The brumbies, in excellent condition, were enjoying a paddle road-side and snacking on fresh blades of grass.
Given the scrutiny he's been under this year, it was refreshing to see the young ‘Spud’ running around like an unbroken brumby, and actually being chased by that old thoroughbred, Bernie Quinlan.
On the way we run into a squall - the pilot comes down out of it in a corkscrew turn and the sight at about 500 feet was brilliant - flocks of parrots and lines of brumbies.
A mob of brumbies, which were considered a bigger nuisance, diverted the hunt and several of these animals were captured instead.
Through the script, it is clear that Elyne Mitchell is an expert on wildlife, and much of the early part of her story describes the lives of the wild brumbies in their natural environment.
Anybody who has ever been on a North Queensland pastoral lease knows that you can go 20, 30, 40 miles day after day and all you will see is a few brumbies and some wild pigs; you will not see any cattle anywhere.
It's this belief that forms the underlying theme of In Search of a Wild Brumby (the story itself concerns the author's search for a brumby to call his own).
Infested with wild pigs, brumbies and feral cattle, it's an untamed, remote place that challenges the senses.
These were not feral pests (though some brumbies could be considered as such) they were owned animals and presumably valuable livestock that just did not happen any old how but were deliberately bought and raised by a farmer.
Mr Riggs, to whom Justice Steytler makes such reference, after all, was talking about losing 50 valuable beasts, not brumbies.
And the horses got extremely skittish and we thought Lord, they must be attacking the brumbies and that's what this big pack is all about.
So feral goats, brumbies, the wild horses, buffaloes, these will all present much greater problems in terms of live transport than our domesticated animals.