The little outback Queensland town in remote Queensland sure knows how to turn it on with a fun weekend in July every year at the Bedourie Camel and Pig Races.
Outback Queensland describe Bedourie as an oasis in the desert. Bedourie is located at the base of a sand dune surrounded by Eyre Creek. Bedourie is home to the famous ‘Bedourie Camp Oven’ which the Australian Government claimed significant and ‘uniquely Australian’ in 2001, and are sold at the Visitor Centre year round.
Bedourie is approximately 1400km North-West of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
The Bedourie Camel and Pig Races were fun filled this year with the famous Bedourie Camp Oven cooking competition, the Diamantina foot races, a wood chopping competition, golf competition, pig racing, camel racing and Camp Oven throwing. If that wasn’t enough fun in one day a band set up and played until midnight.
Good prize money was up for grabs with 1st prize winner of the damper cooking competition walking away with $650. Even the kids category had a $200 prize for the winner.
The Wood Chop had a number of categories for men, women and mixed teams. If you are up for a couples wood chop then this might be the competition for you next year.
The camel races were great to see with the slow thundering thud of camels blowing up dust as they all made their way around the track. These races were definitely a crowd pleaser and with bookies on site there is the chance to bet locally.
My absolute favourite event was the pig racing. Cute little ‘thoroughbred’ racing piglets wearing sequined capes raced each other through an obstacle course akin to that of a ninja warrior. The crowd went wild betting on the piglets.
Camping was free on-site, included in the tickets. There are a few toilet and shower facilities which were in hot demand. The temperature this year was close to zero overnight so there was lots of sitting around fire and sipping on beverages to keep warm.
This year the dates lined up well so a lot of people went to the Bedourie Camel and Pig Races, on to the Big Red Bash in Birdsville during the following week, followed by the Boulia Camel Races the weekend after.
If you are looking for a great outback experience the Bedourie Camel and Pig Races is definitely something you will want to pencil in for July next year.
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