I drove home from Winton the other day a beaten man.
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I had to confess defeat when it comes to North West Queensland’s ferocious insect infestation.
I should have known better having survived a fly plague at Maxi races and again at Julia Creek’s Dirt N Dust Festival (which many suggested should be renamed the “Flies N Bugs Festival”).
But I kept forgetting to buy a fly net or screen for my head and paid the price when I went down to cover Way Out West.
I stopped half way into the journey at McKinlay and the flies didn’t seem that bad and I thought maybe they are on the wane.
It was wishful thinking.
By the time I got to Winton the bugs were back in force and several million of the little beasties offered me a welcoming committee as I got out of the car.
I somehow survived the endless swatting and head swaying of the day and greeted darkness with relief as the flies went off to bed somewhere.
When it was time for me to do the same, which I did at Pelican Waterhole as I left my run for the Tent City too late, I rolled out my swag and was almost asleep when the first of the mozzies struck.
Though I tried to hide my body under the swag, the mozzies were persistant and by the time I woke up at first light I was a mess of bites.
But I couldn’t spend too long examining my warwounds because the flies were back for another day of human hassling.
That day – Friday – held the centrepiece of the weekend, the opening of the new Waltzing Matilda Centre and event MC Peter Lewis suggested that the few remaining flynets in town were going for exorbitant fees.
It was funny but I’m not sure it was true. I doubt if a flynet could have been bought for love or money that day in Winton.
There was plenty of love there nonetheless as the Governor-General opened the gleaming new centre in front of thousands of visitors. And after all the speeches, the crowds drifted away towards the arena where the volume was pumped up for a terrific music festival.
Though I was nowhere to be found, the flies had beaten me and I ran away to relatively bug-free Mount Isa – Derek Barry