Robert Flute and Sharon West sit in the entertaining room of their Chatfield property at Charters Towers.
Their beloved dog Annie patrols the perimeter as pens of heifers gnaw away dreamily on blades of grass.
The sun begins to sink into the horizon, painting golden, sunburnt hues across the hide of their latest $170,000 find - an Arizona Sir Presley.
The couple paid a record at this year's Big Country Sale, for the bull from Paul and Catherine Mackenzie from Dingo - beginning a new legacy after their worlds were turned upside down due to floods in Richmond in 2019.
"We lost 1000 head in that from exposure...it just didn't stop raining. We had 30 inches of rain in four days. It was a proper disaster," Mr Flute said.
A paddock of hundreds of heifers were lost in the devastating flood.
"They were the best heifers that we put together after seven to eight years with five bulls, some being Lancefield. And they all died...it knocks the ass out of you," Ms West said.
"We had to start breeding again from what was left, from what survived. The second and third string females."
Mr Flute nodded - the tough reality of rural living always a very real part of graziers' lives.
"It wrecks you. The heifers were the best we've ever bred and they were all dead in a heap on top of one another," he said.
"It was hard but we got a bit of help from the government, but you never replace the good ones you've lost."
The couple are now in the rebuilding phase, tapping into quality breeding in hopes of beginning a new generation of Brahman stock.
"We're still developing but we're trying to breed some real good bulls," Mr Flute said.
"(The Arizona Presley is) our main sire and then at the Carinya (Garglen) sale (on October 25) we paid $55,000 for a bull (Carinya B Esteban) there.
"(We want to) breed some good bulls and hopefully some top ones. And...we're trying to breed some polls."
While many couples hit the road or sit back and enjoy their golden years, this couple is eyeing off a different vision for their retirement.
Having also purchased 14 heifers averaging $13,143 from the Lancefield sale recently, the start of their new herd is already in the works.
Heifers purchased last year from Paul Fench are already in calf to the Arizona Presley.
"They'll start calving at the end of this month," Mr Flute said.
"We've used Lancefield bulls for years. They're bigger and we've always done well with them but we've never had a chance to get into their female genetics.
"(The heifers have a) beautiful temperament. They've only been here a couple of weeks. There's a few of them that were in calf to different bulls. (We bought) half of the heifers at the sale."
It was the Lancefield name that drew them to the heifers, after a promising history with Lancefield brand in the past.
"That's why we went and had a crack," Ms West said.
The couple moved to Charters Towers last August from Richmond, where they sold a couple of hundred bulls each year.
"I've been in the industry all my life. I used to own property south of Mount Garnett and we had 500 square miles up there and we sold it to wind back," Mr Flute said.
"We bought a lot of heifers last year too. Out west at Richmond we used to breed bulls and we sold most of the herd when we sold out."
Making the move to Charters Towers as part of their "semi-retirement", there is hope for a new generation of Chatfield legacy.
Paul Fenech's Sarina sale was also paid a visit by the Chatfield pairing on October 21.
"Paul Fenech's breeding and his genetics. We fell in love with his cattle as well," Ms West said.
While the market is putting strain on the industry on a wide scale, from dry conditions and "the price of cattle", it's not the first time Mr Flute has weathered through tough times.
"I think the rain will take a lot of pressure off the market. You wouldn't see it much worse than what it is now," he said.
"In 1974, the early 70s, it was like this. It was worse to the fact we were getting $8-$10 for cows, but everything was cheaper in those days. It's probably worse now in comparison with costs.
"We're not in the market in a big way anymore, so we're just trying to breed a few good ones. We're running a bit over 100, mainly stud...there's about 25 or something in calf."
The couple have lived around the bush all their lives.
"We've been wet, we've been dry, we've been dry, dry, dry, and it ain't no different now," Ms West said.
For now, the Chatfield name is showing promise of being renowned for quality.
"Our main objective is to just do what we're doing...breed what we want to breed and see what happens," Ms West said.
"It's just a product...and (hopefully one) that people will come back for."
