Recent Outback rains have put a spring in the step of many drought-stricken communities … and grey nomads are certainly noticing the difference.
Visitors to this weekend’s race meeting in the tiny outback Queensland community of Corfield, 80 kilometres north of Winton, report the positivity around the place was ‘off the scale’ compared to previous visits.
Nearly four years without a decent wet season had meant struggling locals hadn’t always even been able to commit to running events like the annual Corfield Cup, but … that was then!
Now, the ABC reports that after 150 millimetres of rain in the past month, red yellow and blue wildflowers are all around the racetrack instead of the bare paddocks that people have become accustomed to.
Christina and Graham Rennie from Townville told the ABC they had been regulars at the Corfield Cup for several years … and that they seen a big change in locals’ morale.
“They are now so upbeat; they are now talking about buying new bulls and what they want to do on the property,” Ms Rennie said. “They could talk in this positive manner, which is such a contrast to the last time we stayed … everybody looks so positive.”
Deleece Carrington from nearby Koondi station said this year the horse race had been a true celebration as the community came together after enduring such a tough time.
“This is a once in a lifetime event where you will see it this green at race time and see all the native wildflowers in winter,” she told the ABC. “After being through all the drought years, it’s almost magic to experience the rain we have had over the past couple of months.”
Of course, there are plenty of other events and plenty of other reasons besides racing that will continue to draw grey nomads back into rural towns … and they might just notice a few extra smiles around the place this time around!
