All roads lead to Julia Creek this weekend but make sure you are not actually on the road Saturday morning because you may get caught up waiting for a triathlon to pass.

Why?

This weekend is Dirt N Dust and the numbers are huge.

How huge?

The tiny town of 368 people will swell to 10 times that size with 3500 expected visitors to town this weekend taking up every bed in town, and filling the camp sites with vans and swags.

Also converging on Julia Creek this weekend are 363 senior triathletes, 46 triathlon teams and 113 junior triathletes on what has become one of the great triathlons of the Australian calendar.

In the senior triathlon they range from age 16 to 80 and they’ll go through 950 bicycle tyres, 1100 frozen Chux to cool them down on the run leg and 800 litres of sports drink.

And they’ll probably also consume about 98 flies each!

How dirty and dusty is it?

Well, visibility will be down to 30cm for the swim leg through muddy Eastern Creek and there is a predicted 18 km/h headwind for the bike leg along Flinders Highway while athletes will have to contend with 38-degree bitumen for the run leg.

Is it just about a triathlon?

No, there’s heaps more. There is a five-race card at Julia Creek racecourse on Saturday afternoon and the Dirt n Dust Bullride sanctioned by PBR on Saturday night with 50 bulls and 30 bull riders bringing together 35 tonnes of bull versus two tonnes of bull riders with (Caution: yukky stat ahead) 10 litres of saliva sprayed at the crowd during the bull ride.

There’ll also be four bands performing across the weekend, eight pigs racing on Friday night, 50 butts on display in the Friday night heats and Saturday Grand Final of Australia’s Best Butt, 9100 litres of mud in the bog snorkel pit, 6600 beers, 1500 cups of chips and 752 hamburgers to be sold all marshalled by 100 volunteers.

So when do things happen?

The fun starts Friday at 2pm when Bondi Rescue’s Andrew ‘Reidy’ Reid and elite triathlete Liz Blatchford christen the 2016 bog snorkelling pit.

Then at 2.45pm the Daikin Marwill Junior Dirt n Dust Triathlon starts at Julia Creek swimming pool. 

At 5.30pm gates open for Clean It NQ Welcoming Carbo Dinner at Dirt N Dust Central.

At 7.30pm there is the official opening, junior triathlon presentations, followed by novelty event preview and inaugural Dirt n Dust pig race and a free family concert.

The heats for the Best Butt competition kick off at 9.45am.

And on Saturday?

On Saturday morning the bikes will be loaded onto the cattle trucks at 7am before Tristan Bowen begins the Dirt n Dust Senior Triathlon at Eastern Creek at 9am.

After the Tri is done and (dirt and) dusted, the action moves to Julia Creek racecourse with the first race at 1pm and the tri presentations at 3pm.

Back at Dirt N Dust Central in Burke St, Colby Wilson opens the Saturday night entertainment line-up at 5.30pm. the bullride starts at 7pm, with Headline act Missy Lancaster on stage at 9.30pm.

2016 Australia’s Best Butt Competition Grand Final is on at 10.30pm and Dr Jack continues the live entertainment at 11.30pm.

And Sunday?

You’re kidding aren’t you?

The festival wraps up with a farewell breakfast at 7am on Sunday.

Are there road closures?

Yes – on Saturday morning.

The Flinders Hwy will be closed to westbound traffic from Eastern Creek to Julia Creek from 9-11.30am.

Delays are expected and drivers should allow for extra traffic time.

Burke St in the centre of town is also closed between the two Goldring St intersections from 9-11.30am. 

Diversions will be in place via Goldring St.

What should I do?

Get down there fast (but legally fast) and then let your hair down and party!