Casting will soon begin for a unique and very exciting Outback Festival event, a living pageant - Pioneers and Legends of the Outback, funded by Gambling Community Benifit Fund.

The event has been made possible thanks to a successful application for funding from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund.

Show-casing the history of the Winton District, the pageant will include participation by the community's indigenous residents. It will also depict the district's explorers and early settlers. The importance of the wool/shearing industry will be featured, as well as transport from bullock drays, Cobb & Co and early motorised vehicles.

All in all, the pageant promises to provide an entertaining and informative glimpse into the past history of the Winton area.

The historical aspect of the pageant compliments the state-wide Q150 celebrations being held across Queensland in 2009.

If you would like to be part of a unique outback event, watch out for further information about our casting schedule on our website (www.outbackfestival.org) and upcoming editions of Cooee E-news.

The Outback Festival promises to end on a high note - literally, with confirmation that the Ladies and Mercedes Tribute show will feature in the Mardi Gras on the last night of the festival.

Ladies and Mercedes is a high-energy, world-class tribute featuring music by some of the raunchiest ladies of rock! The women with big voices who made their mark on the music world and paved the way for so many of our artists today!

Luella Widt is the very talented leading lady in this exciting show.  With a raunchy style reminiscent of these great ladies, Luella's stage presence is energetic. Her voice is totally appropriate, and her passion and enthusiasm while performing is infectious.  Luella's ability to connect with her audience is incredible.

The show is supported by an amazing band featuring some of Queensland's most respected and talented musicians.

A fun filled show featuring hit songs such as Me and Bobby McGee, Piece Of My Heart and Cry Baby, classic sing-along tunes such as Mercedes Benz and It's A Heartache, and packed with countless number ones like Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Simply The Best, and What's Love Got To Do With It...and the list goes on! Bring your smiles and your dancing shoes, it will be a show to remember!

Take a step back in time to an incredible era of music, close your eyes and almost believe that Janis is "alive and well and head-lining tonight".

"There are only twenty dunnies in the race but none of them have any form, so it's any guess what will happen when the starter's gun goes," Paul said.

Paul will also be calling the World Crayfish Derby at the festival, and says this event should be easy enough, if his experience in calling a mud crab race is anything to go by.

"It might be harder to tell them apart but at least they move slowly!" he said.

Born and bred in Brisbane, Paul called his first race at the tender age of 19, and now does the calling for horse, trotting and greyhound races around south east Queensland.

"The first race I called was at Gayndah in the North Burnett area, and that kick-started my career. From there I spent a number of years calling country horse races, so I am always happy to give something back to the people who supported me in my early years."

for festival-goers in an aerial show that is sure to amaze. The Roulettes fly as close as three metres during manoeuvres and reach speeds of up to 460km/h. Their aircraft may 'pull' up to 4.5 "G" with Roulette 5 pulling as much as 6 G.

Roulette team members are flying instructors at the Air Force's Central Flying School, in Sale (Victoria) and currently fly Pilatus PC-9/A aircraft.

Stay tuned for more information about the Roulettes show in upcoming editions of this newsletter.