MINEHEAD man John Robinson is helping to save Australia from a severe shortage of cowboys.

John, 23, has swapped the muddy paddocks of Somerset for the dry bush of Queensland where he is learning the ropes.

There is a huge shortage of young farmworkers in Australia because so many young people from the countryside have left for the cities or overseas so British backpackers willing to get their hands dirty in the 'bush' are in great demand.

John first heard of the Down Under labour drought through the working holiday company Visitoz, which gets people jobs in the rugged and beautiful outback.

For full details, see the West Somerset edition of this week's Somerset County Gazette.