The mid-30’s temperatures and the smouldering remnants of the Pilliga Forest, as we drive through, is evidence Aussie Hay Runners is doing god’s work. They’re delivering more than 1,200 bales of hay to bushfire-affected farmers just in time for Christmas. We decided to join the pilgrimage of 38 trucks and get to know some of the truckies behind the wheel
As the December temperatures soar and the Pilliga Forest still smoulders, only one thing is on Linda Widdup and her Aussie Hay Runners’ minds – getting the last delivery to the rural town of Pallamallawa (Pally).
It’s trip number 19 for the year – the second to this area in two weeks, but this Christmas convoy consisting of 38 trucks and more than 1,200 bales of hay hits a little different, because it’s for the bushfire-affected Pally locals.
In total the runners have travelled roughly 190,000 kilometres and delivered 2,340 bales of donated hay, valued at $230,850, in the two weeks before Christmas.
Teary old ladies greet us with waves from their front fences, locals hug the drivers during dinner at the Pally pub, and a grey nomad couple even donated five hundred bucks to chip in for hay – more evidence to suggest Aussie Hay Runners are doing god’s work.
It’s my turn to do a good thing, you never know, maybe one day something will go wrong to me, and the favours turn.
For Aussie Hay Runners, though, the mission is simple – to help where it can.
Many of the 38-driver-strong convoy are from rural stock and the highs and lows that face the farmers they’re helping, they’ve experienced themselves.
“It’s my turn to do a good thing, you never know, maybe one day something will go wrong to me, and the favours turn,” Aussie Hay Runner Shane Ellis says.
A sheep and mix crop farmer from Mannibadar (forty kilometres west of Ballarat), there wouldn’t be a run that hasn’t had a few truckloads of his donated and discounted hay onboard.
But it’s the fact that there are dozens of ‘Shanes’ on this trip that makes the convoy special, and it will only keep growing.
Aussie Hay Runners travelled roughly 190,000km and delivered 2,340 bales of donated hay
A lucky strike
As the meeting place for the last hay run of the year, the relatively empty town of Tomingley – south of Dubbo – was suddenly beaming with trucks and drivers.
The Cross Roads Hotel, for a feed, and the Lucky Strike Motel, for a sleep, were the two most important buildings in the small town that night.
It’s the starting points for a trip like Tomingley where the Aussie Hay Runners come to life. All walks of life, all types of trucks. Old friends, first-timers, fellow farmers, all coming together for one more helping hand before the year is out.
For Aussie Hay Runners’ Secretary Pete, the transport world is a small one – there’s a good chance you’ll find someone you know attached to the convoy.
“I’ve been doing these things for a while, and you’d be surprised how many people you bump into along the way,” he says.
A beautiful, beautiful man! He’s in seventies now and is absolutely passionate about his trucks and the hay run.
And he’s not wrong. A bloke who is part of the convoy reckons he bought two Kenworths off my old man. He had the photos to prove it!
Then there’s Jeff Johnston, a veteran truckie with arguably the best rig in the convoy, a stunning old Volvo F12.
Despite being crook as a dog, pulling out was never an option. Linda thinks he’s one of the standouts.
“A beautiful, beautiful man! He’s in seventies now and is absolutely passionate about his trucks and the hay run,” she says.
“He’s from a farming background and is quite big in the vintage trucks – does Crawlin the Hume and all that sort of thing.”
Aussie Hay Runners brings together people from all walks of life with all types of trucks
The list of interesting characters was nearly endless. That’s because “we weeded out the dickheads years ago,” Pete says.
From Tomingley, after a complementary breakfast courtesy of the Lucky Strike Motel, the convoy of trucks – most of which made the pilgrimage from Victoria – will set off up the Newell Highway, through Narrabri and Moree before delivering the goods to Pally.
Lady of the hour
“I’m so sorry,” Linda says to me over mobile. Phones are buzzing in the background, people shouting out to her across the line. It’s evident Linda is a busy bee.
She’s putting together another hay run while doing her day job at City Circle Recycling, where she’s been for 12 years, admittingly “bossing all the truck drivers around”.
She has no reason to apologise though, she’s the architect behind Aussie Hay Runners.
It was even to the point that they didn’t have drinking water, so you just can’t sit there and do nothing.
But I wanted to get to know a little bit more about the energy behind the organisation … what makes her tick, how she got into trucks, how she’s able to conjure up hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of hay for these struggling farmers?
Like everything these days, it started through the power of social media.
“I’d seen on Facebook how bad it got out in New South Wales there for the farmers,” she says.
“It was even to the point that they didn’t have drinking water, so you just can’t sit there and do nothing.
“So that’s what prompted me to make a few phone calls around to farmers and truck drivers to see if they’d help, and it just went gangbusters from there.
Aussie Hay Runners is reliant on donations of hay, food and other supplies to do their work
“Our first trip was the 21st of December, 2019, and we had four semis and about 12 utes and trailers.”
Fast forward a few years later after a Covid-enforced hiatus – the majority of the drivers were in Victorian lockdowns – and Aussie Hay Runners were back into the swing of things.
“We responded to a Rural Assistance Authority NSW declaration, and jumped into action,” Linda says.
“We worked out how many trucks we needed, how many loads, how many ground staff. And it just sort of went from four trucks to 64 trucks before we knew it. It was amazing.
“People don’t understand how important the government has been – they believe the government does nothing for them.
It just sort of went from four trucks to 64 trucks before we knew it. It was amazing.
“Without the help through fuel subsidies, these farmers wouldn’t be getting as much as what we do because they give the truck drivers a fuel subsidy.
“But all the hay, any pallets of food, anything like that is all donated. We’ve got some of our guys who are farmers that grow hay for us and they bring it along.
“And we’ve got some of the guys, they do go out and buy a load of hay to go out on the runs. They’ll go and buy the hay so that we know we can get it up there.
“And that’s why we are very fortunate having all these farmers that do grow for us.”
Like many, Linda learnt how to ride motorbikes and drive cars by the time she was in primary school.
The hay run saw 38 trucks delivering 1,200 bales of hay to bushfire-affected farmers before Christmas
Then there was a natural progression to a tractor and then to her dad’s old Bedford, she recalls.
“And as I got older, I just realised that I really loved trucks and I jumped on with a few companies here and there doing a bit of interstate,” she says.
After a stint away from the industry working in hotels, a family tragedy brought her back behind the wheel driving trucks for her brother’s demolition company and she has been around a truck ever since.
“Aussie [Hay] Runners started happening. So now I’m basically the spare driver,” she laughs.
For this run, Linda was back behind the wheel, driving an old Sterling that was lent to her by a regular hay runner who couldn’t make it for this trip.
All the hay, any pallets of food, anything like that is all donated. We are very fortunate having all these farmers that do grow for us.
“It went like a rocket that little Sterling,” she says. “I didn’t have a bit of air-con there for a little bit though,” she laughs.
Keeping the dream alive
Every cent donated to Aussie Hay Runners goes back into donating hay, which makes this incredible effort one that relies solely on volunteers.
“Every cent goes back into hay, and we now have the Heyfield Lions Club looking after our finances,” Linda assures us.
“It’s easier than ever now, because I’ll find the hay and they’ll pay for it. There’s no underhandedness or anything like that – it’s all done through them.”
Legitimising the vital initiative was necessary, Linda explains, because as Aussie Hay Runners grows so too does the responsibility to ensure every dollar goes to where it’s intended.
Old friends, first-timers, fellow farmers, all come together for one more helping hand before the year is out
For Linda, this is only the beginning and witnessing the sheer power in what she’s achieved is heartwarming to say the least.
“I reckon there’s no stopping us. We love doing what we do and when there’s farmers that need help, we will help,” she says.
“No worries at all.”
You only have to look at the faces of struggling parents, kids bearing the brunt of financial hardship, even the elderly, tears streaming down their faces as Aussie Hay Runners roll through town.
In the eyes of the locals out here, real-life angels travel by truck and the miracle they deliver is bought-and-paid-for hay that can turn a life around.
