Jude Aiken may be small in stature but the outback Queensland shopkeeper is big in personality.
The dynamo has been standing behind the counter of Charleville main street business Judey's Browse In for 40 years.
Known better as "Rude Jude", her eclectic store stocks fishing tackle, camping gear and a range of adult and novelty toys and is a tourist attraction in the heart of Queensland's mulga lands.
"I get people ringing from all over the country saying they're coming to Charleville and asking me what's the fishing like," Jude said.
"I send them maps and tell them the best places to fish and camp; I've been doing it for years now."
Jude, who turned 73 on Tuesday, has been reeling in the tourists.
Outback Queensland Tourism Association chief executive Denise Brown said "Rude Jude's reputation, along with her big warm heart and persona, has spread literally across the country".
"She's a true gem of Charleville and of outback Queensland, with plenty of stories to share and a real magnet for tourists," Ms Brown said.
Cassie Liston should know. She works in Jude's shop, where every day is filled with humour.
"When we send her to the bank, we put a sign on her back saying, 'Please don't talk to me. I have NO self-control,'" she said.
"Two hundred metres could take Jude two hours.
"Every day, someone comes in looking for her from [watching ABC show] Back Roads; we need to duplicate her."
How Rude Jude got her name
Retired police officer Bob Guteridge lays claim to kickstarting the Rude Jude moniker after he was transferred to Charleville in 1988.
"Back then, we'd have big Christmas parties at the police station," he said.
"Jude and her great mate, Di Carr, were walking into one, and I said, 'Have a look. Here comes Rude Jude and Lady Di'.
"That's how it all got started. The names just stuck."
Mr Guteridge said Jude had a heart as big as her sense of humour.
"Jude's pretty well known for calling a spade a spade and a bit of a legend down in that Warrego country," he said.
"Her passion for the town and the people runs very deep, and she's just got a genuine love for the place."
Lifetime friends
Di and Jude's friendship has spanned five decades and dates back to their early 20s when Jude worked at her parents' hotel in Charleville and Di at the local telephone exchange.
"The girls there would come down and kidnap me to go to the pub; I took a lot of convincing," Jude remembered.
Among their colourful antics over the decades, an eventful trip to New Zealand stands out for the co-conspirators.
"We were working in an apple orchard and took the day off sick to go to the pub, and we're walking into town and along comes a truck and pulls up — it's our boss," Di said.
"So Jude put on [that] she had a toothache, and our boss said the dentist was his friend, so we had to jump in, and she was seen straight away, which put rather a delay on us getting to the pub."
Not all beer and skittles
Behind the laughs, however, has been heartache and health scares for Jude.
The businesswoman lost everything when floodwater ripped through Charleville in 2009 during the worst flood in the town's record.
Two years later, Jude was diagnosed with breast cancer. She still undergoes chemotherapy every six weeks for Crohn's disease.
But her smile and cheeky banter continues.
The Warrego runs through Jude's veins
Just mention fishing and Jude's eyes really sparkle.
Around a bar 30 years ago, Jude called for a casual meeting and, without too much thought, the Charleville Fishing and Restocking Club was born.
"We got an interest-free loan to buy some land, and you should see it now," Jude said.
"There's a stage, bar, and we have fishing comps.
"It's great."
Jude is most proud about the restocking of the rivers.
The club has released almost 884,000 yellowbelly and more than 52,000 Murray cod into the Warrego and Ward rivers around Charleville.
Jude's knack with a line and penchant for a chat also draws listeners far and wide on the Fishtalk radio show in Queensland.
"Forget bungee jumping or sky diving, Australia's biggest adrenaline hit is presenting a live radio program whilst Rude Jude is in full flight," said ABC presenter Adam Stephen.
"Our audience absolutely love her, and several listeners claim to be president of the Rude Jude Appreciation Society."
Jude is eyeing off retirement now, but said she had no plans to slow down when there were fish to be caught.
And while she looks for someone to replace her in the shop, for the locals, Rude Jude is irreplaceable.
