Howdy Cowboy - it's Rodeo time again, my favourite time of year in Mount Isa.

After overseas and a couple of days back in the city I got to head home to see the family. I had no idea then I had made it back in time for Rodeo - but it was the best realisation ever!

The weekend starts with the Rodeo opening at lunch time on the Friday.

That night the Mardi Gras Parade begins, and no it's not like the Sydney Mardi Gras at all. At seven floats from local schools and companies trail down the route and police officers join in on their motorbikes.

This year the Mardi Gras theme was MITS (Mount Isa Theatrical Society) and their celebration of 60 years of operating!

The floats were fantastic, filled with famous plays and musicals. Children were dancing and adults were in full costume. Everyone was getting into the spirit.

After the parade, the rides are opened and Friday night is normally the busiest with families coming along to enjoy. They watch the parade then empty their wallets for their children to go on rides. And there are children everywhere.

We took our family friends' kids, our little sister and six year old brother on a ride called the Hurricane. This ride goes round and round at a high speed, You sit in little plane shaped seats and they drop down and go up all throughout the ride. Our little brother was terrified! He told my sister, who he was on the ride with him, that he was going to pee his pants.

We are probably the worst big sisters that exist, but we were going to piss our pants laughing. He was ok though, when he got off and even laughed with us at himself.

He then stayed clear of the 'scary' rides after that and stuck to Jungle Fun - the little maze ride thing that you see Danny and Sandy sing on in Greece. Something like that.

Friday night I went out to a local bar with my sister and her partner and the place was packed. Cowboys everywhere. It was such a good vibe. Boys off of stations meeting people from the city and so many people on the dancefloor.

Saturday is the big one. Everyone goes, Everyone stays until close.

They have live music - this year Tania Kernaghan (Lee Kernaghan's sister) performed and James Johnson, the cute on from X Factor a few years ago. I know there's been a few cute ones on that show over the years, but if you look him up I'm sure you'll know him.

The Rodeo Clowns are there all weekend long, putting on comedy acts, calling children out into the pit to participate in games and competitions. They walk through the crowds playing personal music performances for families sitting down. They get photos with thousands of children. And most importantly, they help save the cowboys who've been bucked off of bulls from getting harmed any further. There they put on a real show. There was one point there where they were having a hard time getting the bull back into its stable so they asked for the Mission Impossible theme song to play. That was a good laugh.

Saturday night on the town was too crazy. At the local pub, there was nowhere to move and the lines for a drink was like fifteen minutes long. Every man and their dog, or horse, or bull was there. Everyone comes out in jeans, a flannie and boots - even if they're not a cowboy or girl themselves. The pub puts up an mechanical bucking bull and it's a show watching the drunks not even being able to sit on it properly.

Sunday is less hectic. It's the finals for all the bull bucking, barrel racing, rope tying and more competitions at the rodeo. The rides are slowed down and packed up in the early afternoon.

I spent the entire day there with my family watching as they called out the first, second and third placers. We ate corndogs and grilled corncobs and freshly squeezed lemonade.

The atmosphere is incredible. It's hot but everyone sticks through it because they're having such a good time. Everyone knows everyone, or they've met the man from out of town before. So you could rock up alone and leave with a bundle of friends to the pub to continue the festivities.

Mount Isa Rodeo is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere and one of my greatest childhood memories. Every year we would go with our Dad and join in the fun. I'm so happy I made it back in time for it this year. My timing for a family visit was definitely on point.