THE QUAMBY TRIANGLE The magnetic pull of a country Queensland rodeo. WORDS & PICS: JAMES CAREY
W
hile it’s useful to have a clear touring plan , sometimes breaking that itinerary will be the best decision you will ever make. And sometimes you don’t have a choice at all, you’re magnetised by something else entirely. Recently, a mate and I were heading south from Mount Isa on the homeward leg of a long trip, the car was packed and the last thing we needed to do before leaving The Isa was to fill up with fuel. Stopping at the service station I was distracted putting air in the tyres, while it appeared my travelling companion was also distracted, talking to three fine young ladies. Later, inquiring as to the nature of the conversation (code for – “were you chatting them up?”) he replied that they had asked if we were going to Quamby? Unfortunately, he was so distracted that he forgot to ask where or what a Quamby was.
60
TRAVEL
61
With the wonders of technology we did a quick search on the Ipad. The good news was Quamby was a place, and it appeared to be only 150km from The Isa. However the bad news – it was in the completely wrong direction from where we were going! Searching a bit deeper, it turned out the girls were heading to the “Quamby Rodeo.” Decision time. Do we stick to the plan and continue our journey south or break out of routine in search of a unique outback experience? Throwing caution to the wind we pointed the 4WD in the opposite direction and headed east. Half an hour north of Cloncurry, Quamby was once a Cobb & Co. staging post and a stopover that serviced the cattle and mining industries. The traditional translation of Quamby means to “stop and rest a while”, which is fitting, as the only building that remains is the Quamby Pub built in the 1860s. Not far past the Quamby Pub we reached a large paddock with an unmistakeable gathering of Toyota utes, large horse
62
TRAVEL
Previous spread: A well-traveled hat speaks volumes of its wearer.
Above: The bullfighters are the heroes of the show - don’t try calling them clowns!
Left: When the sun sets, things get wild.
Below: This ain’t his first rodeo!
Bottom left: What’re you looking at?
63
64
TRAVEL
Top left: A casualty of the ring. Far left: And another one bites the dust! Second left: It’s been a big couple of days... Left: Make sure you’re wearing your best jeans and hat because when the sun goes down the real party starts! Above: From where you’d rather not be...
Rodeos may at first appear to be relegated to the hard men of the outback. However these events also bring together outback families from far and wide, to meet, share stories and escape some of the stress of living in such a harsh land. The Quamby Rodeo started in 1997 and is run by the local sporting association, with all profits from the day being invested back into the local community. We spent the next two days immersed in clouds of dust watching the amazing outback riders tackle the Bronc ride,
steer wrestling and barrel race. But the pinnacle of the event is the brave (or some would say mad) cowboys who willingly hop on the back of 800 pounds of muscle with the likelihood of being catapulted into the dirt before the 8-second bell sounds. The only thing protecting them from a career-ending hoof or bullhorn injury, are the bull fighters (don’t ever call them clowns) who risk their own lives to allow the cowboys to ride another day. While these events take centre stage in daylight hours, the evening is
filled with the sounds of Johnny Cash and Lee Kernaghan, dancing, drinking, stumbling and more drinking. It’s a time for the dusty bush clothes to be replaced with blue jeans (absolutely compulsory), long sleeve checked shirts for the cowboys and paisley shirts and jewel-bedazzled belts for the fillies. The one essential part of the uniform is the personalised Akubra hat, which can range from pristine 20 Gallon monsters to battle-scarred felt remains that have seen cattle dog pups born in them.
65
66
TRAVEL
We chatted to a lady next to us who glanced at our attire and surmised we weren’t from ‘round these here parts. She leaned over and quipped, “If you ever want to meet a nice girl then this is the place, although they’d never go for a city bloke like you, they’ll only have a cowboy.” To me, the Quamby Rodeo defines this part of the country in three words – resilience, mateship, and community. While there are bigger events such as the Mt Isa Rodeo where over 20,000 people watch man take on beast, Quamby is devoted to a dedicated number of outback heroes coming together to support each other. If not for the three young lasses at the service station, and a willingness
to throw our plans out the window, we would never have been fortunate enough to experience a truly unique part of the Australian outback soul. This experience could not have been summed up any better than when a local we met on the night, said: “You wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in Australia tonight”.
Left: A moment of reflection. Top: There ain’t no party like a rodeo party! Above: The local lads taking a breather between events.
67
Above: Xxxxx. Top right: Xxxxx.
FAST FACTS
Brisbane
68
QUAMBY is located in northwest Queensland, on the Burke Development Rd, 45km north of Cloncurry. CLONCURRY is a famed Queensland cattle capital that can be found an hour east of Mt Isa along the Flinders Highway, and a landlocked 800km from the Pacific Ocean. QUAMBY RODEO occurs annually in July. Many of the riders use this as practice for the larger Mt Isa Rodeo, which occurs in August each year. Camping is available at the venue along with food and drinks provided by the local community.
TRAVEL
SADDLE UP – Rodeos worth making a diversion for… It’d be a sad old existence if you and your convoy just lived in a bubble and didn’t engage with country living while doing the big lap. Setting too-strict itineraries will only mean you sit in your own filth at a different campsite each night without talking to anyone new. Yep, human engagement is a wonderful thing, and when you travel with open eyes you can end up on all sorts of adventures. Never be afraid to go to a country race meet, a festival, a fish market, a church fete or a rodeo. These are the memories you’ll take to the grave, way more important than ticking off a list of destinations and boring the neighbours with a slideshow (and no stories) when you get home from your trip. Each issue Cathy Anderson puts together a state-by-state hit list in her Touring Calendar column (p94), but because we’re extra huge fans of rodeos in particular, we’ve put together a loose rodeo calendar, should you happen to be passing through any of the districts.
JANUARY Tumbarumba Rodeo, NSW Carrick Bull Ride & Rodeo Spectacular, TAS Yarra Valley Rodeo, VIC Wilmington Rodeo, SA
JULY Cloncurry Merry Muster Rodeo, QLD Richmond Rodeo, QLD Warwick Concreters Bull Ride, QLD Emerald Rodeo, QLD
FEBRUARY Peterborough Rodeo, SA Ballarat Rodeo, VIC Lillico Rodeo, TAS Narrandera Rodeo, NSW
AUGUST Darwin Rodeo, NT Katherine Rodeo, NT Mt Isa Rodeo, QLD Alice Springs Rodeo, NT Longreach Rodeo, QLD
MARCH Deniliquin Under The Stars Rodeo, NSW Clare Rodeo, SA Chiltern Rodeo, VIC Gowrie Park Rodeo, TAS APRIL Alstonville Rodeo, NSW Corryong Rodeo, VIC Roma Rodeo, QLD Emerald Sunflower Festival Rodeo, QLD MAY Bundaberg Show Rodeo, QLD Nebo Rodeo, QLD JUNE Bowen River Rodeo, QLD
SEPTEMBER Pussycat Flats Rodeo, NT OCTOBER Marrabel Rodeo, SA Rockhampton Rodeo, QLD Hobart Show Bulls & Barrels, TAS Warwick Rodeo, QLD NOVEMBER Melton Mowbray Rodeo, TAS Kapunda Rodeo, SA DECEMBER Rosewood Rodeo, NSW Myrtleford Golden Spurs Rodeo, VIC Carrieton Rodeo, SA
69