Don't bother with the forecast

"In recent years meteorologists, oceanographers and climate historians have started to predict weather conditions for months and even years into the future."

With the unpredictable nature of the outback climate comes an urge to accurately predict the weather. Methods used range from analysis of ocean temperatures to observing the behaviour of the local wildlife.

"Long-range forecasts are no more likely to be correct than predicting the shape of a gum tree. To be brutally honest, long-range forecasts are crap."

While it would be ideal to predict months in advance, at best we are still only tell what is coming within a few days. At least in this technological age, pastoralists all over Australia have this information at their fingertips via the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website.

"Maybe the uncertainty is a good thing, like not knowing when the siren is going to sound in a close footy game or not being able to predict the shape of a gum tree. 

Maybe this unpredictability shapes the unique bush psyche. 

Maybe we should stop trying to predict the rain."