MAX Gubbins, 24, was thousands of kilometres away from the family farm when he realised it was home where he wanted to make his career.
He had spent years studying, working off-farm and travelling, and was on a 13-month trip in Europe with friends when he decided his next move would be back to the family's Coolana Angus stud and mixed farming operation in the state's south-west.
And from the outset, farming's biggest challenge, the weather, tested his mettle.
"I came back in August 2014 and the day I landed, it stopped raining," Mr Gubbins said.
"I thought I was a jinx for agriculture, but what better way to learn than have a really tough season."
He said he enjoyed working with parents Anna and Mark, and the rest of the Coolana team, and was learning so much.
Mr Gubbins represents the third generation to work on the Chatsworth farm, which now incorporates about 2630 hectares. The Coolana operation also has farms in Meningie, South Australia, which has allowed the Gubbins to increase herd size, calve down in different seasons and have a greater genetic diversity to offer clients.
After finishing school, Mr Gubbins spent a year working at Newcastle Waters Station in the Northern Territory.
He had an "awesome time" working at the stock camp and as a jackaroo, and got to ride bulls and sleep under the stars.
The station has about 45,000 head of cattle including about 20,000 Brahman breeders, on 10,353 square kilometres, so they muster them with helicopters, motorbikes and horses.
Mr Gubbins returned to Victoria to do a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in international business, at Swinburne University. Upon completing his degree, he worked as an assistant trader at a Melbourne-based meat trading business, which he said was a great experience.
With four mates, Mr Gubbins then travelled to Europe, where they spent little more than a year living and working in places as diverse as a ski resort at Val d'Isere in south-eastern France, and a Buffalo farm in Scotland.
He said since returning to the family farm last year, they have had to do a lot of feeding out of stock and the team has been having "a real crack" at pasture renovation.
"This year, for the first time in a long while, we haven't put a crop in," he said.
Mr Gubbins' focus is on the meat production. At Coolana, they run prime lambs and beef, specialising in Angus seedstock production.
Mr Gubbins said these different aspects of the farming operation complemented each other, and he wanted to work to improve the sheep side of it.
He is also keenly interested in the Angus stud, but Mr Gubbins said it required a lot of specialised knowledge that he was gradually learning.
Max's father, Mark has always been adamant that the cattle he breeds have to grow efficiently and reproduce in realistic farming environments.
Mr Gubbins is happy a lot of his friends have come back to farms, including in the region.
"It's great to be able to share experiences ad it's a good life – working outside every day and being able to see the results of your work.
"Like that paddock, I sowed the pasture and you have pride in what you've grown and hopefully, what makes you money."
If you know a young person thriving in agriculture let us know via stockandland@fairfaxmedia.com.au
