There's a "HELLOOO!" from up ahead. It's the ground crew with lunch. Dismount for a short walk to the "orchid lookout". I tie up the horses, make them comfortable, then join the group for lunch.

And what a lunch… On a rocky lookout, surrounded by orchids, ferns and tall trees is a picnic table with a banquet! Admire the view while you choose where to start… Today there is hearty soup and damper with herbs from our organic garden, antipasto, salads (also from the garden), and a gloriously indulgent sponge cake (light as a feather and made locally with free range eggs and fresh cream and passionfruit topping). Finish up with tea, coffee and handmade chocolates.

Your next thought is "How will I get back on the horse?!". Take some photos of the view and enjoy the serenity of this secluded spot. Then it's time to remount and explore higher trails.

I usually take along a treat for the horses, too. So before mounting give your horse a piece of apple or carrot. Their soft muzzle brushes your palm and their whiskers tickle!

From here we ride further along the trail, crossing the creek above the lookout, amongst lillypilly trees, then onto the "top circle trail". We ride through tall eucalypts. There are raucous screeches and a flight of yellow tailed black cockatoos soar overhead. I say "they bring rain. An old farmer's tale, but it seems to be true." But not today, maybe in a day or so...

Would you like to try a canter along here? Some of the group are eager, others are full after lunch and prefer to walk. While I canter ahead with some of our group, our second guide walks with the other riders. This is a great track for canter and the horses pop into an easy rocking pace. All too soon we're at a clearing and give the horses a "breather" while we look at the rain forest and laugh about Nudge's pacing up the track. He is a "little wide behind" and looks quite funny! But he's so smooth and gentle to ride, and such a character...!

The rest of the group rejoin us and say that we missed the old strangler fig and the delicious native raspberries growing alongside the trail.

On around the circle trail and we stop to take photos of the view over the paddocks. Here, we're about 200 m above the arena. The horses in the paddocks below look like toys.

Riding downwards you realize how surefooted your horse is.

Suddenly, "Crash… crash… crash…" a wallaby bounds out of the bush and across the track. Your horse snorts and the wallaby is gone. The bell miners are loud again as we turn onto a trail back into the paddocks.

By now it's afternoon and the breeze has sprung up. Looking down towards the arena you can see Trigger posing at the edge of a dam, a mirror-like reflection below him.

We ride home at a walk, letting the horses cool off, talking with new friends about the things we've seen and done today.

Return to the Home Paddock.