ALL ROADS lead to Barcaldine in May when an ambitious touring club plans to break the Guinness World Record for the longest line of motorhomes, caravans, campervans and fifth-wheelers.
RV owners from across Australia are encouraged to pack up and head to the central western Queensland town for a good time and what is certain to be a world record-breaking event.
Organised by the Australian Motorhoming Lions Club, in partnership with Barcaldine Regional Council, the five-day event from May 23-27 will also raise funds for local charities.
The current world record was set on June 22, 2003, when 672 camping vehicles took part in a parade in Canelli, Italy.
The Aussies hope to smash this record by recording a parade of at least 1000 RVs along the long and almost straight Aramac-Barcaldine Road. And registrations to date indicate the Italian record is on very shaky ground.
There will also be an attempt to break the record for the longest connected image made of LED rope lights. The record currently sits at 655 metres, and organisers are confident that will be "blown out of the water".
But the gathering isn't all about showing off. It's about helping outback communities that have been doing it tough. That's one of the reasons Barcaldine was chosen.
As its name suggest, the Lions club is a travelling one. Its members help Lions clubs in their efforts to raise funds for their local communities.
In Barcaldine's case, it was a community struggling through drought with no service clubs. Enter the travelling Lions and an event guaranteed to bring much-needed funds to the district.
Helping that cause along is the Barcaldine Regional Challenge in which spending money in Barcaldine, Aramac, Jericho, Alpha or Muttaburra will entitle customers to tickets in prize draws for $500 cash.
To make it easy to get around, campers can hop on a courtesy bus into town.
A fun social program includes walk-up entertainment, daily entertainment from Dally Croft's Outa Tamworth Band and special guests, darts, lawn bowls - even a decorated RV competition. Registration is $20 per person.
- Phone 0418 902 004, thelongestline.net.au