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Camel Cup
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Camel racing is a thing - and what a wonderful thing it is
The iconic Camel Cup event is one that encapsulates the town of Alice Springs on an annual basis in the month of July. Considered to offer spectacular, family-friendly entertainment, the Camel Cup encompasses a range of sources of entertainment that provides for an all-rounder day.
Every year in July, Alice Springs attracts over 5000 spectators who join in the festivities that the Camel Cup incorporates into a very packed day-long event.
The Camel Cup, unlike other races, provides its patrons with laughs by allowing the camels with complete freedom on and off the racecourse. While the idea behind the Cup is to have a race among the finest camels of the Territory, the camels often decide to run the race themselves, which includes starting off the race in the right direction, but heading in the wrong direction towards the end of the race.
Upon arriving at the event, we were fortunate enough to witness the infamous Rickshaw Races. This is an entertaining, mini-race event where two people sit on a tuk-tuk and two others act as the motor to pull them across the track. There was a certain Viking-themed group that provided the cheering crowd with hilarity and despite coming in last, encapsulated the spectators with their goofy performance of pulling the tuk-tuk in a unique manner.
The Camel Cup may predominantly focus around the hilarity that ensues on the racecourse, but there are other fun activities that are set up to the spectators' delights, while the camels prep up for the next batch of races.
Presenting with a market-like atmosphere, there are a number of stalls that sell food, drink, and hand-made products at competitive prices. If you're not in Alice Springs for too long, you may want to take advantage of these bargains that you may otherwise find at the Todd Mall markets on Sunday, held on a fortnightly basis.
In addition to all the festivities that make up this glorious event, there are 3-minute and 6-minute helicopter rides that are available to the general public, for an additional $30 or $55 respectively. Having never been in a helicopter before, my partner and I opted for the 3-minute flight, which ended up being a fantastic experience!
Seeing how this is an annual event, I'd highly recommend you to consider attending this spectacular event. With a range of attractions and activities available for enjoyment purposes, you really can't go wrong here!
The camels entertain with their unique personalities and excellent racing skills, the stalls deliver well with their range of assortments, and the weather overall often turns out to be a beautiful, sunny day for people of all ages to venture out for this well-established event!
Camels racing!
Every year in July, Alice Springs attracts over 5000 spectators who join in the festivities that the Camel Cup incorporates into a very packed day-long event.
The Camel Cup, unlike other races, provides its patrons with laughs by allowing the camels with complete freedom on and off the racecourse. While the idea behind the Cup is to have a race among the finest camels of the Territory, the camels often decide to run the race themselves, which includes starting off the race in the right direction, but heading in the wrong direction towards the end of the race.
The Camel Cup may predominantly focus around the hilarity that ensues on the racecourse, but there are other fun activities that are set up to the spectators' delights, while the camels prep up for the next batch of races.
Presenting with a market-like atmosphere, there are a number of stalls that sell food, drink, and hand-made products at competitive prices. If you're not in Alice Springs for too long, you may want to take advantage of these bargains that you may otherwise find at the Todd Mall markets on Sunday, held on a fortnightly basis.
Beautiful, hand-made products such as these are sold at competitive prices at the Camel Cup
In addition to all the festivities that make up this glorious event, there are 3-minute and 6-minute helicopter rides that are available to the general public, for an additional $30 or $55 respectively. Having never been in a helicopter before, my partner and I opted for the 3-minute flight, which ended up being a fantastic experience!
Seeing how this is an annual event, I'd highly recommend you to consider attending this spectacular event. With a range of attractions and activities available for enjoyment purposes, you really can't go wrong here!
Delicious sweet treats available for under $10 at the Camel Cup
The camels entertain with their unique personalities and excellent racing skills, the stalls deliver well with their range of assortments, and the weather overall often turns out to be a beautiful, sunny day for people of all ages to venture out for this well-established event!
Why? Because camel racing isn't something that you can see on a regular basis!
When: 2nd Saturday of July annually
Phone: 0435 753 429
Website: www.camelcup.com.au
Where: Alice Springs, NT
Cost: $5 (child), $20 (adult), $40 (family), $15 (seniors), Free (kids under 12)
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Thanks for this Xarah. I have always wanted to catch one of Australia's unique events on my travels - this may be it
by Steve Hudson (score: 3|1230) 762 days ago
I would love to go to the camel races. In fact I would love to visit The Alice again. My husband and I were there in Febraury last year but only had a few days. We are resolved to return for a couple of weeks at least. Perhaps we can aim for July next year. We had planned a road trip last year which would have included camel races at Winton, but illness kept us away. Still determined to get to some camel races somewhere.
by Gayle Beveridge (score: 3|5676) 720 days ago
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