Here to Help: Outback Festival

Usually, the Goldfields town of Coolgardie has around 850 residents. When the Outback Festival is on it’s more like 7,850.

People come from across WA to celebrate life in the ochre, pitching up and staying for the weekend.

There’s bush cooking, blacksmithing and bulldozer racing by day, and boot scooting into the night.

St John WA’s paramedics and volunteers are there, too.

Maddie has been volunteering for 7 years, and Fiona for six. Two teams of two park up at the festival grounds, ready to help when it’s needed.

“Today I’ve only had one patient,” says Maddie.

“He had a collision and had severe bruising and swelling to his leg.”

According to Fiona, “Everyone’s behaving very well.

Only a couple of band aids, here and there; some Panadol for the headaches.

“It’s been really, really good so far.”

The temperature drops close to zero overnight, but campfires are allowed.

People sleep in tents, RVs, swags, campers, and on back seats, grey nomads next to footy mates next to ranchers.

As the sun sets, kids squeeze the last few minutes of light into one more jump over the home-made ramp, one more lap on the scooter, and next-goal-wins.

Then, families settle in to the country soundtrack from the festival’s stages and hope they’ve got good neighbours.