While the ideal weekend getaway for many Australians includes fish and chips and a white sandy beach, a group of volunteers in outback Queensland chooses to spend their time in the bush spraying weeds.
Often battling hot and dry conditions, the Mount Isa Landcare group regularly travels hundreds of kilometres through the rugged north-west Queensland landscape in an attempt to control the scourge of weeds.
With a regular stream of new residents moving to Mount Isa, group president Mark Van Ryt pitches Landcare as an opportunity to experience the area.
"Instead of wasting your time going out bush for a drive and lighting a fire, you actually have a purpose," Mr Van Ryt said.
"It is fun because you connect with the place and you get to learn and understand the nature that's surrounding our town."
Late rain saves the day
The pitch to potential volunteers has been made tougher this year, with Mount Isa receiving little more than 10 per cent of its median rainfall in January, which is the traditional wet season.
Combined with the discomfort of 40-degree temperatures, the group was unable to do essential activities such as controlling weeds with fire and finishing the day with a swim.
However, extensive rain at the end of summer saved the day, and the group made the most of it with a trip to West Leichardt, east of Mount Isa.
"This is the first time since I've come out here that it's had a decent flow in the creek," Mount Isa Landcare member Paul Johnson said.
"Usually it's dry and brown with no grass at all, and this time it's all green and water."
Mr Johnson said Landcare was a big part of his social life, which was what kept him volunteering his time.
"It's an important job to help landowners and to help clear our country of noxious weeds, but we also have camaraderie," he said.
"We have a few beers and a steak of an evening. They're all good people, we're good friends."
Education the next step
While working on the ground to clean up the environment is the main business of the Landcare group, the next step is to educate others about the threat of weeds.
Mr Van Ryt said the group was releasing a booklet and holding displays at the local show to give the general public a visual description of the most invasive weeds in the area.
"People find them in gardens in Mount Isa, rubber vine, bellyache bush and I don't like cactus either," he said.
"This one guy, he was just house hunting and he found it all through next door in this garden.
"This is a reoccurring thing, so it was obvious to us we have to raise awareness amongst the general public."
