StonedCrow

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