Renee Cullen will return to the Northern Territory with a big smile after collecting five Show N Shine prizes at this year’s Deni Ute Muster.
She won Best Chick’s Ute, Best 4x4, Best Country Ute, Fartherst Travelled and was also runner-up for Ute of the Year.
This was Ms Cullen’s second year at the Deni Ute Muster, and she said it will not be her last.
Ms Cullen, her partner and her best friend’s daughter Mia began the journey from Darwin to Deniliquin almost two weeks out form the Deni Ute Muster.
They travelled 3583km exactly to pass through those famous gates - as the GPS technology used to determine Farthest Travelled indicated.
Ms Cullen’s love for utes stems from a life many Muster visitors know all too well.
“I was always in a ute out in the paddocks as a kid, and it’s just stuck with me,” she said.
As for the prize-winning ute, Ms Cullen purchased her 2016 Toyota Hilux fresh off the showroom floor.
“I tried to leave her be for the first month or so, you know, not to do anything too big to the ute, but it just didn’t feel right,” she said.
The Hilux would be the second ute Ms Cullen has “done up”, the first being a V8 Commodore named ‘Ducky’.
Over the past seven years, Ms Cullen has put so much effort into decking out her Hilux, which she has named ‘Unicorn’.
Countless customisations have been made to the vehicle, including a custom wrap featuring skulls, a four-inch lift and two-inch body lift, a handmade canopy and dog crate and a custom bull bar.
The rear seats were also removed and replaced with draws, plus there are many other smaller customisations completed over the years.
Although Ms Cullen is exceptionally proud of her ute, she did not expect the amount of recognition she got in this year’s Show N Shine.
“I came down this year expecting to win Best Chick’s Ute, maybe, so I’m very stunned about it all,” she said.
Ms Cullen and her travel companions plan to stay a few extra days in Deniliquin and district before making the long journey back home to Darwin.