INTRODUCING the Cunnamulla Fella Roundup Festival, a four-day celebration of country spirit that is set to shine the light on this famous country town of just 1,200 people, some 780km west of Brisbane and 140km north of the New South Wales border!
Featuring a three-day rodeo school from Wednesday June 30 through to Friday July 2, and the Roundup, Rodeo, Barrels Circuit and Drought Angels Concert on Saturday July 3, the Cunnamulla Fella Roundup Festival takes over where the Cunnamulla Fella Festival left off. This year stars leading the music line-up include famed country music songstress and multi-award winner Tanya Kernaghan and 2017 Golden Guitar finalist (Australian Country Music Awards) Dani Young, together with Chris Staff and Larry Cann among others.
“We are inviting everyone to join us for the festival you never knew you needed!” said Cunnamulla Mayor, Suzette Beresford. “In today’s fast-paced world of digital personalities, hectic schedules, traffic jams and concrete, the Cunnamulla Fella Roundup Festival stands as a beacon of authenticity, and we look forward to welcoming locals and visitors. Just bring a hat, boots and enthusiasm and we will do the rest!”
Tickets ON SALE NOW: https://cunnamullatourism.com.au/festival/
Wednesday June 30 – Friday July 2: Junior Rodeo School
Celebrating the true spirit of the Outback, the Junior Rodeo School will be held over three days, led by some of the country’s best stockmen.
Registration details: https://events.humanitix.com/cunnamulla-fella-roundup
Friday July 2: Songwriters Night at Hotel Cunnamulla
Starring 2017 Golden Guitar finalist (Australian Country Music Awards) Dani Young, together with Chris Staff and Larry Cann.
Saturday July 3: Cunnamulla Fella Roundup Festival at the Cunnamulla Showgrounds
- Morning – Outback Barrells Circuit
- Afternoon – Rodeo
- Evening – Drought Angels Country Cares Concert from 6pm starring country music songstress and multi-award winner Tanya Kernaghan, 2017 Golden Guitar finalist (Australian Country Music Awards) Dani Young, together with Chris Staff and Larry Cann.
Once a town where bullock teams passed through and shearers spilled from bar windows, today Cunnamulla in outback Queensland is known for its natural beauty, outback hospitality, celebrations and as the place where “the handshake’s stronger and the smile lasts longer”.
So, who is the Cunnamulla Fella? He is the essence of the outback immortalised in a song by Stan Coster, and sung by the legendary Slim Dusty, who spent considerable time in the outback town. Paying tribute to the ‘fellas of the region who forged the way – the shearers, ringers, bushman, riders and more – the Cunnamulla Fella statute stands tall in the main street, a fitting epicentre for this iconic Queensland town.
ABOUT CUNNAMULLA:
The township of Cunnamulla was created by Cobb & Co. on the third of September 1879, when the first coach drove through from Bourke. Today it is the only surviving south-west town along the original route. This says a lot about the people of Cunnamulla. Tough, resilient, creative…. they are down to earth folk who love their country. While wool growing and beef production are still the main industries, the new kids on the block are irrigated table grape farming, organic wheat and organic lamb production. The mighty Warrego River is on the edge of town. Kayaking, fishing, swimming ….it’s the perfect place for a bush picnic. Keen ‘twitchers’ will love discovering the region’s native birds in their natural environment too. Cunnamulla has some of the best natural sand hills in Australia. Just seeing them is an eye-catching feast.
GETTING THERE – WHERE IS CUNNAMULLA:
Perched on the banks of the Warrego River, Cunnamulla is 780km west of Brisbane and 140km north of the New South Wales border, accessible by road, rail, air and of course, horse!
Drive
Trace your fingers along a map of the Matilda Way and Adventure Way, and they’ll meet each other in Cunnamulla, it’s the perfect stop on an outback Australian road trip. All roads to Cunnamulla are sealed. From Brisbane take the Adventure Way Discover Drive.
Fly
REX (Regional Express Airlines) flies between Brisbane and Cunnamulla. Known as the Cobb & Co Flight Route, you’ll stop at Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport and St George Airport in both directions. Enjoy spectacular views of Outback Queensland from the air on the way. For REX bookings phone 13 17 13 or visit www.rex.com.au. Alternatively, visitors can fly into Charleville with Qantaslink and collect a hire car for the short drive to/from Cunnamulla.
Rail
A great way to start an outback adventure is aboard the historic Westlander train. Travel from Brisbane across the Great Dividing Range to Charleville and connect with a rail coach service to Cunnamulla. To book travel on Queensland Rail Travel’s services, phone 1800 TRAINS (872 467) or visit www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au
Bus
Getting to Cunnamulla with Bus Queensland is easy – book at www.busqld.com.au or call 1300 287 537. The new coaches mean you can just sit back, relax and watch the scenery unfold. Services to Cunnamulla run from St George with connections to Toowoomba on the Moonie Highway, arriving at Cunnamulla at 7:45 pm from St George on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and departing from Cunnamulla at 6:45 am on a Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Source: Cunnamulla Roundup Festival
Featured Image Credit: Doug Faircloth