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NATIONAL: Hay drive heading to western Qld
THE Burrumbuttock Hay Runners are on the final leg of their journey to assist drought-stricken farmers in regional Queensland.
Raywood transport company owner Brendan Maher and his family were about 585 kilometres from the convoy's destination, Ilfracombe, when they spoke to The Bendigo Advertiser this morning.
They expect to arrive this evening.
"We stayed at Wyandra last night and the town put on a really good show for us," Mr Maher said.
"Everyone is travelling along along pretty well together."
The Maher Transport owner estimated there were around 300 trucks and 400 trailers joining in the journey, which started in Burrumbuttock, New South Wales.
"When we're end-for-end we're about 100 kilometres long," Mr Maher said.
He knew of more than 20 loaders that had come from central Victoria.
"We ended up loading a road train, a B-triple and two singles with hay from the region, between Serpentine, Bridgewater and Dingee," he said.
He said the farmers were 'unbelievably' generous with their hay, donating five and ten bale lots.
"The amazing thing about that was all the farmers who were donating hay were also feeding their stock with hay at the same time," he said.
Farmers who couldn't spare hay donated money.
"Semi Trailer Sales have donated the use of a trailer, too," Mr Maher said.
Having been involved in the hay run once before, in January, he said he knew how badly Ilfracombe needed the support.
"It looks like a bomb has gone through it," he said.
He said animals were dying and people were moving away in droves.
"While it's all about the hay and that sort of thing, what pushes me is the mental health aspect," he said.
He said one of the members of the convoy would be speaking about looking after your mates at a function on Saturday night.