The Birdsville Races, Qld

Today was the day... Friday the 31st of August... that we'd travelled 1600 kilometres for, day ONE of the Birdsville races.
Richard woke still hobbling around with his sore big toe, it was then we decided it was worth a photo, we had found a new colour for Sam's Beach Toes nail polish,  a lovely
shade of bluish purple called Hammered.

A new nail polish colour - Richard's big toe

We went into town mid-morning for a coffee and to have a look around. The kids went straight to the Post Office.  Jack was hoping to pick up his birthday present from Aunty Lucy and Uncle Mun... And he was excited when he found out  it had finally found him...

Jack gets his birthday present in the mail

Richard, excited to be outside the Birdsville Pub

We then went to the famous Birdsville Bakery, it was full of people ordering everything from Kangaroo & Claret pies to Curried Camel pies. I wasn't sure if the camel, sitting outside the bakery was  next in line....

 

Outside the Birdsville Bakery

 

Curried Camel pie, anyone?

We then headed back to the caravan to get ready for the  races.

The track was typical country but mix desert and outback with that...

At the Racetrack Entrance 

The kids on the side of the racetrack

It was red and dusty and a gust of wind meant you ended up with a red tinge of dust over your entire body and that includes up nostrils and inside ears.

It was windy and hot but a substantial win in race one had us in the spirit...

Go Teraplex!!

Traplex puts us in good stead for the day

Race two gave us no choice but to back a horse called Silverado, if only in loyalty to the car that had got us this far.... It came in second.

Richard had another win in race three. 

The scenery was interesting, people had dressed in all types of clothing...

This woman used the bush to her advantage

Some of the colour of Day 1

I felt sorry for the odd woman from the city who had dressed in heels, it was not heel country, unless you didn't like your shoes and wanted to trash them.

The roulettes, the aerial flying show was amazing and nail biting....

The roulettes

All in all it was a great day at the races. Mind you, it's always a good day when you walk out with twice the money you walked in with. 

We were back at the campsite around 5, with the fire lit and a roast lamb in the oven. Ann and Gerry, our camp neighbours joined us and before long Richard and Gerry were on the way into town to check out Fred Brophy's boxing tent...

Rally around the drum boys

Fred Brophy's Boxing Ring

 ...while I sat with Ann and the kids around the campfire and ate Roast lamb and veggies for dinner.

Richard and Gerry arrived home much later, bringing with them that distinct distillery smell.

Day 2, we piled in the car and again headed into town to try our luck in the Calcutta for the Birdsville Cup that Richard, Gerry and David, another campsite neighbour had put money in for a Syndicate... but their luck wasn't in.
Their number's weren't drawn and they failed at auction to pick up a horse... Oh well, there was still a full day of luck to be had at the races.

The kids stopped by to peak into Fred Brophy's boxing tent in town. All the metal detectors were out, trying to pick up traces of the night before.

We all have some fun outside Fred Brophy's boxing tent

We returned back to the caravan and watched as our campsite neighbours got into the mood of the day...

Our psychedelic neighbours, ready for the Birdsville Races

A quick change of our own and we were back to the races for day 2.

The kids back at the race track

Richard and I at the finish post

An overview of the Races

The crowd from up high, Jack climbed a ladder for this shot

Richard had one good win with Samski and Grey's a Rockin, which came second in the Cup.

But the biggest highlight, without doubt was Nina in the fashions of the field... She led the ladies onto the stage and posed beautifully She obviously takes after her Dad ;-)

Nina leads the women onto the stage in Fashions On The Field

Nina on stage

She also caught the attention of Emma Freedman, who does weekend weather on the Today Show and she and her producer asked the kids to meet them for a Live cross the next morning from outside the Birdsville Pub, they were excited.

Emma Freedman and Nina

 Again the roulettes were amazing with their nail biting aerial manoeuvres...

I thought this...

aerial display was ...

heart warming.

We headed back to  the camp via an RBT in every direction, lucky the designated driver, Me, had been sensible.

Back at the camp it was another campfire with our neighbours before we all retired exhausted after two big race days and a big tick on Richard's bucket list, beside "Go to Birdsville Races."