For far-flung groups preparing to march a float down Oxford Street tomorrow, it's a very nervous time.
Many have been planning their WorldPride Mardi Gras float for months, but the final product will all come down to a few final hours, minutes even.
The Central Coast's Coastal Twist LGBTIQ Arts & Culture Festival float is one of the largest in the parade this year, with 80 people from all different regional communities taking part.
The 6-metre-long hire truck will start its journey from Gosford in the morning as organisers make several stops to pick up and install a generator, lighting, and audio equipment.
Next, the props and float framework will be loaded up and securely fastened before travelling more than an hour on the M1 freeway to Sydney.
"The freeway creates a whole new version of issues," float manager Leigh Rijff says.
"[The truck] is not just puttering down the road at 50kph. It's literally driving on the highway at high speeds and with winds."
Once the truck arrives in Sydney, the crew will have a matter of hours to set the structure up, add decorations and string up the signs ready for its grand entrance to the parade at 9:15pm.
"When we get to the end of the parade, the trucks go into a special holding area where you have five minutes to unpack your truck, get it streetworthy and out of the park," Ms Rijff says.
"So, it's a bit of a logistical nightmare."
Another group, based more than 400 kilometres away in Tamworth, is taking a different approach with their hired truck already in Sydney with sound gear organised.
But the seven-person Tamworth Pride Committee is hoping for the best when they take the all-important extra bits of glitz and glamour on the five-hour drive.
"We've got all the elements and will put it all together when we get down there and see how it works," secretary William Weller says.
If things don't go to plan, they have a backup in place after securing a giant rainbow and a blow-up golden guitar from the Tamworth Regional Council.
The float's theme is 'riding the rainbow to the golden guitar' with members set to wear vests in rainbow colours that each took more than three hours to sew.
Spaceships, astronauts, and aliens
The Coastal Twist festival float is made from recycled materials from previous years or items destined for the tip, including old disco balls, ducting, computer parts, and Christmas decorations.
It is an approach organisers say helps them save money while still making an extravagant design, as most regional floats have limited access to funding and resources.
But these limitations have never stopped the Central Coast crew from putting on a show. Their float was a finalist for the best float design at the 2021 Mardi Gras.
The theme for this year's Coastal Twist float is 'interGAYlactic', which will see the participants march alongside a spaceship-like float.
Incorporating Australiana themes such as the Opera House into their alien and astronaut costumes, Ms Rijff says the aim is to reflect the broader meaning of WorldPride.
"[It is] that gathering of people from all places and all spaces into this beautiful happy space that is Mardi Gras," she says.
Regions represent
Nicole Flanagan, one of the interGAYlactic crew members, says it is exciting to have regional voices championed at Mardi Gras.
"I remember years and years ago when we saw the first Central Coast float, and it wasn't just Sydney floats, we thought: 'OMG, we can do this'," she says.
"[This year] we've got some people from Western Australia, some from regional NSW, [and] some from Victoria."
Mr Weller agrees that events such as this, and pride events back home, are significant for people living in regional areas.
"We're just regular people just wanting to have regular lives," he says.
"With more events like Tamworth Pride, maybe we won't seem like such a threat."
- Watch Sydney WorldPride on ABC iview.
- Read more about Sydney WorldPride and pride across Australia on our event website.
ABCQueer
A monthly newsletter for LGBTQIA+ folks and their allies, with stories about real people and their experiences of being queer.
