SPORT MAD?!?
We
all know that Australians are Sports Mad, but here are some sports to keep you
on the edge of your seat. I guarantee you will not find these competitions
anywhere else in the world
JANUARY
Sanitarium
World Weet-bix Eat-a-thon, Port MacDonnell, SA.
Gut-buster event in which contestants cram themselves with breakfast biscuits.
It’s part of a festival that also includes an octopus-throwing competition
which was won this year by Olympic hammer thrower Sean Carlin.
Valla Beach Fair, Valla Beach Reserve NSW. Duck races, gumboot
throwing, hay sheath throwing.
Nude Olympics, Maslin Beach, SA. Unclad athletics at Australia’s
first official nude beach. Naked contestants are cheered on by crowds on the
overlooking cliffs.
The
Great Country Music Duck Race, Tamworth, NSW. Numbered plastic ducks float down the
Peel River to a finish line during Tamworth Country Music Festival
Wellington
Bushracing Carnival Dog High Jump, Sale, Vic: Three height sections for small dogs,
medium dogs and large dogs.
Queenscliff
Scooter Challenge, from Pt Lonsdale lighthouse to Queenscliff Post
Office, Vic. Riders on foot-powered scooters race over a 12km course
FEBRUARY
World
Penny Farthing Championships, Evandale, Tas: Big-wheel bikers battle it out. Third
weekend in February.
Compass
Cup Cow Races, at Mt Compass, SA: Dairy cows become mounts for "jockeys",
assisted by "urgers" who help them stay aboard. Second Sunday in
February
Cradle
to Coast race, Cradle Mountain to Hobart, Tas: This could be the toughest test for
iron men, and iron ladies, in Australia. Contestants run, kayak and cycle 380km
over three days. Long weekend in February.
Ocean
Grove Cup Carnival, RAAF’s Beach, Ocean Grove, Vic. Horses race along the beach.
Outback
Surfboat Carnival, Port Augusta, SA. Events include competition for boat crews in fancy
dress.
MARCH
Millthorpe
Murphy Marathon, Millthorpe NSW. Contestants carry a 50kg bag of potatoes in a
1610-metre race. Lots of other potato contests including the longest-peel.
International
Kite Festival, Semaphore Beach, Adelaide. A free event showcasing big kites, small
kites, art kites, sport kites, kite buggying and kite surfing.
Bylong
Mouse Races,27th March 2004 - Bylong NSW. Eleven-race program ending with the Bylong
Cup. BYO mouse or race one of the ones provided. Lots more entertainment.
Late April.
APRIL
Geelong
Camel Cup Carnival, Geelong, Vic: Nine camel races, with on-course bookmaking and prize
money of more than $10,000.
Yabby
races,
Talbot, Vic. April.
Montara
Scarecrows in the Vineyard, Ararat, Vic. Competition for scarecrows built for
vineyard use, with a sense of the quirky, and they must have movement.
Australian
Championship Tractor Pull, Quambatook, Vic: Souped-up farm machines pull heavy
loads.
MAY
World
Championship Egg Throwing Competition, Taylors Arm, NSW. A
thrower pitches eggs 40-metres over the roof of the original "Pub with No
Beer", celebrated in Slim Dusty’s song, and the catcher tries to catch it
without breaking it. Sunday after Mothers’ Day.
JUNE
Coolabah
Goat Races, Coolabah, NSW. Sunday of long weekend. Three preliminary races, with
winners going for the Coolabah Cup. Many other activities during this carnival
including bush stew and damper at night.
Wooli
Goanna Pulling Championships, Wooli, NSW. A tug-o-war between pairs of contestants,
lying in the push-up position and joined by a thick leather belt looped around
their necks.
International
Wool Challenge, National Wool Museum, Geelong, Vic. Teams of blade shearers, spinners
and knitters compete to knit a jumper of greasy wool straight from the sheep
Pinnacle
Guinea Pig Races, at Pinnacle, NSW. Sprints and hurdle races for guinea pigs. June long
weekend and Easter
Black
Rock Stakes, Pilbara WA. A Pub to Port wheelbarrow race that runs over more than
100km! Wheelbarrows may be modified, but must have headlights and red tail
lights. A full weekend of fun
Cane
Toad Racing, Maclean Cane Harvest Festival, Maclean, NSW. Snails will compete if
toads not available. Lots of other activities and displays. Late June
JULY
Lions
Camel Cup Carnival, Alice Springs, NT. Program of camel races, followed by pocamelo (polo
on camels
AUGUST
Darwin
Beer Can Regatta, Darwin, NT. Boats built from drink cans battle it out for line honors
off Mindil Beach near town
Giant
Platypus Throwing, Nymboida Heritage Festival, NSW. Competitors take turns to throw a
giant plastic platypus as far as they can. Lots of other activities. End of
August
World
Lizard Racing Championships, Eulo, Qld. Held at a specially-built racetrack. The
event starts with a lizard auction and features a five-race program.
SEPTEMBER
Sorbent
Australian Dunny Derby, Winton, Qld. Enthroned "dunny jockeys" are
pulled along in outhouses on wheels. Every second year in September. The
festival includes the Crayfish Derby.
Whitsunday
Fun Race, Airlie Beach, Qld: A yacht event in which topless bathing beauties act
as figureheads for the racing craft. Every September.
The
Great Pram Battle, Yulara, NT. Each team of four runners pushes a "baby",
minimum age 18. around the Yulara resort’s ring road
OCTOBER
Rydges
Henley-on-Todd Regatta, Alice Springs. Human horsepower propels bottomless
boats along a dry riverbed.
Back
to Bowra Festival, Bowraville, NSW. Billycart races, gumboot throwing, Mullins Mail Ride,
whip-cracking, one arm wheelbarrow race, egg throwing. October long weekend.
Landor
Races,
Landor Station WA. The population of the station swells from two to more than a
thousand people for a race meeting, a ball and other sporting events.
Ararat
Festival Gold Dig, at Greenhill Lake, Ararat, Vic. Participants use electronic metal
detectors to find buried prize tokens.
NSW
Cooee Championships. Competitors "Cooee" across the Castlereagh River, to judges
armed with a sound meter. Judged on authenticity, clarity and volume. Saturday,
October long weekend.
NOVEMBER
Gold
Nugget Race, Dunolly, Vic, November. Rotary Duck Race, Strathalbyn, SA. Rubber decoy ducks are floated down
the Angas River. November
DECEMBER
World Rabbit Skinning Championship,
Moyston, Vic. Boxing Day
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