A TRANSPORT partnership for the iconic Julia Creek Dirt n Dust Festival is set to boost the Queensland tourism sector.
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South-east and central Queenslanders are being given the opportunity to attend the festival, starting on Friday, with Kangaroo Bus Lines announcing its first return charter bus to the event.
Dirt n Dust Festival committee president, Stephen Malone, said the partnership with Kangaroo Bus Lines was an exciting opportunity that would welcome domestic and international visitors who had been unable to make it to the festival in the past.
“Being able to offer a charter service between the state capital and Julia Creek is such an important step for the Dirt n Dust Festival – especially with the pickup stops in other cities like Rockhampton and Maryborough, as well as rural towns that normally wouldn’t expect the service to be offered,” Mr Malone said.
“This is definitely a partnership that won’t just benefit the festival, but all of Queensland through its social and economic impacts, and is something that we hope to strengthen and build on in future years, by appealing to international travellers – especially backpackers – and the southern Queensland market.”
Kangaroo Bus Lines’ transport services representative John Carpenter said the charter bus was the first step to what the company hoped would be a long partnership with the Dirt n Dust Festival.
“We’re hoping to do a lot with the Dirt n Dust Festival in the future. It all comes down to getting a comfortable amount of people on the bus this year who will then start spreading the word,” Mr Carpenter said.
“The key is about marketing 12 months ahead. People will see the bus coming through their town this year, they’ll hear about it, and even the people at Dirt n Dust will see the way that these other people are getting to the festival, and word will spread.”
The charter bus is the first time a direct service has travelled between south east Queensland and the Dirt n Dust Festival and has been established as interest in the outback Queensland event continues to grow.
The Kangaroo Bus Lines Dirt n Dust Festival charter will depart Brisbane on Thursday, April 16 and travel via Maryborough, Gin Gin, Rockhampton, Emerald, Longreach, Winton and Kynuna, collecting passengers from each stop along the way.
The 21st Julia Creek Dirt n Dust Festival will be held from Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19. To book a place on the Kangaroo Bus Lines charter, for more information or to register for the festival, go to www.dirtndust.com