Birdsville Racing Carnival, QUEENSLAND
Airing Date: Feb 27th, 2006
It's a sleepy town that's hours away from anywhere. But once a year, the hordes descend and for one weekend, this one horse town revolves around a horse racing carnival that defines the Australian Outback.
Birdsville is a small outback town situated on the banks of the Diamantina River between the sands of the Simpson Desert and the gibbers of Sturts Stony Desert. The area is steeped in history, from Aboriginal meeting places to European settlement in the late 1870s and beyond.
The Birdsville Races have been run since 1882 where they started as an event for hack and stock horses with a few local spectators. It was mainly a means of getting the town together, with about a dozen horses. It wasn't until around 1970 that the race started to turn into the massive event that it now is.
Nowadays, on the first weekend in September, the town of around 120 people swells to around 6,000 spectators. With such a massive surge of visitors, the town is relatively unequipped to cope with the masses. The local hotel has just 18 units and they are booked out years in advance, so camping is the only option.
Further Information
Qantas & QantasLink fly one way to Longreach from $245 ex Brisbane, $379 ex Sydney, $427 ex Melbourne and $443 ex Adelaide. **Prices available online and include surcharges, fees & taxes, subject to fluctuation.
Website:www.qantas.com
Connections to Birdsville start from $600 return. **Includes taxes. Conditions apply. For details contact Air Central West on 07 4658 9187
Birdsville Caravan Park
Telephone: (07) 4656 3214
For more information on the next race (held 1 - 2 September 2006) contact the Wirrarri Centre 07 4656 3300
Prices correct at 20/02/06
