I’ve been fortunate enough to go to Birdsville several times in recent years including the Big Red Bash back in July.
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But I’d never been to the Birdsville Races, an omission I was determined to put right this weekend.
With Chris Burns away on leave, it left just Esther MacIntyre and I to put out three papers last week so I was unable to get away from Mount Isa until Friday afternoon.
That meant I was unable to take in the first day of racing and the novelty fashions competition which sounded like a hoot.
But I need not have worried there were plenty of people dressed up in all sorts of outlandish costumes a day later.
When I arrived in Birdsville Saturday morning it was immediately apparanet there was a terrific vibe around.
The town which normally holds 200 people was packed out with 40 times that number taking every camping vantage point.
The town centre resembled a fair ground with Fred Brophy’s boxing tent taking pride of place on the corner opposite the pub (which was doing great business from the moment it opened at 10am) and the airport which was packed with planes large and small.
One of those planes which arrived at 11am was a RAAF jet whisking in the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lady Cosgrove to enjoy the races.
The 3km drive out to the racecourse was an amazing sight.
People everywhere, many walking on the footpath the whole way out there, camping sites and caravans strewn in every possible location, and perhaps most amazing of all still plenty of water in the Diamantina River despite the dry spell.
Locals may have been happy about the weather after rain played havoc with last year’s races (and last year’s Bash) and the afternoon was hot and sunny, and not surprisingly a lot of partrons were thirsty at the track.
I was impressed with the set-up which comfortably catered for the large numbers present.
I was hoping for a victory for one of the north west trainers, but instead Birdsville Cup honours went to my old stamping ground of Roma with Craig Smith making away with the trophy and $35,000 prize money – Derek Barry