The Wanderer
It’s been 100 years since the last Cobb & Co coach mail service in Australia made its final delivery, making the 2024 Cobb & Co Festival one not to be missed. Held every five years, the Cobb & Co Festival celebrates the anniversary of the last horse-drawn mail coach service in Australia, taking place in the Maranoa region of Outback Queensland in the small country towns of Surat and Yuleba and the dusty track in between.
The festival culminates with a 76-kilometre reenactment of the mail run by horse and coach along the original historic track between Surat and Yuleba, but before that, there is plenty to see and do at this 10-day-long festival.
The festival kicks off on Friday, August 16, 2024, with the Cobb & Co Long Table Dinner in Yuleba. Diners will enjoy dinner and dessert under the stars in the middle of the town’s main street, with live music, canapes, a two-course dinner, and a complimentary cocktail on arrival.
Saturday, August 17, will see festival goers decked out in their finest period costume ballgown or suit for the Cobb & Co Festival Ball. The band 2 Timing will entertain with old-time/new vogue, upbeat rock n roll, country, and modern dance music, and a Belle, Beau, and Princess of the Ball will be announced on the night. Supper and a complimentary drink are included in the entry price.
It’s not all about dinner and dancing though. Throughout the week, visitors can go on a camel-drawn Cobb & Co coach ride, watch the Shell QGC Bullock Team rides, check out the historical motor club display and be entertained by the various live music and entertainment, including festival favourites, The Crack Up Sisters. If you’re a descendant or a friend of Cobb & Co, bring along your stories and memorabilia for a special gathering.
On Friday 23rd, visitors can join in the fun at the Festival Concert, featuring Josh Arnold and headline act Whiskey Mountain Boys. Saturday 24th marks the drumming of the horses' hooves parading past the Riverside Markets. This signals the beginning of the 76-kilometre Cobb & Co way reenactment, where alongside other horse-drawn vehicles and trail riders on horseback, the horse-drawn coach will carry mail from the Surat Post Office and traverse the original historic track before delivering the mail the next day on Sunday 25th in Yuleba.
While awaiting the riders' return on Sunday, visitors can on Saturday evening enjoy classic Australian movies at the Surat Fisherman’s Park, or join the bush poets in Yuleba for dinner and entertainment under the stars. Finally on Sunday, after cheering on the horse-drawn coach and fellow riders into Yuleba, prizes and presentations will be presented to participants as well as an address by Her Excellency, the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PMS, Governor of Queensland.
So come along in period dress if you wish, and join in this uniquely Australian centenary celebration - just don’t tangle with the bushrangers.
Visit www.cobbandcofestival.com.au for more information. Tickets are required for most events.
Category: Features
Written: Tue 28 May 2024
Printed: June, 2024
Published By: By Jessica Palmer
