| A bold digital advertising campaign targeting high | | | | run the station day-to-day, or you could employ a |
| net worth individuals around the world is the | | | | manager and visit the property whenever you |
| centrepiece of an unusual marketing program for | | | | like." |
| a cattle station up for auction in Australia's | | | | The new owners wouldn't need to make the |
| Northern Territory. The digital ads are linked to a | | | | ultimate "tree change", says Charlie, as there are |
| purpose-built website that showcases the cattle | | | | plenty of talented station managers around who |
| station, | | | | would love to be offered such a job. |
| The campaign aims to plant the seed into | | | | They wouldn't even have to live in Australia. |
| potential investors' minds that a cattle station is a | | | | The nearest town, Alice Springs has an |
| better alternative to other options – such as a | | | | international airport and the claim to fame of being |
| luxury yacht, or a horse stud. | | | | the closest town to the geographical centre of |
| "Mustering cattle is far more interesting than | | | | Australia. |
| watching grapes grow," says the owner of | | | | MacDonald Downs is about 285km northeast of |
| MacDonald Downs, Charlie Chalmers. "We muster | | | | Alice, and occupies about 2000+ square |
| by helicopter and quad bikes, I fly very low to the | | | | kilometres of the unique heart of Australia. It will |
| ground to find the cattle hidden under the | | | | have around 6,000 head of cattle at the time it |
| vegetation and let the bikes know where to | | | | goes under the hammer, on 18 June this year. |
| follow them up." | | | | The vendors have produced a website that |
| The cattle are taken to market up in Darwin by | | | | covers every aspect of the station, from the |
| one of the world's biggest road trains, routinely | | | | business to the lifestyle and everything in |
| carrying around 300 head of cattle in three | | | | between, aiming to give potential buyers a taste |
| double-decker carriages for the two-day journey | | | | of what's on offer. |
| up north. | | | | "The cattle pretty much take care of themselves, |
| It's these "boy's toys" that have prompted the | | | | feeding on the shrubs and grasses that occur |
| Chalmers to market their property as the | | | | naturally on the land and doing things like |
| "ultimate toy", the perfect sized cattle station to | | | | reproducing without any interference from the |
| provide a healthy profit and an exciting lifestyle at | | | | humans," says Charlie. |
| the same time. | | | | "There's plenty of water in dams and bores that |
| "We know there are potential investors out there | | | | are connected to an extensive irrigation system. |
| who have never thought of a cattle station as an | | | | There's plenty of opportunity for further crops |
| investment. Of course you could move here and | | | | and developments in eco-tourism. |