The 20th annual camel races at the drought-stricken west Queensland town of Boulia last weekend proved two things … the ships of the desert can really shift it when they want to … and grey nomads heading out to events can give struggling rural communities a massive boost.
While South Australian Hookmup was the fastest humped animal over 1500 metres and took out the coveted Boulia Cup, the real winner was the town itself. More than 2,500 people were there for the Melbourne Cup of camel racing, and the showgrounds were rammed with hundreds of caravans.
Mayor Rick Britton said the spectators at the unique event brought in more than $400,000 to the town, which lies about 540 kilometres west of Longreach and has a resident population of some 600.
Of course, Boulia is not the only place to feel the benefit from hosting grey nomad friendly events. The camel racing moves on to Winton next, and then there’s other iconic happenings such as the Birdsville Races, the Darwin Beer Can Regatta, and the Shinju Matsuri Festival in Broome.
All across the country, small towns are circling dates in the calendar and planning fairs, markets, races, art shows, and everything in between, in an effort to lure more visitors. And whether it be an Opal Festival in Lightning Ridge, a camp oven festival in the Clarence Valley, a folk festival on Bony Mountain near Warwick, or a national Bilby day at Charleville, grey nomads are responding … and making a difference.
