Motorcycle crash changes Grant Baker's life

His 49th birthday is this week, and he plans to celebrate the day driving the header in a 600-hectare Lillaroi Durum wheat crop in the Carroll and Breeza districts in NSW's north east with his father, Peter and station hand Brett Warren.

As his wife, Heidi said: "Grant was changed from an incredibly fit and active grain farmer to the new world of life in a wheelchair, (but) he hasn't skipped a beat".

Using ideas and photographs from a NSW Central West district farmer Jeff Bennett, of Condobolin, with a few homemade modifications, Grant has a chair attached to a $150 four-wheel-drive winch that can elevate him to the cab of his John Deere 9670 header.

Mr Baker worked with Mr Warren to weld the framework for his header hoist, mainly scrap metal from behind the workshop.

He plans to make more use of this workshop partnership as ideas he's been considering will be put into practical shape to make life easier for him around the farms.

"I'm just nutting it all out, working out what my role will be on the farms rather than running it," he said.

"I'd rather be doing stuff around the farm than sitting in the office."

To this end, the farm will buy a 110-kilowatt John Deere tractor with a better seat that will fit his needs, a Polaris side-by-side and a RAM ute that handles the rough roads and provides more comfort.

"I bought an Isuzu ute to get converted (to hand controls), but I still get a lot of neuropathic pain and on a rough road or country, that stirs that pain up," he said.

"My tractor means I can go out slashing, spraying, or doing stuff around the place."

The support from the state government body, icare, a support scheme (Lifetime Care) pays for treatment, rehabilitation and care for people who've been severely injured in a motor accident. Through this scheme, he is working on acquiring an electric wheelchair that has tracks and a lifting frame that can stand him upright with the proper support.

"I will have a remote control for the electric chair, which would allow me to jump into my normal chair and then run the electric one up some ramps into the back of the RAM," he said. "Then I can get around the farms a lot easier."

Mr Baker has converted his Volvo SUV to hand controls and can drop into his local, the Curlewis pub, for a couple of beers.

"It's good to let people know I am around," he said.

Before his accident, Mr Baker loved to water ski competitively, wakeboard and do little stunts like flips; he even competed on the Hawkesbury River near Wisemans Ferry.

Since his release from hospital and rehab in mid-June, he's discovered he can get back on the water on a particular ski for people with paraplegia - a seat on a wakeboard is how he describes it.

"I'm working on ideas on how to fit a hoist to my boat so I can get in and out, and I'll be able to drive it," he said.

A couple of weeks ago, he returned to the Sydney suburb of Collaroy, where a motel is designed especially for people with paraplegia. He was able to catch up with his mates from the spinal unit, a sort of anniversary get-together.

"It was great catching up with my mates; we went out in the surf, deep-sea fishing, and learning to ride a seated bike with hand pedals. It was a great chance to catch up," he said.

When the Durum harvest gets underway, another header will be working in the paddock with him, so any concerns about breakdowns have been eased.

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The Durum was planted into the stubble of 270 ha of irrigated cotton and 250ha of dryland cotton.

With the current rainfall pattern, Mr Baker said he is considering double-cropping the durum stubble with either sunflowers or sorghum.

He said support from neighbours and friends ensured the success of the last harvest.

"All the neighbours gave a hand, driving headers and lending machinery, it was really helpful and something I really appreciated," he said.