Hay drive heading to western Qld | Updates

More than 13,000 hay bales have been donated for the trip 1000 more than expected and another 30 trucks have joined in the effort in the past few weeks.

The convoy will leave Darlington Point at 6am Thursday, to overnight at Wyandra in Queenslands south west.

At Augathella on Friday morning it will be joined by 100 trucks from Brisbane, Rockhampton, Texas, Tweed Heads and Roma, before the final leg to Ilfracombe.

Fairfax Media will be sharing stories of the journey over the next few days.

Hope is the word the president of the Sydney Rotary Club uses when he talks about the donations that help fund the efforts of the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners. Read more on Queensland Country Life.

As the biggest hay relief effort in the world winds down, Burrumbuttock Hay Runners founder Brendan Farrell has begun looking beyond the current drought.

He hopes the network of Good Samaritan truckies and corporate supporters like BP and Caltex, who have thrown their support behind these convoys, will ensure an ongoing role for the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners in all sorts of emergencies across rural Australia. Read more on Queensland Country Life.

They were part of whats being called the worlds biggest truck convoy, now the central Victorian truck drivers are heading home. Read more on the Bendigo Advertiser.

Social media coverage from the second Burrumbuttock hay run. Check it out on The Bendigo Advertiser.

Burrumbuttock Hay Runners are on the final leg of their journey to assist drought-stricken farmers in regional Queensland.

Raywood transport company owner Brendan Maher and his family were about 585 kilometres from the convoy's destination, Ilfracombe, when they spoke to The Bendigo Advertiser this morning. Read more on The Bendigo Advertiser.

A wide load and narrow highways temporarily held up the 250-strong Burrumbuttock Hay Run to Ilfracombe on Friday morning.

Due to depart Wyandra at 6am, they were given a directive to wait until a wide load had travelled down the Mitchell Highway from Charleville. Read more on Queensland Country Life.

The tiny town of Wyandra, midway between Cunnamulla and Charleville hasnt seen a crowd like it and isnt likely to again the community catered for up to 1000 people last night when the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners rolled into town. Read more on Queensland Country Life.

In ten weeks Kylie McDonnell has collected two full truckloads of hay bales and more than $3500 in cash donations from the Mudgee community.

We've had plenty of people donating hay which is awesome and I think if we had another truck we could definitely get enough hay to send another, Ms McDonnell said. Read more on the Mudgee Guardian.

Five Trangie locals are carting three prime movers 1200 kilometres to assist drought-stricken farmers in Central Queensland.

These local farmers have a single, B-Double and Road Train truck chock-a-block with hay to give it to the farmers who need it most as a part of the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners. Read more on the Narromine News.

The central west and north-west of NSW became a pit stop for truck drivers making their way to Ilfracombe in Queensland to help drought stricken farmers. Read more on the Daily Liberal.

Hendy Transport co-owner Troy Hendy and his colleague are two of many making their way up from Australias southern states in an extraordinary show of mateship.

All along the road there are people joining in from different areas its massive, he said.

The St Arnaud farming community has donated about 80 hay bales to the cause. Read more on the Bendigo Advertiser.

Burrumbuttock Hay Runners participant Heath Willis says the trip is about more than material support - it is about mateship.

Mr Willis said once the group distributed the hay, they intended to go out for a meal with the farmers.

"It's not just about the hay, it's about mental health," Mr Willis said. Read more on Southern Highland News.

At Lorne, 50 kilometres south of Blackall, feeding cattle has become a daily chore for Martin and Kerry Lloyd since it stopped raining at the end of 2012, draining finances and stamina in the hundreds of days since then. Read more on Queensland Country Life.

After Januarys incredible feat of generosity by the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners, not many in western Queensland expected to either see it repeated or have the need for it, but they do and it is.

From kids that are six giving me their pocket money to pensioners giving me their pension card, to major sponsors such as IGA, thats how much people care, Brendan said. Read more on Queensland Country Life.

Its already been a long haul but the 250 prime movers and 400 trailers delivering hay to drought-stricken Queensland farmers have finally hit the road.

The convoy of trucks left Darlington Point in southern NSW at 6am this morning and will have a stopover at Wyandra tonight before continuing the journey to Ilfracombe where theyre expected to arrive at 3pm Friday. Read more on The Land.

Riverina Plant Hire in Wagga is sending two trucks and five people on the run.

The boss has given us all a couple of days off and the trucks to use, senior driver trainer Stephen Smith said. Read more on The Daily Advertiser.