Local residents in the country town of Miles in Queensland are calling their city cousins to get back to the bush this September, with a rare opportunity to experience country life.

Local residents will literally welcome visitors from everywhere for a backyard experience of life in the bush opening their homes and yards for a unique peek at their personal collections. The Back to the Bush Festival will be a mix of vintage and country lifestyle, with a four day program from 6 to 9 September, to welcome visitors on tours to the seasonal wildflower fields, 4WDriving, tag-along creek side fishing and local farm tours.

The Festival’s Collections Tour is a one of a kind experience and serves to reveal that the towns famed tourist spot, the Miles Historical Village, truly fits its home in a population that treasures vintage collections.

Festival President and local resident, Rachel Kerwick says joining the fun across the rest of the town our Miles Historical Village will be a special back-drop to some old time bush activities during the Festival, like quart-pot boiling, the Condamine Bell Toss a few laughs with the Kookaburra Call and heritage craftsmanship displays.

“We will also have our guest Antique & Collectables expert onsite, sharing insights and giving appraisals of people’s own treasures. Any visitor can bring along an interesting item and they could learn more of about it’s history or its value – so we encourage visitors to dig out their interesting items and bring them along to the Festival for a bit of a roadshow style encounter”.

Rachel says The Festivals roots stem back to the 1950’s with the original Miles Wildflower Festival. The modern day Miles Back to the Bush Festival still invites travellers for a stunning wander through the wildflowers, as self-drive or tag-a-long tours during the Festival guide travellers to the most impressive spots to see the landscape blanketed in delicate spring wildflowers during the Festival.

In 2018 the bi-ennial Festival takes on a fresh new look and a new name, as it invites the community to take a more hands on involvement, making the event reflect even more the interests and bush lifestyle of the local residents. The Festival is carving out a unique offering amongst tourism events, with a focus on locals guiding visitors on experiential activities all in a celebration of life in the bush.

Home to just 1,200 people, Miles is located in Queensland’s Western Downs, just two and a half hours west of Toowoomba and on the cross roads of the Warrego Way and the Leichhardt Highway.

www.backtothebushfestival.com.au

 

By John Westbury