Grey nomads are galloping into an Outback ghost town for one of the world’s most unusual race meetings.
Betoota – more than 800 kilometres south of Mount Isa – has a permanent population of exactly zero, but you would never guess that when the famous Simpson Desert Racing Carnival kicks off this weekend.
Volunteers from pastoral properties from up to 200 kilometres away are descending on the ghost town to help get the meeting, which has been running since 1979, under starter’s orders.
Betoota Race Club treasurer, Bev Morton, told the North West Star that the dates were recently changed to take advantage of the huge number of travellers passing through on their way to the Birdsville Races next weekend, and to entice trainers to run their horses at both events.
Organisers expect 1000 people to descend on the tiny Queensland hamlet with country star Mick Lindsay leading the entertainment tomorrow night, before the races – headlined by the eagerly anticipated Birdsville Bakery Betoota Cup – getting under way on Saturday.
2017 i am interested in going to betoota races