The bellowing of cattle, the curses of drovers and the crack of the stockwhips will pierce the air next year when the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive winds its way down the Birdsville Track.

In a re-enactment of the days of legendary drovers, 600 cattle will be moved 514km from the famous Queensland outback town of Birdsville to Marree at the head of the Birdsville Track in South Australia. Droving the cattle will be experienced outback cattlemen and horsemen and up to 560 "greenhorns", who will have the experience of a lifetime.

For their money the novices will spend hard days in the saddle and at night will sit around campfires to eat and listen to tales of life on the track in the good old days.

The journey will wind along the Diamantina River on the edge of the vast Simpson Desert, through wetlands that feed into Lake Eyre National Park and into the amazing gibber plain country of the Sturt Stony Desert.

Lisa Pearson, marketing manager of the Flinders and Outback says that the trip is one anyone can undertake.

"A spirit of adventure rather than years of riding experience is all you need to enjoy this iconic event," she says.

"It relives one of the world's greatest cattle drives.

"It will also give visitors a chance to travel through wonderful outback landscapes and spend time with the people who live in this isolated area of Australia."

Lisa says accommodation will be "in a village of superior tents where you will enjoy excellent facilities, a bar and plenty of fine food including some uniquely Australian campfire cooking, and a wonderful social atmosphere".

The six-week drive will also have a series of special regional events which will "showcase the best of the Outback".

Lisa says a lot of events are still to be decided but "definites" include a camp-oven cooking competition and live music at Birdsville (there's also the possibility of a bronco branding competition), live entertainment at Mungerannie and a host of events at Marree including races, an exhibition of Afghan camel men, movies in the town hall and a cabaret.

 

Drover's run by Kym Tilbrook reproduced from The Adelaide Advertiser, 30 October 2004