"You'd think it was the Queen going past," was how Albury's Tony Furze described the public's reaction to the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners all the way to Armidale ahead of the Australia Day weekend.
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The 70-year-old "retired" truck driver, who was on his 8th hay run, said the convoy of hay-laden trucks received a rousing reception as they travelled along the highways and byways.
"Every overpass was lined with people - women came out of the hairdresser in curlers to watch," he said.
"Cars were even lined up on the side of the road where they shouldn't be - it literally was a show-stopper."
Mr Furze said that while manoeuvring the lengthy cavalcade through Sydney's congested traffic routes proved onerous at times, the exposure was "absolutely brilliant".
"As a result of going through Sydney, we had thousands of people across Australia donating money for fuel," he said.
"Charities are a bit on the nose at the moment.
"When your organisation relies on people to make donations you have to have something to show for it.
"With the hay runners Mr and Mrs Pensioner can see their $5 or $50 go past 100 or so times and know their money put fuel in those trucks ... it's tangible evidence."
Jindera's Jim Parrett, on his second hay run, said seeing all the people who turned up to support the truck drivers was "quite heart-warming".
"The amount of people on the overpasses along the M7 through to Pennant Hills Road and even along the New England Highway was just incredible," he said.
"There were banners saying 'We love you' and kids gesturing to honk the horns.
"It was interesting with the traffic in Sydney - at first drivers in cars were impatient but 2GB ran a program and then people were giving us more space and waving."
Mr Parrett said the police were "fantastic" on this trip - "they were talking to us on the radios and making us feel welcome in the towns".
But both Mr Furze and Mr Parrett agreed they could never have expected the fanfare with which the hay runners were greeted at Tamworth and Armidale.
The convoy's travels happened to coincide with the Tamworth Country Music Festival and Mr Parrett estimates there were up to 30,000 people lining the streets as they drove through.
"It was fantastic," he said.
"We tuned in to community radio and the announcers reckoned there were 50 per cent more people on the streets that day than for the country music parade."
As luck would have it, as the hay runners arrived at Armidale, the storm clouds rolled in on the Saturday night of January 25.
Rain pelted down for the much-anticipated Australia Day concert on Sunday - not that anyone minded.
"It was a brilliant wash-out event," laughed Tony.
"People danced in the rain; there was water everywhere."
The wet conditions did create some logistical problems for BHR leader Brendan Farrell who has spent this week finishing off hay deliveries to properties some of the trucks couldn't get to.
As for Mr Furze and Mr Parrett, well they are taking a bit of a breather after spending much of the past two months doing other hay runs to fire-affected communities.
Mr Furze has done 15 runs (including a trip with BHR) to the Upper-Murray with a truck donated by Walker's Transport Wodonga.
"I'd rather be loading a truck than buttering bread for sandwiches," he said when asked why he was putting in the hard yards to help.
"When I get old, I'll slow down."
For Mr Parrett, who also volunteers with Glenellen Rural Fire Service, it's about giving back when the chips are down.
"You don't do this for a pat you on the back - you do it because people are hurting."
