Volunteers who pull together hay runs for drought-affected — and now flood-affected —communities in Queensland's west and north west are often hailed online as the 'backbone' of Australian communities.
But many have businesses, or work for businesses, who have donated their time, their trucks, and sacrificed income for the betterment of those struggling.
The Hendy cousins, Gordon and Troy, are a good example.
They are on their way to Cloncurry to deliver hay for graziers lucky enough to retain stock after the devastating flooding event in Queensland.
Both men own trucking companies in Saint Arnaud, central Victoria, and for Troy Hendy the run was his sixth, but for Gordon Hendy, it was his first.
The cost of love
Troy said for his company, each run costs him about $10,000 in lost wages, a truck off the road, and wear and tear.
"It probably costs us about $10,000 with the truck not doing what it should be doing," he said.
"It's all for love.
"You guys up here are doing it worse than us."
He said joining this trip as his sixth was a no-brainer.
"Well we are part of the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners, and since there was a little bit of a mishap up the road with a bit of moisture, we thought we'd do our part and get some hay up from Victoria," Troy said.
"We had a bit of hay, but it was unreal just around our area. They loaded two other trailers and a B-double as well just with people's generosity."
Drought to flood
With Saint Arnaud in drought, Gordon said the region did not have a harvest this year, so they understand the feeling of devastation.
"It's the same situation down there, but in a different scale … it's all agricultural, all cropping, it's not cattle, it's not to the severity of up this way," Gordon said.
Gordon said his first hay run was "worthwhile", and Troy agreed wholeheartedly.
"It's just helping people out, the mates you make, and the people up here are just unbelievable," he said.
"It's about that feeling that you get — that's why you do it."
