Meet Tim Bade from Spring Creek Barramundi

Our trusted and sustainable Aussie barra farms are located all across Australia in some of the most pristine waters. One of our barra farms, Spring Creek, is located in the tropics of North Queensland, with crystal clear waters and an abundance of wildlife.
We chatted with Tim Bade, who manages the Spring Creek Barramundi farm, about what life is like in ‘barradise’.

What’s your favourite thing about barra Farming?
It’s knowing that we are growing pure, fresh, North Queensland barramundi to be enjoyed by Australians all over the country. Barra farming removes the pressure on wild fisheries and ensures that there is abundant supply of sustainably produced barramundi for Aussie families and future generations.

What has been your biggest success?
My biggest success has been driving constant evolution at the farm over the last 16 years, developing water quality management practices that ensure consistent high-quality product for our consumers every week of the year. This has been recognised by the farm’s success at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show taking out Grand Champion twice and achieving consistent gold medal performances, something we are all very proud of here on the farm.

What is special about your fish?
It has a superb texture and flavour, and is very easy to cook! Our unique growing conditions in a zero discharge and highly sustainable freshwater pond system allow us to guarantee the highest quality product 365 days a year without impacting on the natural environment.

Can you share with us the funniest/crazy story you have working with barramundi?
The 2019 floods at Spring Creek were a pretty crazy time on the farm, myself and one other staff member were isolated at the farm by floodwaters for 8 consecutive days. The water kept coming and rose to levels where we risked losing a large portion of our stock. Not to mention the crocodiles coming to visit a few times to keep us on our toes!

What’s it like living in Spring Creek?
Spring Creek Barramundi is in the western suburbs of Townsville in Tropical North Queensland, and it has the best of both worlds; with close proximity to a large city along with a rural lifestyle and setting on the banks of Spring Creek. It really is a great place to live and work, our very own piece of Barradise!

Could you tell us more about the surrounding environment of Spring Creek?
The landscape surrounding us is very typical of the dry tropics region in which the farm is situated. The farm’s production areas exist within a network of man-made wetlands offering picturesque habitats to an abundance of water birds including the majestic Brolga. Beautiful mountain ranges surround us making for spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

For a full list of Aussie farms that you can trust for high-quality, sustainable and delicious barramundi. Check them out here.