Mareeba Rodeo. Tablelands. FNQ.

Mareeba 65th Rodeo.  What a fantastic day out!!! My photographs have improved since the last rodeo. The first Mareeba rodeo was held in 1949.  The rodeo ground is built on an old aerodrome.

I have to say "Our hats go off to the rodeo clowns", they did a fantastic job all day and at times really put their lives on the line for the sake of the competitors!!

Me with some live stock from Kuranda.

Steve with some Brahman cattle. 

The rodeo arena.

Team roping. (So the cowboy to the right lassos the calf's head and the cowboy to the left has to lasso the calf's hide legs and the quickest time wins). 

 

Some cowboys recoiling their ropes.

 

The calf's returning to their pens.

That's a BIG BULL!!

 

(I didn't know Bulls were bred especially for the rodeo circuit, I thought they just went out into the scrub and got a couple of ferrel Bulls). 

 

This Bull was going to do anything to get out!!!

Look how far this bull is off the ground!!!

Wood chopping. The Guy furthest right is 82 years old!!! 

Me......not really, under 8's barrel racing.

under 8's steer ride!!! Whoops!!!!

Look at the size of that Bull.

This one was saying "Come on, who else wants a go"!!!

Eat some dirt Cowboy!!

Under 14's Breakaway roping. (They have to lasso the calf's head and then release the rope from the saddle).

Open saddle Bronco riding.

Bronco riding.

Hang on cowboy... the judge is watching.

(it's not just about staying on for 8 seconds, but the style you do it in).

What's this cowboy doing, kneeling on his horse??

Excellent ride by this cowboy!!

Now lets get this cowboy off!!

 

We also enjoyed the steer wrestling (where the cowboy jumps off his horse and has to get the steer to the ground).

The official opening was good, with lots of the competitors involved, the Mazda team relay race was fun and we had "The Roof top Express show", he did some good horsemanship and was very impressive, getting 3 bulls on top of his Caravan home!!

It was a fantastic day and would love to do it again!!!!  

Coffee Works Museum (Mareeba) & Eureaka Creek Rodeo (Dimbulah).

On our days of, we still make the most of the area we are in and go off sight seeing. Last week we headed up to Atherton, Tolga, Mareeba Museum & Mt Molloy Pub. A good day out and the weather stayed fine for us. We have had more rain since cyclone Ita than we did in the wet season.  It has also been cold as low as twenty at night!!! Brrrrrrrr!!!

We also had lunch out at Daintree Village. Daintree River.

 

Ambulance train at Mareeba.

Steve in the back of the Ambulance Train.

 

Steve found a bar with no beer!! 

 

I went to jail.

                                      
                                                                 Mareeba Visitor centre.

Steve about to sample some coffee's & Tea's.

 

Oh Yes!!! Lots of Chocolate to sample as well!!!

 

More coffee's to sample.

Steve sampling Swag man tea.

Real Coffee beans, which are harvested June til September. 

Steve in the Coffee works Museum, an excellent display.

Steve in the Turkish Coffee sector.

A map of the world in 1651.

At the bottom it says "unknow land" that's where we live!!!

Just an old poster we liked.

On Saturday I had to work, but after work we zoomed (because we have a Mazda) up to Eureaka Creek station for a Rodeo which is 10klm west of Dimbulah.
This was fantastic, they had Bull riding, bare back Brumby riding, Brumby riding with saddles, Camp drafting, Roping, team roping, Bull wrangling amongst a few events. There were several injuries, but must competitors were ok, although walking like old men at the end of the evening!!
The girls were fast and furious in their events and their bling looked great under the lights. It was a great country rodeo with a good family atmosphere.
(Unfortunately with the bright lights and speed of the action a lot of my pictures didn't come out or are poor quality).

The Bulls don't look to lively!!!

A couple of cowboys having a yarn!!!

Cowboys looking cool!!

Strange cloud formation above the hills. 

The grand opening parade.

The bull riders getting ready for a ride or not!!! 

 

A calf tackled to the ground.

 

 

Mossman Mill Street & Sugar Cane Trucks.

 

 

 

Mossman Mill Street & Garden Pictures.

 

Preying mantas landed on our fly screen.

 

Sugar Cane flowering, so ready to cut.

 

This is a spider, anybody knows what it is called?

 

Steve's truck fully loaded with cane.

 

Steve having some empty bins loaded by the crane, before heading up to Tolga.

(Steve now has his MC licence).

 

A stick insect at my work place.

 

Home for several months.

 

Natcho, we helped look after him.

 

A lemonade.

 

 

Lemonade delicious to eat.

The gardens around us.

 

Steve on the rail way bridge.

Flowering sugar Cane.

 

Sugar Cane & Hills.

 

Beside the railway bridge.

 

Lots of Bananas to come!

 

Qube trucks with Mossman Gorge behind them.

 

 

Railway carriages lined up at the Mill.

 

Pretty.

 

We are this close to the chimney.

 

One of the carriages being tipped into the hopper.