Way out West in Queensland’s cotton-belt

The highway into St George is fringed with white cotton, yet as it reaches Dirranbandi where they grow just as much of the precious crop, the trim becomes a soft grass that looks just like long, blonde teddy bear fur.

The cotton and the grass are what you notice out here on the flat expanse of Queensland we call the Western Downs. Along with the birds, kangaroos and emus, the trees and dry creek beds, glorious sunrises and sunsets, black, star-filled night skies.

This area of Queensland is still drought-stricken, but it’s all the more reason to visit and see the hope that springs eternal from the people who live out this way.

Take the Dirranbandi Show. Every year a diehard group of volunteers pull the event together and the town’s residents and families from the surrounding properties come in droves.

Little kids in their riding boots and huge hats wander freely through the showgrounds, while men in their moleskins and checked shirts, and stylishly, attired women in gorgeous hats, take time out of their busy lives for a drink and a chat with friends and acquaintances. The day is filled with pig racing, a fashion parade, displays of new farming equipment, cattle, wool, cotton competitions, art and craft, cooking, a delicious spread in the lunch shed and huge hamburgers filled with real meat for dinner.

At dusk it’s time for the Mutton Busters and Poddy Ride. These events are for the cowboys and girls of the future and a prelude to the night’s big event, the Dirrandandi Bucking Thunder. Tiny little ones show their bravery as they try to stay on the backs of sheep and young cattle (poddies are cattle who have been hand-raised - but they still didn’t like to be ridden!) while their proud family members cheer them on!

The Rodeo is one of the largest around, with riders vying for big prize money. There were plenty of takers from all over Australia, and with both bull and bronc riding there was plenty of action well into the night.

There is a surprising range of accommodation in Dirranbandi – between the caravan park, the pub and the local motel, but the prime choice is the Motor Inn, where the comfy and clean rooms are made even more welcoming by the fact the bread is freshly baked each day and even Sunday night’s pasta is home made.

While in town, take the opportunity to visit Cubby Station, the huge cotton farm just outside town. They were picking in April, but only in two paddocks because of the drought. The huge dams, some of them covering thousands of acres, stand next to rows and rows of furrowed paddocks, both ready and waiting for rain that may never come.

About 60kms along the highway is the even tinier town of Hebel, home to 28 people, a fantastic pub and the tearooms at the Crafty Yum Yum Café. Both offer the ultimate in country hospitality, cold beer and great conversation at the pub, and delicious foods and pastries and even more chat at the Café, where the German born owners bake pastries to die for, make a fantastic coffee and serve savoury meals which make it hard to leave room for the good stuff.

Approximately 120km east from Hebel as the crow flies is another border town called Mungindi (pronounced Mung-in-di) that also deserves a visit. It’s about half way between St George and Moree on the Carnarvon Highway and the locals like to say they are located on the New South Wales, Queensland border where the wiggly bit goes straight. The border and the Barwon river run right through the town and the locals aren’t bothered by little things like the fact the town also falls into shires, has a pre-school in one state and a school in the other, police stations in both states - that’s just life in this lively little town that overflows with personality and enthusiasm, like the people who live in and around it.

This September, the Mungindi Music Festival returns after an incredibly successful first run two years ago. Isolation and political confusion seem to spur on this town of go-getters, and this year’s event is progressing at an incredible pace. The Festival runs from September 28-30 and over these three days the town lives and breathes music. Many of the performances are classical, but there is something for everyone - jazz, rock, country, and percussion. Festival patron Don Burrows will perform, as will the Sydney Philharmonic Orchestra, students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and an array of other musicians including some talented locals. Special events will include a concert in the wheat, another on the riverbanks and a toddler prom. Accommodation will be in a specially erected tent city.

Visitors to Mungindi should also take the time to follow the signs to the One Ton Post, the man size surveyor’s peg that marks the official division (give or take a few feet) between the two states. Work is underway to beautify the spot, and it’s definitely worth a visit.

The Facts:

Dirranbandi is 600km southwest from Brisbane and 330km south from Roma. Qantaslink flies into Roma daily and car hire is available. Macair flies into St George. For more information on Dirranbandi, Hebel and Mungindi visit www.westerndownsholidays.info or call 07 46208877.

For details on the Mungindi Music Festival visit www.mungindimusicfestival.com.au.