Bush Bachelors find true country love
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In 2005 a couple of likely contenders by the names of Helen Pickels from Kingaroy and Luke Simmons from Normanton, were nominated by friends to enter the competition. Both were selected as finalists and went on to attend the party at the Roma Picnic Races.As fate would have it, Helen collected the title of Bush Bachelorette that day and also met the man who would later become her husband. The couple's version of events match up, with both claiming it was late in the afternoon before the girls and guys started talking.
"I asked Helen for her number, and we ended up talking quite a bit that day," Luke said. "As people started heading to the dance floor we got chatting and realised we had similar interests," Helen said. "We both had a fair drive home the next day, so on Sunday we met for an early breakfast at McDonald's, then parted ways," Luke said.
A few days later Helen called Luke and asked if he would accompany her on the holiday she had won as a part of the Bush Bachelors competition. Luke reckoned that offer was as good as winning the prize, but as it turned out he wasn't able to make it. Not to be deterred, Luke was due to visit Brisbane not long after and decided to call in and see Helen. "It was a couple of hundred kilometres out of my way, and took a bit of organising, but I timed it so I could take her out to tea," Luke said.
The meeting didn't go as perfectly as Luke had planned, with a bit of uncertainty coming from both sides. "We were leading separate lives but were keeping in touch," Helen said. However that uncertainty was easily undone, when Helen made a call to Luke the night before he flew out for a round-the-world trip. "Helen called me to wish me all the best and we decided then that she would come up north for a visit when I got home in March," Luke said.
"Once I got her to Haydon Station she must have fallen in love with the place as our relationship started pretty much from the day she arrived. "Now I wasn't totally sure about this match. We breed Brahman type cattle in the Gulf, so a girl from a Poll Hereford stud at Kingaroy was really the opposition. "But I guess Brafords are versatile cattle so it should be a good cross," Luke said.
After trying the long distance relationship thing, seeing each other only every two months, Helen took the plunge and moved to Normanton. As it turns out it was a decision that Helen is glad she made. "It's a good lifestyle, but I didn't think I'd end up this far north," Helen said.
About a year later Luke was in Kingaroy for a meeting, and he made a visit to Helen's parents and got the nod to ask the big question. "She picked me up in Cairns so I took her out to tea. I think she knew something was up when I suggested a walk along the esplanade, but she still looked surprised when I pulled out the ring," Luke said. Luke was in Cairns so I drove over there to pick him up and we went out for tea," Helen said.
"I thought it was odd that we were both drinking wine that night, but even as we were walking along the esplanade I was too busy looking at the lights on the boardwalk to realise what was about to happen," Helen said. Luke produced a silver ring, only to discover Helen apparently wears gold. Luckily Helen reckoned the fact he had gone to the trouble of finding a nice ring was good enough.
Their wedding was held in Kingaroy on September 13 at the Whipbird Chapel with the reception following nearby. Luke's MC for the wedding made a visit to the Queensland Country Life office before the wedding and went through the old editions of the paper to find both Luke and Helen's Bush Bachelor profiles. Both profiles and another that had been 'mocked up' were placed on each table at the reception. The couple reckons there's always been a bit of a joke that Luke made it to the final and didn't win - the competition at least! "If you don't get involved you'll never know," Helen said. "We were both nominated by friends and when I got the call to go in it, I thought it would be a good chance to catch up with some friends." As it turns out, Helen nominated a previous Bush Bachelor winner, Adrian Neilsen. "If you're thinking about it, throw your hat into the ring."
The 2009 Bush Bachelors competition has launched with Queensland Country Life's Kate Wilcock and Amelia Elliston heading to the Roma Cup to sign up keen bachelors and bachelorettes. The 2009 competition will feature a great array of prizes including a holiday, R.M. Williams gift vouchers and a bounty from Carlton United Beverages.
For more information contact Queensland Country Life