Festival in the forest

Song and laughter filled the air of the Amamoor State Forest in late August as the Gympie Music Muster hit its straps once again.

Story + Photos Mark Muller

Organisers estimate that the site was visited some 60,000 times throughout the four-day event, which was first held in 1982.

Festival goers were treated to four days of music from the likes of Australian legends Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole, James Blundell, Amber Lawrence, Jake Whittaker and Murphy’s Pigs, with international acts such as the Davisson Brothers and Larry Fleet adding their own flavour to the mix.

“It has been another really strong Muster,” Muster CEO Greg Cavanagh said. Community and charity were central to the event, with BlazeAid and the Queensland Country Women’s Association (among many others) heavily involved in preparations and proceedings. Charity partner Get Yourself Checked – dedicated to men’s health, with a special focus on prostate cancer and early detection  – is set to receive thousands of dollars.

Apart from the music and food on offer throughout the festival, the R.M.Williams Arena played host to Lachie Cossor’s Australian Stockman’s Show, and also to a heart-stopping bull riding competition. R.M.Williams head of heartland Terry Goodear was manning the R.M.Williams Hut with Greta Stanfield and Robyn Wylee throughout the festival. He says the company was pleased to be involved on the ground once again. “Some years ago we used to attend with our famous Longhorn Express, so we certainly had a background and a history here,” Terry says. “It’s a good Australian event – an event in the bush, so it certainly was something that we wanted to be involved in.”

Cootharaba bull rider Marcus Garthe spent a bit of time twirling a lasso in front of the R.M.Williams Hut. “I took up bull riding when I was 37, and I’m 42 now – I wanted a new challenge!” he laughed.

At the Muster’s core, of course, is the music. And more than just a venue for the big stars, the festival provides a platform for emerging artists to test the waters and build their confidence. Among them was 15-year-old Will Charles from Cambooya, Qld, whose sonorous voice and locomotive guitar work gave real life to the spirit of Johnny Cash. “It’s a real thrill to be here,” he said. “And to be playing on the stage with Mum and Dad makes it even better.”