Organizers in Queensland’s Western Downs are not afraid to face travel uncertainty and lockdowns. They have plans to continue the Miles Back to the Bush Festival in September, in a world where travel is uncertain.
According to a report, Queensland’s outback and country regions continue to prosper despite the uncertainty of Covid-19 travel. Queenslanders are drawn to bush escapes, and they are joined by thousands of RV and caravan travelers who have been on the road for a long time and are reluctant to return home.
Miles has been welcoming tourists to its tourist spot for fifty years, the Miles Historical Village. This landmark will celebrate its 50th anniversary and provide a backdrop for the Miles Back to the Bush Festival, September 9-12, the report said.
The museum’s 34 pioneer buildings are ‘frozen into time’ and set the stage for a program that delivers ‘bush experiences with an old twist’.
Organizers claim that 64% of ticket sales came from travelers outside the Western Downs region. High demand has led to the opening of additional camping areas and the instate shuttle buses to nearby towns in order to accommodate the increased traveler flow.
The Miles Back to Bush Festival organizers “broke the festival mold” when they created the event that invites people to live in the bush and small towns. The self-guided Private Collections Tour allows locals to host visitors in their homes. Visitors can view Miles residents’ unique vintage and quirky collections on the one-of-a-kind Collections Tour.
The program’s hallmarks include dinner under the stars in the village street and vintage aircraft flyovers. There will also be a Beard Appreciation Event and a revved-up Tractor Pull. Finally, the Festival Steam Train arrives in Miles. Travelers will be transported back in time by the Downs Explorer C17 locomotive. Return trips are available ex Toowoomba, with coach connections to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the report added.
Festival attendees will be able to enjoy the popular Beard Appreciation event, which promises to attract vintage, hipster, and bush-style beards. The festival ‘Beard Garden” will host a variety of beard contest categories, including The Metro (designer stubble), The Mo (no hair on the chin), Beard in The Back (the mohawk), and The Big and Bushy. The Wannabeard (bumfluff, starter kit) The Skin Check Champions crew will also be hanging out at the Beard Garden, inviting festival-goers for melanomas checks, the report stated.