To some, the romance of the outback is somewhat lost on Mount Isa.

But there remains a certain majesty, a mystique that makes events such as the Camooweal Drovers Festival so special.

This weekend, scores of people made the journey to Camooweal to be a part of the festival.

It’s one of those events that brings a community together.

Camooweal is a town of 400 people and it is a long, long way from the hustle and bustle of city life.

But here is a town with a sense of something more.

And for one weekend of the year the sprit of the Australian Outback comes through.

The town comes alive to party.

From thousands of miles around they come.

The atmosphere is incredible - and with it comes a connection to good times past, the history of the region and its almost as though the ghosts of drovers past come flooding back in a wave of nostalgia, memories and history.

Stories are exchanged, old tales told.

Memories are shared - the good times and the tough - and old friends get together and reconnect.

There are new friends too, as the tradition of the festival and all it represents, is passed on to younger generations.

And that is where this festival, and the countless others like it throughout the Australian Outback are so vital.

It’s easy to get swept up in the chaos, the coldness and overload of everything life demands.

But here, things really are simpler.

That’s nothing to scoff at either.

There is a purity, a realness to this part of our country.

And there is a sense of truth and sincerity to anyone who calls this place home.

That, in a world riddled with haste and so little regard for the details, is so important.

It’s refreshing.

And, it’s ours to be proud of.