Ever dreamed of throwing it all away and starting over? Nikki is living out a Farmer Wants A Wife fairytale dream after declaring 'Im out'.
Nikki West sent jaws dropping after she announced she was canceling her wedding and separating from her fiancé weeks before the wedding.
' One day after a lot of reflecting I came to this realisation I wasn’t living the life I wanted. I was living up to the expectations of society and I thought 'nope. I'm out. I had been out for years now and I needed to make the right choice for myself.’
Nikki packed her things and headed for the outback town of Dubbo NSW leaving her Sydney home and teaching career behind. The sudden change of heart left her family and friends in the dust feeling puzzled and concerned for her decisions. They were also worried there would be no rural opportunities for her.
Nikki sought refuge at her Godfather’s rural property where she had spent her childhood helping and started her own beef cattle business three years prior.
' I had spent my holidays and weekends with my godfather on his property working cattle and goats. It was my happy place.' Nikki reminisced. 'So that’s where I went while I thought out what the next step was and I just never went back. Friends and family kept expecting me to come back and salvage the relationship, which at the time it was quite hurtful because - no one was truly listening to what I wanted. I just wanted my family to trust in my decisions. I know what I want, and I'll go for it. '
Watching Nikki crack a whip to keep their (21!) dogs in line and watching them instantly become mute, it wasn't hard to see she wasn't afraid to take control of her own path. There is also a lesson in Nikki's determination to change the course of her future. Not many are brave enough to back out of a wedding out of fear of inconvenience, or disappointing others. It’s a good example of societal pressure on women who are subconsciously pressured into people-pleasing.
'I never ended up returning home and a month later I met Dayne, a shearing contractor. Who was someone that encouraged me to think outside the box, who had spent years on self-growth, and just truly inspired me. It was confronting to reveal this new relationship, but I knew what I wanted and I wasn't going to let anyone tell me how to live my life ' Over the next few years Nikki and Dayne became a powerhouse couple, purchasing a sheep cage dipping, jetting and lamb marking business, as well as expanding their shearing run and services all over NSW. Broadening her skillset and getting involved in the community Nikki also has attended numerous regenerative agriculture workshops, working-dog training schools and is now breeding and training her own working dogs.
Flicking through their recent wedding photos in an architecturally designed home on the outskirts of the town Dubbo, listening to their vowels crackle through my phone speaker, the melody of a thick country Aussie accent that was Dayne's speech.
Nikki piped up 'Dayne had actually given me an ultimatum at the start, you know in the past he has wasted enough time on people who didn’t have their heart in it. He was searching for someone who would not just be a companion but a life and business partner and challenge each other to be a better self-everyday. He said It’s either you're all in or you're not haha'
Now cradling a little bub inside her womb at 38 weeks Nikki chauffeured me around like a tour guide. I couldn't help myself from offering her a seat and a tea 5000 times each day. She had no problem getting her boots and hat on every morning to check out the ins and out of their day-to-day business. 'I'm right if I have a little nap around 3' she laughed. Popping chocolate into our mouths like popcorn (an addiction we both inherited)
'What plans do you have for the future with bub?' I enquired, on our last day together.
Passing tea to Nikki, she rubbed her belly and looked at me with excitement. ' We plan on buying a caravan so I can continue to come along and travel the countryside with Dayne as a family. It’s really important to me that we stay connected and do not fall into old-world thinking with our roles as a family. I want to continue to be involved in the business and Dayne's dream is to be a stay-at-home dad part-time. ' I want to involve our little angel to learn and grow through hands-on experiences.
you can learn more about Nikki and Daynes Rural services such as;
Shearing
Crutching
Lamb Marking
Cage Dipping and Jetting
Rural Labour Hire
you can find them here > DWRural