Easter is among us and we all know means more caravans in the north west of the state.
The weather is cooling and the tourists are starting their ascent north, ready to throw themselves into the "outback" (as they like to call it) and all the great events we have on our autumn and winter calendars.
There's nothing quite like the races when the dirt track kicks up, giving all those with the phones turned landscape the opportunity to snap a cracking picture to pop on their Facebook wall.
Just last month the Cloncurry races kicked off the social calendar for many, with bright frocks, fascinators and plenty of happy faces setting out to catch up with friends new and old.
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Whether you're a fan of the races, the rodeos or the campdrafts, there is usually something on every weekend in the north west during the cooler months, pushing locals out on the roads to join the caravaners on their way from town to town.
This year will see the usual events return to the bush, with Julia Creek's classic Dirt n Dust Festival kicking off on April 21 and running until April 23.
The event boasts everything from live music to a race day and a rodeo the event is always a fan-favourite, with tourists flocking from all over Australia to be part of the action.
But while the many (many) events on the north's social calendar may keep everyone smiling and the tourists rolling in, the true benefit historically has lay in the money which flows along with them.
Caravan park owners and managers will hopefully now be seeing the bookings flow in, the local pubs will be readying the steaks and chicken schnitzels and the bakeries (which all have the best sausage rolls, if you ask them) will have the coffee cups in-hand.
It's impossible not to notice the buzz around town when new faces arrive, new (and often far too clean) cars roll into town and the streets are filled with chatter and - hopefully - shopping bags.
The pandemic hit our small regional towns hard and there's no denying the lasting impacts are still more than obvious.
We now have to battle not with a disease, but with inflation, interest rates and the cost of living sky rocketing.
A mere packet of chips which once cost $3 will now set you back $7.
For those towns relying on the races, the rodeos and the tourists, the pinch will likely be felt even further.
How will small towns compete with an overseas all-inclusive trip when the cost of transporting goods to our rural areas is skyrocketing?
With staff scarce and rooms to house them even scarcer - will there be enough staff in the cafes, the pubs and the corner stores to serve them if they do come?
The federal government and the Reserve Bank of Australia say the interest rate rises are required, needed to curve inflation and bring the economy back to a more manageable level.
They may be right, but for businesses owners already struggling to find staff and keep the doors open, the rate rises bring more uncertainty and potentially less customers.
So when you see the caravans rolling into town or are stuck behind one on the highway praying for the next opportunity to overtake, keep in mind the business they are (hopefully) bringing into those towns. Their pursuit for Queensland's best sausage roll keeps the rural cashflow flowing.
- Kelly Butterworth, ACM Agri digital specialist.
