Dalby Cowboy Wars

A short overnight family road trip to Dalby Showgrounds for Cowboy Wars, the girls’ first rodeo and our first time camping at one.

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Shane, Zoe and Letty at Dalby Cowboy Wars

2 days20–21 June 2026

NavaraFamily road trip

SwagsOvernight rodeo camp

440 km+Recorded route plus reconstructed return start

Event report

Camping at a rodeo

Dalby Cowboy Wars was a short overnight family road trip built around something none of us had done before: camping at a rodeo.

We headed west in the Navara, stopped for lunch in Toowoomba, and made it into Dalby early enough to have a look through Pioneer Park Museum before heading over to the showgrounds. That gave us time to get the swags set up without rushing, and Letty soon found other kids nearby to play with around the camping area.

It was the first rodeo for Zoe and Letty, and the first time all of us had camped at one. The rodeo crowd was lively, but the people camping at the rodeo were another level again. It turned into a wild and noisy night, and we definitely did not get much sleep.

The next morning we packed up and took the scenic way home. We stopped for lunch in Crows Nest, where the kids had locally made soft drinks, before continuing home.

It was a simple overnight trip, but it was different enough to earn its place in the archive: a bit of driving, a bit of camping, a museum stop, the girls’ first rodeo, and a reminder that rodeo camping crowds do not muck around.

Route map

Brisbane to Dalby and home

Recorded GPX tracks for the drive out and most of the return trip, with the missed return start now supplied as a GPX route section through Bell and Kaimkillenbun.

Route map for the Dalby Cowboy Wars road trip

The Brisbane to Dalby leg is recorded GPX. The missed start of the return leg has now been replaced with the supplied GPX route section from Dalby Showgrounds through Bell and Kaimkillenbun to the join point. The recorded GPX then continues back towards Brisbane via Crows Nest.

Trip gallery

Dalby, Cowboy Wars and the drive home

From the packed Navara and Toowoomba stop through to Pioneer Park Museum, camp, rodeo action, Bell and Crows Nest on the return trip.

Navara packed with camping gear before the Dalby trip. — The Navara packed for the overnight trip.

Park stop in Toowoomba on the way to Dalby. — Lunch stop at a park in Toowoomba before continuing west.

Historic buildings at Pioneer Park Museum in Dalby. — Pioneer Park Museum before heading to the showgrounds.

Display items at Pioneer Park Museum. — A look around the museum displays.

Old machinery on display at Pioneer Park Museum. — Old machinery and local history at Pioneer Park Museum.

Navara and swags set up at Dalby Showgrounds. — Camp set up early at Dalby Showgrounds.

Letty hanging out with new friends around the Dalby Showgrounds camp area. — Letty hanging out with her new friends around camp.

Kids around the camping area at Dalby Showgrounds. — Letty found other kids to play with around camp.

Wide view of the rodeo arena at Dalby Cowboy Wars. — Cowboy Wars under lights at Dalby Showgrounds.

Rodeo action in the Dalby Cowboy Wars arena. — Rodeo action from the arena.

Rodeo rider action at Dalby Cowboy Wars. — More arena action through the night.

Rodeo action under lights at Dalby Showgrounds. — The rodeo kept the crowd going into the night.

Arena action at Dalby Cowboy Wars. — Cowboy Wars action in front of the crowd.

Rodeo moment at Dalby Cowboy Wars. — One of the later rodeo moments captured from the night.

Stop at Bell on the return route from Dalby. — Bell on the scenic way home.

Crows Nest locally made soft drinks on the lunch table. — Crows Nest locally made soft drinks with lunch.

Navara parked during the Crows Nest lunch stop. — Lunch stop at Crows Nest before heading home.