Are you in Australia and looking for something unique and different to do? Right up there with the Lightning Ridge Great Goat Races and the Parkes Elvis Festival, The Birdsville Races are quintessentially Aussie. The Aussies looooove their horse racing. The glamour, the excitement, the money, the thunder of the hooves, and the cold refreshment of the booze.
Birdsville is one of the loneliest Outback places on the continent with about 100 people usually residing in the region along the “Birdsville Trak.” Over the famous race weekend (August 31- Sept 1) it swells to nearly 6000.
That being said- part of the fun is camping under the stars. Apparently thousands of people fly in, and actually camp under the wings of their planes! The town provides extra showers and toilet facilities throughout. The Race Track is 3K out of town, but there is a Greyhound bus that runs. There is an all access Medallion for $55 that gets you into all of the events and live after hours entertainment, you can also pay by event.
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There is one very famous pub, two gas stations, and a museum. The romanticism of this crazy Outback bush party beckons. Go on! Have a punt on the pretty ponies! Add your tinnies to the pile of pride in front of the pub, and don’t forget your stubby holder! Check out the below links for tour operators. Unless you have a lot of money to charter your own plane or a lot of time to drive, definitely check out the tour operators. Be warned- these are outback driving conditions and the roads are not paved. I guarantee you will never see so many stars and if you get the t-shirt from this event- there will not be too many others out there. Good times and old time revelry are sure to be had.
Traveler info
Official page of Tours
Awesome story about the races
Tour operator named Mick…
Interesting photos of the Races
Great Quote: Hosted on the edge of three deserts, the Simpson, the Strezleckie and the Great Stony Desert, the race’s notoriety stems from its location, miles from bloody anywhere, and the fact the race comes in at a long second to the amount of alcohol consumed before, during and after the event.