Industry: beef, cattle, lamb and cropping
Age: 42
Lives: Mount Gambier, SA
Nearest airport: Mount Gambier
Smoker/non smoker: definitely non-smoker
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About me:
I came to my family property in 1993 looking for a change. I had been involved in the sporting industry and decided I wanted to do something different and I had always loved my times on the family the farm, so it was a natural move. I'd had enough of the hard sell of being a sports sales rep so I made the move. Having been raised and educated in the city meant that the move to the country was done with no pre-conceived ideas, which was a huge advantage. I’m an outdoors person and I love the life I lead.
Being my own boss, I can live a pretty cruisy life, a very fortunate life. You do learn from your mistakes and being self employed means it's sink or swim. That said, I wouldn't give it away for the world. It hasn't all been easy, but the most difficult part is having no partner to share it all with. My values in life are directly linked to what I value in women: have a go and do it with a smile and you will have my undivided attention!
How would you describe yourself? Give five characteristics that define you
1. Generous
2. Motivated
3. Athletic
4. Hard worker
5. Committed
What is your family like? What is your relationship with your family members like?
I have a mother, brother and sister (and her family). Mum lives on the farm in her own residence, far enough away to not know what I'm getting up to! My brother lives in Mount Gambier and my sister lives with her family in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.
Dad died of cancer in 1998 and I draw inspiration from him and remember to enjoy every day because you don't know what’s around the corner. I have a very realistic attitude to life and always try to look at the positives. We are a close family without being over the top and we always respect what the others are doing and we are very supportive of our choices in life. The farm brings us all together. It would be sad to ever sell the farm because it would affect our family in so many ways.
I also have a house in a little fishing village 1.5 hours from the farm. My sister takes her kids there and comes to the farm for time away. There's so much fun to be had with kids and family on the farm. My niece is almost 11 and she can already drive!
What do you and your friends like to do?
Holidays at the beach. We often go to Bali around July to August for a few weeks on surfing holidays. I love the beaches and mixing with the culture, food and people in Bali. The first time I went there I didn't know what was going on, but you need to understand the people and their ways.
I also visit Portsea, Sorrento and Robe in Australia. They all have little fishing villages and beautiful beaches. Lots of my farming mates have houses there.
My friends and I have sport and fitness in common and push each other physically in training, whether it be bike riding, surfing/swimming or golf. You name it, we do/try it!
We are all 40-43 years old and keep friendly competition and love adventure. There wouldn't be many 25 year olds who could keep up with me and my mates!We're fitness and health orientated, but we still like to go out and have a beer and have fun. In general my mates' lives have totally changed in the past few years. Lots got married and have kids, so I don’t have as many single mates now.
I also like to go to the movies or restaurants, but with dates rather than mates.
How would your friends describe you?
My mates would say I'm loyal, driven, independent, funny and generous. They'd say that I'm open with my emotions, I'm thoughtful, caring and sensitive to other peoples' feelings. They say I'm a (SNAF) Sensitive New Age Farmer! A few mates call me this, I guess I am pretty sensitive. I'm tough but fair, as my grandfather used to say. In all situations, I like to do the right thing by people. My grandfather taught me right from wrong and that was the best lesson I’ve ever learnt. I'm confident in my abilities and what I've achieved, without being arrogant.
How would you describe yourself in relationships? What qualities do you bring to relationships?
I haven't had a relationship for a while, but my last one was a really special relationship that didn't work out; we had to go separate ways because of circumstances. I'm very independent, I don't always need to have a girlfriend. I believe it’s all about who you’re with and the connection you have.
In relationships, I always give 100 percent when inspired and love to inspire the person I'm with. That is exciting for me and really gets me going. I like the person I’m with to challenge me, and hope I can inspire them with my passion and the way I live my life.
I guess you're connected to someone or you’re not. I think people need to give me a go, and let me loosen up and they might find something great. What you see is what you get. I am no angel but I am honest and caring.
I have been working with a life coach to help me find a life partner and identify what has been holding me back from this. Through this coaching, I have discovered lots of things I didn’t know about myself that I would also bring to a new relationship.
What sort of girl are you looking for? What do you want to find in a partner?
Athletic, healthy and prepared to enjoy life to the fullest. Someone who is prepared to have a go and do it with a smile!
I have city tastes. I am a city boy come to the country. My ideal partner is well groomed and enjoys the finer things in life but is prepared to roll up her sleeves and get the job done when needed. No princesses please! My partner will have ambition and is prepared to enjoy the challenges of sharing each others' visions and goals.
What age girl are you looking for?
The old rule, half your age plus seven!
Honestly, age has never been an issue for me or for a potential partner. I just want someone special, their age is irrelevant.
Timing and circumstances have meant that past relationships haven't worked out, nothing to do with age.
What is really important to you in relationships?
Love, intimacy, commitment, sharing, family and adventure. These are the six things that my life coach and I worked through to help me find what is important to me. They're not in order of importance, but I think there also needs to be a connection and physical attraction initially.
Magic happens between two people sometimes, when you least expect it. You can't make it happen if there's no connection, it's one of the mysteries of life. Stop trying, have fun and let things happen.
What is the most romantic thing you've done for a girl?
I am big on flowers providing it is not overdone and predictable.
I once told a girlfriend I was still overseas when I was actually standing outside her front door. No unpleasant surprises and the outcome: amazing!
It is the company you keep that inspires romance. I took someone out once that I had been interested in for a long time. She finally gave me a chance and it was an incredibly romantic night.
The really romantic things just happen without you even thinking of them. Spontaneity is key. Surprise is such an effective tool!
What do you pride yourself on most?
I have achieved everything in life through honest work ethic. The year I completed in the RAAF: I was an airfield defence guard in 1994, defending the 5km radius of an air field. I don't know what drove me to do that, I just heard about it after a year of working back on the farm, and decided I wanted to give it a go. It was tough, mentally and physically, but so rewarding. The first 10 weeks they put you through is mental and physical exhaustion. Testing and pushing your limits, you just had to do it. It was such a rewarding year. It made me mentally tough. When I’m training, I think I’m mentally tough, which is a product of that year.
The most interesting thing about me is...
I get really emotional about horses, I think they are the most amazing animals. I love the emotion of horse racing and everything about them.
Anything else interesting I will only share with my partner!
Interests?
Travel, sport, hanging out with friends, the beach, meeting motivated people, climbing Tour de France stages in the French Alps and Pyrenees with my mates on our bikes.
Favourite music?
I have a very broad music taste. Music for different situations and moods. I love everything from AC/DC to Pavarotti, Pink Floyd to Linkin Park! I don't know why, but I just get it.
Favourite reading?
I’m more of a 'doing person', not much time for reading. I do read novels sometimes on holidays, but I'm more of a do-er. Mum buys me listening books for when I’m driving, but I also read Tom Clancy. I love inspiring stories (biographies) like Lance Armstrong. I like to draw inspiration from people who have suffered, beaten the odds and made it to the top. I also like the newspaper.
Favourite movies?
I don't think there are any decent movies out now. I love a movie with a good plot and a good story. Something that really gets you involved and that's real. I can’t get into the space and future movies. I struggle to get into movies that don't have some sort of reality about them.
I like good feelgood movies:
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,
Gladiator,
Notting Hill,
Conspiracy Theory,
Thomas Crown Affair,
Casino Royale and
Man from Snowy River, just to name a few.
Likes?
Sport (particularly training and challenging yourself), the farm, athletic lifestyle, the beach, living the good life, toys. I love motorbikes, surfboards, surf skis, golf clubs. I have friendly competition with my mates with my toys. All the stuff you can have fun with! Hanging out with my friends and their kids (especially on holidays; restaurants and movies; my car; inspiring/motivating people; footy at the MCG. Go Hawks!
Dislikes?
People who live an unhealthy lifestyle. I have no tolerance for smoking and drugs.
Lack of personal hygiene and grooming. Moody/grumpy people. They are hard to communicate with because they go off in their own little world. It’s a waste of energy. No point in being grumpy, although I guess I do get a bit grumpy sometimes. Lack of motivation.
People who are never happy with what they've got. People who have the beautiful home and beautiful kids and never take time to smell the roses. I don’t have time for people like that – what a waste.
The Final Word from Farmer Rob
I have an incredibly fortunate lifestyle which centres around a healthy attitude, the farm, the beach and Melbourne. The bottom line is "What's the point if you don't have someone special to share it with?"
And I definitely want to be a Dad. In the past few years, I have really bonded with my friends' kids, and I really want some of my own."
