Story by ABC News.
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WHEN NOT mustering livestock in his helicopter, Byron Bay’s Jamie Henderson covers his 180-horsepower chopper with a shade blanket, “so the sun doesn’t cook the GPS and the insides of the machine”.
Neither Mr Henderson nor his helicopter are locals here in the outback — they are from Byron Bay, in northern New South Wales, where the sun is not quite as fierce and destructive as it can be in Tibooburra in the far west.
“It’s quite a contrast of difference, especially in the countryside, with the size of the properties out here,” he said.
“Over on the east coast they are all small farms [so] there is no need for helicopters to muster over there.”
This is why Mr Henderson is here — his helicopter is in great demand with outback graziers whose sprawling properties can take days to drive.
“I came out here about two-and-a-half year ago, giving a friend of mine a hand over near Enngonia, mustering some cattle over there,” he said.
“Then the neighbour wanted a job done and it expanded.”