Charlie Lovick – cattleman and adventure tourism business owner

Charlie Lovick is a fifth generation mountain cattleman from north-east Victoria. He runs Lovick's High Country Adventures and offers visitors the opportunity to see the region on horseback.

Charlie's forebears came to the high country in 1860 as miners looking for gold, established hotels and became cattlemen. He is based at Mansfield, at the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, in Merrijig.

Mountain cattlemen take cattle up into the high country for the 16 weeks of summer, a time when cattle fatten and the stockmen get to know the country. Charlie describes is as a 'caretaker' role.

Each family that had a mountain cattle run was allowed build a mustering hut. Some, including Lovick's hut, are over 100 years old.

'A mountain cattleman's hut was always left open to all comers. It was a refuge. A walker or a horse rider should not go into the high country without knowing where his huts are.'

Charlie has ridden all of his life. As a child he rode to school and went on to try his hand on the rodeo circuit. He was credited as 'master of horse', and one of his horses, Denni, starred in both The Man from Snowy River movies.

Charlie is passionate about the high country, which he describes as 'big and bold, absolutely beautiful' and 'everybody's country'.

He extends those experiences to visitors who saddle up to see the country and hear his stories on multi-day rides that include river crossings, cattle drives, campfire and high country huts.

'To see it through the eyes of a family like ours with our connection right back to its early days, I think is just a unique opportunity for people – to see it as I think it should be seen. It's spectacular.'