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AFTER two or three days of driving, seeing the "welcome to Bendigo" sign was like the light at the end of the tunnel for some passionate futsal families.
A number of families took a road trip to Bendigo for the Futsal Australia school championships from Brisbane, Sydney and the New South Wales central coast.
Considered the heartland of Australian futsal, almost half of the girl teams hailed from Queensland.
Parent Kathy Dawes said it was the fifth time she had made a road trip to take her daughter Nikki to a national futsal event.
"We've driven to Townsville from Brisbane, and three times to Sydney," she said.
"It's a great sport because girls really get some recognition. The girls seem to really like it a lot, most play outdoor soccer too and futsal is great for their skills.
"It's one of those things that Nikki just seems to have a gift for. She really wants to play for Brisbane in the W-League one day."
Not only had the family driven for three days to take part in the week long futsal tournament, they will also be on the plane to England in just over a week for an international event.
Twelve girls teams are taking to the court at Bendigo South East College this week, coming from Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria.
Families from Sydney also chose to drive to Bendigo for the event.
Parent Jane Trupiano said the format of the competition gave them an opportunity to enjoy the sights of Bendigo.
"We've been really impressed with Bendigo. Because there's not so many games, we're really able to enjoy it," she said.
"My daughter just loves futsal. She would give up an overseas holiday to play."
Sydney's Qassis family could have flown down to Bendigo for the event. They could even have stayed in Sydney to soak up the spring sun on the beaches.
But father Feras Qassis seized the opportunity to see some of the northern Victorian countryside with his family.
"The oldest wasn't so keen on playing in Bendigo, she would have rather stayed and gone to the beach with her friends," he said.
"Now we're here though, we've been so impressed. It's a great place, and the information on the internet does not do it justice."
Daughter Grace took to the court with New South Wales, while Mr Qassis enjoyed some of Bendigo's finest ware. "Great food, great coffee in Bendigo," he said.