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Mike Yardley: Queensland’s Wackiest Festivals

Author
Mike Yardley,
Publish Date
Fri, 6 Jan 2017, 3:58PM

Mike Yardley: Queensland’s Wackiest Festivals

Author
Mike Yardley,
Publish Date
Fri, 6 Jan 2017, 3:58PM

Australia's Sunshine State is a naturally blessed holiday playground, but maybe all that sun explains why Queensland’s calendar brims with some of the world’s wackiest festivals. If you want to inject a dollop of odd-ball festive fun to your Queensland holiday itinerary, here’s a few choice contenders.

The 35th Annual Australia Day Cockroach Races, Brisbane. 26 January, 2017. Cheer on Queensland's biggest pests at the annual Australia Day Cockroach Races at Brisbane's Story Bridge Hotel. Now in its 35th year, the event sees 14 heats of cockroaches' scurry to the finish line, with prizes such as 'Best Team Costume', and 'Miss Cocky' to be won. The venue is decked out in true sporting arena style, complete with stadium seating and corporate boxes, giving everyone the chance to enjoy the races and live entertainment.

Dunny Races, Sunshine Coast. 26 January, 2017. National pride is to the fore on Australia Day at the famous Ettamogah Pub at Aussie World on the Sunshine Coast. Grab a port-a-loo, and have a crack at chasing the finish line in the annual 'Dunny Races'. Participants can try their hand at keg lifting or mullet tossing, plus you can enjoy live music from midday.

Chinchilla Melon Festival.16-19 February, 2017. Where's the one place you can compete in watermelon-fuelled obstacle events? Only at the Chinchilla Melon Festival of course, where melon-choly is not on the menu. Thousands of cheery patrons will flock to the small town to participate in sweet events such as melon skiing, melon bungy, melon ironman and a melon chariot race.

Julia Creek Dirt 'n' Dust Festival, Innisfail. 7-9 April, 2017. Get down and dirty (literally) at the Julia Creek Dirt 'n' Dust Festival. Shake your booty and show off your best dance moves in the internationally renowned 'Australia's Best Bum' competition, which began as a time-filler. Join the hordes of spectators who flock to the small town of Julia Creek to watch the festival in full swing with its various triathlons (the swim leg takes place in near bog conditions), horse races and infamous Bog Snorkelling Championships, which sees participants swim through a trench of mud without visibility, or the ability to use their arms. Strap yourself in for a party like no other in the Australian Outback.

Goomeri Pumpkin Festival, Sunshine Coast. 28 May, 2017. Get your pumpkins at the ready, because the Great Australian Pumpkin Roll is coming back to town at the Goomeri Pumpkin Festival, for its 20th year. Put your best foot (and big, orange veggie) forward in the pumpkin lawn bowls and pumpkin shotput competitions. Make a weekend of it, with the Heritage Dinner Dance on 27 May.

The Great Wheelbarrow Race, Mareeba. 19-21 May, 2017. This gruelling 60-kilometre race is designed to honour the pioneering miners of the early 19th century, as competitors' race their wheelbarrows to the finish line. Over 450 competitors join this event decked out in wacky costumes to raise funds for local charities and small communities, with a whopping $200,000 raised in 2016.

Mary Poppins Festival, Maryborough. 23 June - 2 July, 2017. Put your babysitting skills to the test at the Mary Poppins Festival. Parade your finest hat and umbrella, and put on your most comfortable shoes to dash a pram to the finish line in the Great Nanny Race. You'll also be able to jazz-up your cleaning routine in the Chimney Sweep Challenge, raise your voice in the Mary's River Cruise Singalong. Mary Poppin's author, P.L. Travers, was born in Maryborough in 1899, and this year's 10-day programme will highlight storytelling for all ages through various art forms, such as music concerts, pop-up performances and art installations, allowing merrymakers to be a part of the Maryborough Story Trail experience.

VIVA Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast. 7-16 July, 2017. What do you call a group of Elvis Presley tribute artists? A gaggle of Elvi. And you will find them rocking it out for the coveted Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist crown. Relive the toe-tapping tunes with live performances, marvel at an array of vintage cars at show 'n' shines, and even renew your vows in a mass ceremony on the beach, presided over by The King.

Boulia Camel Races, Outback. 14-17 July, 2017. A hidden gem of outback Queensland is home to the Boulia Camel Races, a wacky and wonderful 4-day event held from the 14 – 17 July 2014. From belly dancing to sky diving, camel rides to market stalls, this festival is absolutely jam packed with way-out things to see and do, culminating in the Quarter-Mile Flyer and the Camel Cup races. Known as the 'Melbourne Cup' of camel racing, see these majestic creatures hurtle down 1500m of red dust, alongside plenty of live entertainment for the whole family.

Jumpers and Jazz Festival in July, Warwick. 20-30 July, 2017. As one of the few places in Queensland where jumpers are a necessity in winter, Warwick comes alive from 20-30 July to celebrate the thrill of the chill. Combining cleverness and creativity, the citizens lovingly dress 150 deciduous trees around the town in textiles for the official Jumpers and Jazz Festival. The strains of Queensland's finest jazz ensembles waft from cafes and restaurants, while events like the Spring Beanie Exhibition and live chalk artistry add to the festivities.

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