Toowoomba musos bring the hills – and desert – alive with music

The Toowoomba musos brought song and laughter to some of Australia’s most remote areas.

A group of Toowoomba musos have brought some much appreciated cheer and music into the lives of people living in some of Australia’s most remote towns during a Top End Tours Australia trip.

Richard May-Steers, who runs Top End Tours Australia, regularly takes treks across the top of the Simpson Desert on to the Kimberleys but he came upon the idea to take some of his Toowoomba muso friends with him.

“I take people across to Broom and the Kimberleys regularly but it was raining (in June) on that track so we decided to take another route,” Mr May-Steers said.

“The musos were keen and we had a couple of paying customers as well.

“We did 4000km and seven gigs in nine days.”

Toowoomba musos (from left) Cowboy Craig Trace, Richard May-Steers, Jack MacDonald and Ross Kessler entertain the crowd.

Local musicians Ross Kessler, Craig Trace and Vanessa Muller who were joined by Lauren Edmondson and Jack MacDonald for the trip.

The group played a number of remote towns along the way including Quilpie, Bedourie and Boulia in Queensland, and Fitzroy Crossing and Broome in Western Australia, and were greeted excitedly by the locals, many of whom brought their own instruments and joined in for an impromptu jam session.

“They haven’t seen a lot of visitors since Covid and they were over the moon to see us,” Mr May-Steers said.

“We have swags and tents for the trip but the people were so grateful to see us that they put us up, shouted us food and accommodation and chipped in for the gigs.

Stopping off for a photo at the Tropic of Capricorn (from left) Jack MacDonald, Richard May-Steers, Vanessa Muller, Ross Kessler, Lauren Edmondson and Craig Trace.

“The hospitality of the people was fantastic.

“In Bullia, one bloke who had never played before a crowd before got up on stage and played five songs with the group, probably the only five songs he knew but he had a ball and so did we.

“People joined in with everything from guitars to kazoos, it was a lot of fun.

“There’s some spectacular country across there too and we went along the top of the Simpson Desert and down to where they have The Big Red Bash, it’s awesome country.

“We ended up playing a gig at the markets in Broome and another one at the Matso’s Broome Brewery.”

At the Northern Territory border are (from left) Richard May-Steers, Craig Trace, Vanessa Muller, Lauren Edmondson, Jack MacDonald and Ross Kessler.

Mr May-Steers said he liked to take a couple of trips over to the Kimberleys each year but he was keen to take another “Musos Tour” from Toowoomba to Broome.

“We’ll definitely do it again, probably next year,” he said.

“It was such a great trip and the people out there really appreciated us coming and providing a night of music and fun.”

For more information go to topendtoursaustralia.com.au

Cowboy Craig Trace (left) and Richard May-Steers settle for a cold drink after a day's travelling the dusty trail.

Packing up camp and ready to hit the track for another day's travelling.

Craig Trace and Ross Kessler entertain the crowd.

Enjoying dinner in the outback are (from left) Cowboy Craig Trace, Jack MacDonald, Lauren Edmondson, Ross Kessler, Richard May-Steers and Vanessa Muller.