30 July 2024 – 27 August 2024
Starting at the Tara Festival 
of Culture and Camel Races & finishing at the closing days of the Cobb & Co Festival in Surat & Yuleba in 2024.
Tagalong details Updated 22 February 2024
About the Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races, 2-4 August 2024
This unique event is staged every two years. The festival includes a genuine camel race meeting while celebrating the diversity of culture in the Tara region. The camel races are a highlight of the festival, but there’s a lot more happening off the racetrack., There is non-stop multicultural stage acts, roving entertainment, live music Friday and Saturday nights and the country corner with country music and sheep shearing demonstrations. Camping onsite is all part of the fun of the Camels + Culture + Camping festival experience! More information about camping will be available closer to the August 2024 event. Unpowered Caravan/Camping Sites are available – Stay 1 night or 5 for same flat price (Wed to Sun inclusive), depart Monday.
For more information, go to
About the Cobb & Co Festival, 17-25 August 2024
2024 is the 100th anniversary of the final Cobb & Co’s coach service’s run in 1924. On the 100th anniversary, the Cobb & Co Festival is a fast-moving, rattling and clattering event celebrating the history and heritage of the Australian bush. It takes place in the small country towns of Surat & Yuleba. Whilst the Festival runs for a week, this tagalong picks up the action mid-week in Surat and then proceeds to Yuleba.
Travel in a horse drawn carriage, see a bullock wagon in action, celebrate a piece of Australia’s unique outback history – just don’t tangle with the bushrangers. The festival program details a wide variety of events available.
For more information and preliminary program, go to
https://www.cobbandcofestival.com.au/
Tagalong Dates: 30 July to 27 August 2024 (previously advertised to start on 31 July)
Maximum: 12 Rigs, though will be dependent on availability of tickets for the Tara Festival
Suitable ideally for “Semi Off Road Rigs”, with mostly bitumen and limited dirt roads. Being partially self-contained is a requirement. Pets are not allowed.
Climate: It is latter part of winter – warm to cool days/cool to cold nights. Mostly fine.
REGISTRATIONS CUT OFF: 30 April 2024
REGISTRATION FEES
Registration fees are now payable in order to confirm your place on the Tagalong. Registrations will close on 30 April 2024. A waiting list will operate after 30 April 2024.
Registration Fee = $300.00 which covers the payment of non-refundable rig fees ($28 for those doing the full tagalong), festival camping and tickets (budgeted $227, see below) and caravan park deposits ($45).
Members attending will need to pay site fees, balance of caravan park fees and pay for tours, other ticketed events and other fees as the tagalong progresses.
Please pay by direct deposit into the Roustabouts account with the reference, Surname Camels.
Tara Festival Costs
Tickets for the Tara Festival are expected to go on sale in May 2024. In order to camp at the venue (Showgrounds), camping fees and Festival entry tickets come in a Festival package. For the 2022 Festival, camping fees at the Showgrounds were $60 irrespective of the time spent there and $70/head for the Festival tickets, a total of $200. Registration fees have included $227 as the budgeted cost for the total package for two people for the 2024 Festival. Any variation to this amount will either incur a further payment or a refund.
Tagalong Overview
• Total distance of about 2,600kms, allow 3,000kms with touring.
• Approximately 50kms of dirt road (ignoring roadworks) and stretches of single lane bitumen.
• Itinerary gives the facilities available at each site. Camps Australia Wide for more details.
• Members need to do their own research on activities and sight-seeing opportunities and exchange information at happy hours.
Map of Tagalong
Tagalong Itinerary Highlights
Following completion of the Tara Culture & Camel Festival, the next stop is Possum Park outside of Miles, mainly to allow for access to all of their facilities. The tagalong then heads west to pick up station stays at The Lake, Quilpie and Wandilla Station (no, it’s not Music in the Mulga time). Spend a weekend in Cunnamulla before 3 nights at Kamarooka Caravan Park, St George. The tagalong then picks up the action in the Cobb & Co Festival in Surat before finishing at Yuleba.
Tagalong Itinerary Changes
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Starting a day earlier – It is proposed that as many Tagalongers as possible arrive in Tara in convoy on Wednesday 31 July. In order to facilitate that, the first night will be at the Kogan Memorial Hall campsite on Tuesday 30 July. It is a 45km trip into Tara on Wednesday.
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Alroy Station – after further research, Alroy Station will be more suitable to our needs than Wandilla Station. Alroy Station is on the road from Toompine & Cunnamulla. Our stay at Alroy Station has been confirmed. Pay on Arrival – $10/head/night for 3 nights.
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The updated itinerary is on the Roustabouts webdsite.
Dining Events
No dining events have been organised. Communal and camp oven meals will be organised as the tagalong progresses considering members’ ideas and their catering skills. Some pub/club meals will be available. Camp oven meals will be available at the Cobb & Co Festival.
Tours & Events
No tours have been organised. Tickets for the Tara Festival (including camp fees) will be purchased for the group from Registration Fees. Members will need to arrange their own tickets for all otherevents/shows of interest.
Research Information – refer to the preamble at the start of this flyer.
Support Crew, Drover is Trevor Fiedler (0402 849 148). A supporting stockman/stockwoman is required.