Another Julia Creek Dirt N Dust is, well, done and dusted.
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Congratulations must go to one of the hardest working committees in the region for putting on this great event, year in, year out.
Stephen Malone and his team are dedicated and have worked out that fine line between having an efficient event that would not look out of place in the big city and keeping that relaxed country feel that people love and travel hundreds if not thousands of kilometres to experience.
The event has been rewarded with Major Event status by the Queensland government and it is an important tourist opportunity not just for Julia Creek but for towns dotted along the Outback Way.
McKinlay Shire Mayor Belinda Murphy acknowledges the economic boost to the town and the wider region but rightly says it is about much more than that.
Events like Dirt N Dust bring the whole community together either as committee members, volunteers or just locals with a smile on their faces to stop and have a chat with the thousands of visitors that roll in for the weekend.
Those visitors are rewarded with a plethora of great things to do and activities to suit all ages. The fun kicks off with the junior triathlon on Friday with some of the youngest competitors still on training wheels in the bike section.
On Friday evening there is the first concert with novelty fun events like bog snorkeling while the competitors carb up ahead of the event.
Then the nerves kick in on Saturday morning as the main street swells with anxious triathletes before they head out to Eastern Creek and start the swim in nil water visibility.
The fierce headwinds of the cycle and the heat of the day during the run are still ahead but they still manage smiles through the pain.
On Saturday afternoon everyone frocks up for the races before heading back into town for the massive adrenalin rush of the PBR bullride and the big concert on Saturday night headlined by James Blundell bring an end to the festivities.
With so much on offer it’s not hard to see why so many people keep coming back year after year. DB