Quamby 25 – 26 July 2014

After getting some work done on the Longreach, we left Mt Isa and headed for Quamby. Quamby is only a locality (2 people) but the local farmers organise their own rodeo each year. We had intended to stay near the pub but found that there had been a 100% fall in population, when the 2 people who looked after the pub abandoned it for the bright lights of Cloncurry, so we drove on to the rodeo site to camp. Although it is only a small community, they put on a great show with bronco, bull and steer riding, calf roping, buck jumping and breakaway roping. It was a lot of fun and we felt it was an authentic experience organised by the locals. Although there were a few women and Aboriginal competitors, it was a very ‘blokey’ affair – the men are tough and rough out here and even when they fell off their horse or got kicked by a cow, they shook it off and hobbled off. It must be tough for the women out here – it is hot, dry and dusty.