I made it down to the Birdsville Races this weekend for the second straight year.
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I reckon were slightly down on last year and perhaps the competition from Birdsville’s other major event – the Big Red Bash – is starting to bite.
But the 5000 or so that did make it out to the middle of the Simpson Desert all seemed to have a good time.
It amazed me the quality of some of the gear people wore to the races given that most of them were camping in tents or vans.
Almost everyone made an effort and there were many groups of colour-coordinated people from all parts of this great country in far western Queensland.
Most people I spoke to had not been there before and Birdsville was satisfying a bucket list entry.
There were plenty of grey nomads there for sure, but there were plenty of young people too and whatever their age they were united in the desire to have a great time in this special place.
A reminder of why Birdsville is special comes as you take the slow 3km trek from the town to the track and cross the amazing Diamantina River.
It never ceases to amaze me – especially in this time of dry seasons and drought how the Diamantina still manages to look grand and mighty.
I saw a few revellers playing in the water as if it were the Gold Coast though when I dipped a toe in it was surprisingly cold.
The river was the saving grace for the the Wangkangurru-Yarluyandi people who lived here for thousands of years.
European visitors to the area are more recent with SA Survey-General and explorer Charles Sturt arriving in 1844 and of course Burke and Wills disastrous expedition came in 1860 (there is now a lovely monument to their expedition outside the airport).
Birdsville’s location on the Queensland – South Australia border made it a customs point for stock and supplies until Federation abolished that need in 1901.
A hundred years later Birdsville has created a new identity for itself.
It has undoubted mystique but also its hard work in tourism must be acknowledged. Other Queensland towns would do well to watch and learn – Derek Barry