Just like numerous bizarre and crazy concepts, it all began at the local bar.
I was genuinely watching the street from the window at that crossroads and wondered, 'What if we installed a beach volleyball court and held a tournament?'
"On a gravel road. In the center of a town 400km away from the closest shore," says Simon Sutherland, 51.
He aimed to replicate the lively atmosphere of Bali's Kuta, a favored island destination for numerous Australians, in his hometown of Cootamundra.
And that night, he returned home and created designs for Australia's very own "Coota Beach" along with its now renowned annual volleyball competition.
After twenty-five years, it has expanded from one day of activities to a three-day celebration – a major cultural and athletic event in the town's schedule, pleasing residents, drawing thousands of visitors, and generating approximately $2 million in income.
"In a sense, I believe it's more significant than Christmas," said 86-year-old grandmother Pat Roberts, who shared with zaianews that she has made supporting her children and grandchildren a summer tradition.
I've enjoyed it every year, I've never skipped a single one.
From one courtroom to ten
It's a Saturday afternoon, and the competition feels like a beach party in full effect, with people in costumes moving vigorously under the intense sunlight.
"Mine!" shouts a player wearing a singlet to her teammates, arriving at the volleyball just in time. A loud burst of pop and rock music echoes throughout the whole block, interrupted occasionally by cheers and exclamations from the crowd.
On a nearby court, a group of minions – featuring yellow-painted faces, large goggles, and beach-style overalls – are leaping with excitement, similar to their animated counterpart.
In other areas, teams such as Holy Blockamole and Itsy Bitsy Spiker are taking shots with intensity, diving for saves, and drinking as if it's the final days of summer.
Numerous laughs are generated as groups of six players serve, hit, and defend during the 20-minute games, following a set of rules that combine elements of indoor and beach volleyball.
Sunscreen is being applied generously, and high-fives are exchanged as easily as the cold beverages. Between games, dedicated staff are spraying the courts to cool the sand.
It stands in sharp contrast to the initial Coota Beach event in 2001 – where 16 teams competed in a handful of matches on one court within a single day. This year's gathering featured nearly 200 teams spread across three days. The interest was so intense that 40 teams had to be turned down.
Sutherland recalls the initial years with clarity.
"We would wake up at 1 a.m. and begin preparing on Saturday mornings, getting everything ready for the games starting at 8 a.m.," he remembers, shaking his head with a bit of surprise as he looks at the ten courts at this year's tournament.
Currently, converting the asphalt area into a sandy paradise requires roughly a week, involving nearly 900 tons of sand – equivalent to six blue whales or 70 double-decker buses – being transported in.
James Graham, the proprietor of the quarry from which the sand is obtained, mentions that the town's request is the most unusual one he has ever encountered: "Who am I to dictate what people should do with it?" he says humorously.
Municipal employees subsequently level the massive piles of sand to form an inland beach, prepared for the inaugural games on Friday.
Several hours after the finals conclude on Sunday and all the eskies are stored away, staff and volunteers work to collect every remaining grain of sand, which is either sold or given to the community, and ends up in local parks, sports fields, or construction areas.
After two days, the road - polished and cleaned - reverts to its normal state, with parked vehicles along its sides and residents carrying out their usual tasks.
Better than Sydney
Organiser Lee-Anne Hogan believes the town's regular population of 7,000 increases by roughly 3,000 during the weekend. "It's massive - the town is completely booked in every sense."
Although, in the initial phase, some companies were concerned that shutting down a street could lead to reduced customers, these anxieties have since vanished.
A "No Vacancy" sign displayed outside his Southern Comfort Motor Inn, Dylan O'Neill states: "It's evident that all hospitality businesses in town gain greatly from the event."
Among the people who have come to Cootamundra for the weekend are British couple Guy Wilkinson and Lizzie Ellison, both aged 30, who relocated to Sydney two years back and traveled four hours to take part in the competition.
It's a "genuine country experience," which gives "a distinctively Australian" feel, Ellison mentions.
"It's really enjoyable and has a welcoming atmosphere," Wilkinson adds.
Their group – all wearing fringed cowboy attire – has won the award for best-dressed, matching another team dressed in pink nightgowns and silver blonde wigs.
People have traveled here from Manly in Sydney, stating that these courts are superior to the ones at the beaches there," Sutherland boasts, "I don't believe we can achieve a better endorsement than that.
Whether you're a lifelong resident or new to Coota, the weekend offers a chance to build a feeling of togetherness.
Sia Lesa addresses the zaianews as she prepares to take court eight for her third and last match of the day.
She has recently relocated to the town from her homeland of Samoa as part of a visa program that has enabled hundreds of Pacific Islanders to move to Australia for employment opportunities.
I reached in 2024, exactly on the day of the competition," she mentions. "I arrived in the early morning and competed in the afternoon, I'm telling the truth.
For Lesa, the social side of the weekend represents a unique opportunity to experience a sense of belonging within a community that typically seems inaccessible to her.
Coota is extremely tiny and [this is] a new experience for us, as we typically work at the slaughterhouse and immediately head home after finishing our shift.
It's undoubtedly a cozy event for James Dunk, who has participated annually for roughly ten years and consistently joins a team composed of three pairs of neighbors.
Last year, his son became part of the team since he had just reached 14 – the youngest eligible age for participation. "It's almost a tradition before they leave you behind and start having more enjoyable time with their friends," he says with humor.
That's precisely the situation with Sutherland's son Eamon, 14, who at last got the opportunity to participate, following years of observing from the sidelines.
"It's incredibly thrilling to have the chance to play," he says with a smile, his team's name—Spiked and Served—printed on his jersey.
As the sun goes down and players wipe the sand from their feet, Sutherland mentions he has ambitious plans to extend the beachfront at Coota Beach.
"I hope it can be as large as the Elvis Festival in Parkes," he says, mentioning the week-long events in another Australian regional town that attracts tens of thousands of fans each January to honor the King of Rock.
The more individuals we can attract into the Coota sphere, the better – those who typically wouldn't visit a rural town. Visit and discover what we have to present.