred 75 Excellent cows, is a two time Cow of the Year winner - in 2008 with Ourway Shotime Jackie 8-ET VG88 12* STP LIFE1 and 2013 with Ourway Choice Jackie 3 EX-91-4E 9* STP LIFE4 - and Master Breeder herd.

HA members with young children will also know that Colin Daley was the inspiration behind the children’s book ‘Holly the Holstein’, written by childhood friend Russell Smith, which is a great nod to Colin’s lifelong passion for the Holstein cow.

Bevandale Family Farming

Based in the highly productive dairy region of Ravenshoe in the Atherton Tablelands, fifth generation breeders Henry and Anna Bevan and their young family milk 200 cows - a mixture of registered Holsteins and Jerseys - in a 15-a-side double up dairy.

Running a total of 450 head on 570 acres, the herd grazes year round, supplemented for nine months with corn silage and whole cotton seed fed from a covered feed pad.

Henry’s late father John purchased his first registered Holstein cow in 1976, developing the herd with a heavy influence from New South Wales breeder Charlie Shearer and his Wyoming prefix. Achieving Master Breeder status in 2016, Bevandale Holsteins has bred 67 Excellent cows, including Bevandale Colorado Rosalie App2 EX93-8E STP and Bevandale Bradnick Sally EX93-3E.

The Bevan family are regular attendees at the Malanda Show and participants in the Semex Holstein Australia On-Farm competition, while Henry is an up-and-coming show judge, having overseen the 2018 Brisbane Royal and being an associate judge at the Victorian Winter Fair.

To book you place download and complete the Holstein Highlights 2024 Registration Form and send to asawell@holstein.com.au by 11th October 2024.