There's not a lot of grass on Peter North's drought-declared farm in Queensland's southwest.
But after 33 years on his 13,000-hectare property near Bollon, he knows the land and reckons his cattle should scrape through until the summer rains - if they come.
And if they don't, the wily 62-year-old says with a chuckle, there's always Thrushton National Park next door.
Thrushton - a 26,000-hectare former cattle station - has been locked up for years and is full of wild dogs, kangaroos and Mulga trees that could feed his hungry cattle.
"It's not a touristy park ... it's just a big square block with no facilities," he tells AAP.
Mr North says he's not desperate enough to jump the fence just yet but if the rains don't come, the gates should be unlocked to help him and other drought-ravaged graziers in the area survive.
About 100km south, Peter Cookson is desperate enough.
He pushed a big mob of his cattle out onto stock routes after the price of feed skyrocketed and the grass ran low on his 16,000-hectare property near Dirranbandi.
But after two and a half months droving, the roadside feed is almost gone and Mr Cookson has been forced to truck his cattle 1200km north.
At $100 per head, the third-generation farmer worries about what that cost burden will mean for his future, given the falling value of cattle and the stress it will put on his weakened animals.
And he admits it hurt that during his time on the stock routes, he had to push his herd past a national park full of feed.
"It seems such a pity not to be able to turn them out into it for two or three months, it wouldn't affect the park one bit," he says.
Mr Cookson recently rang local staff at the environment department, asking if he could let his cattle into the park to graze, but he was knocked back.
The Queensland government currently only allows grazing in national parks under very limited circumstances.
Desperate farmers have found an ally in state Opposition leader Deb Frecklington, who says they should be given access to suitable national parks during times of emergency.
"We won't stand by and watch while graziers are forced to destroy their own stock when we have land and feed available," she has told AAP.
"It is important that during dire animal welfare situations the state government does everything it can to support our graziers during drought."
A spokeswoman for Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch has told AAP the minister won't be commenting on the farmers' pleas.
