It's 1860 kilometres one way. There are 4500 square bales and rolls of hay. Two hundred and sixty-five drought-stricken properties. There are 138 trailers. Countless days of phone calls and emails. And a hell of a lot of heart.
Fourth-generation NSW farmer Brendan Farrell and a convoy of dozens of trucks will leave Darlington Point, in the Riverina region of NSW, on Thursday morning, gunning it for drought-stricken farmers in Queensland.
From there, the hay runners will pick up others along the way, with three-trailer road trains joining the convoy at Cobar, before heading north to Aramac, near Barcaldine in Queensland's central west, making three stops over two days on the 1860 kilometre one-way journey.
The convoy – which is carting 138 trailers laden with hay – is expected to stretch about 50 kilometres and could set a Guinness World Record.
The hay run, which Mr Farrell has teamed up with Chinchilla-based group Drought Angels to co-ordinate, will be followed by Fairfax Media’s regional journalists every step of the way.
THE JOURNEY
STORIES
Hay run convoy rolls through Griffith: The hay runners passed through Griffith about 7am on Thursday morning, heading north to Ilfracombe in Queensland. Well-wishers lined Kookora Street to wave at the drivers and take photos. Read more from The Area News
Tenth convoy of southern hay soon to depart for northern Queensland: “You don’t have to be a millionaire or a registered charity to help someone.” Assisting fellow farmers is the motive behind Brendan Farrell’s drive to deliver hay to stock producers struggling with drought conditions across much of Queensland and north-western NSW. Read more from The Land
PHOTOS
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