In a crowd of cowboy hats, belts and boots, it is that time of year when outback residents have the chance to find friendship, love or something in between. A series of ‘meet and greet’ events are taking place across central-west Queensland to kick start a busy social season.
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00:00More than just a place for a beer, pubs in outback Queensland bring together nervous
00:09newcomers and brave backpackers at the start of every year.
00:13Home's originally Mullumbimby, just sort of down near Byron Bay.
00:16I have moved from Brisbane to be a govie on a cattle station.
00:19Same here.
00:20Born and bred across the road.
00:23This pub at Ilfracombe in Western Queensland is refreshing the old tradition of bachelor
00:29and spinster balls.
00:31The meet and greets are for all those new people in town, doctors, nurses, teachers
00:35and whoever else may come around and yeah, somewhere where they can all meet up, get
00:40to know one another and yeah, be part of our community moving forward.
00:44After a long hot and quiet summer in the outback, towns across the central west come out of
00:48hibernation as the annual meet and greet events kick off the start of the social season.
00:53From here on out the calendar is filled with rodeos, races and balls, but right here is
00:58where it all begins.
01:00People travel from near and far to attend in search of different things.
01:06Meet new people, make some new friends and make some really good memories.
01:10Have a feed and a few beers and go home.
01:12I hope I find a husband that has like you know, some good acres and a bit of money that
01:18I can just live up here like for my whole life.
01:21If you're not looking for love, be warned.
01:24You will fall in love here, it's the place to fall in love.
01:27I was only going to be here for three months to get my, just to help with my visas and
01:33then three years later, I'm still here.
01:37Jade Cook's not the only backpacker who has found love at the pub.
01:42In eight years, I think five or six have found true love in Ilfraco.
01:47It's great for our town.
01:49It's become a bit of a drawcard to get workers.
01:52When I first spoke to Tracey on the phone, she said, oh, you know when people come out
01:56here they always find love and then they stay and I was like, that's not going to happen
02:01to me.
02:02Now I can say she's absolutely right.