As the wind blows across this dusty cattle station, hundreds of people park campervans and planes in the dirt.
They've travelled far and wide to the Northern Territory's remote Barkly region for the return of one of Australia's most iconic outback race meetings .
More than 1000 kilometres from Darwin, east of Tennant Creek, the famous Brunette Races has been held for the past 112 years.
But severe drought, floods and the coronavirus pandemic have seen the event cancelled or severely scaled back since 2018.
This year's festivities made up for lost time, with no shortage of beers, bulls, broncos and eccentric characters.
While it's named after the traditional races, the two-day outback extravaganza also hosts a range of different events, including the much-celebrated — albeit bizarre — Battle of the Barkly.
An obstacle course like no other
The Battle of the Barkly requires people to make their way through an obstacle course loosely based around the working day of an outback ringer.
It's a competition that must be seen to be believed.
After getting out of their swag and putting on their boots, competitors are tasked with skolling a cocktail of fruit, eggs and an onion, before drinking a beer.
Next up they roll in a barrel for about ten metres along a dirt racetrack, and carry metal fencing about three metres wide on their back.
They finish up by riding a barrel along a greasy beam pole.
The trick, according to this year's winner, Ellynie Cameron, is a boat load of effort.
Time off threatened the races future
Linda Blackwood has been volunteering on the Brunette Races committee for 17 years.
She said going without the event for another year could have been dire.
"There's always concern that if you lose momentum that it might be hard to get it going again," she said.
John Rankine has been coming to the races since 1963 and said the races, although changing, have stayed true to their ethos.
"We're still having fun," he said.
The 72-year-old treasures the event's uniqueness.
"The other ones [rodeos and race meetings] are a lot more civilised. This is the real deal."
More than beers and bulls
While it's well known for its eccentric events, the value of the Brunette Races for people working in rural and remote parts of the Territory is far more than quirky entertainment.
Ms Blackwood said that in a world of instant communication, the races were invaluable to keeping people's spirits up.
"I think there is no replacement for face-to-face contact."
"These are such important things because people get the opportunity to have that contact," she said.
While people might travel from different parts of the country, Ms Blackwood said on the race track everyone was equal.
"You could be the CEO of the [station] company. You could be a gardener or anything in between, it doesn't matter.
"I don't think you can't put a price on the value of that to a community."
This is a special race meet for Ms Blackwood, who has been made a life member of the ABC Amateur Race Club, which hosts the race.
Tears welled in her eyes as she reflected on how a series of races – where the jockeys and almost all the horses are amateurs – has become about a lot more than racing.
"Everyone gets it," she said.
"The thing I love about this event is the incredible sense of community."
Brunette is back. And for this community, the hope is for many more years of people coming together on a dusty cattle station in the Barkly tableland, as equals.
