9 Of Australia's Weirdest Festivals and Races

Australia’s dry sense of humour blossoms when anyone mentions festival and charity in the same sentence.

Here are some of the craziest ways that Aussies have found to raise money and/or community spirit.

1. The Parkes Elvis Festival

It’s not the subject of this festival so much as where it takes place that makes Parkes Elvis Festival unique.

Elvis impersonator in a car — The festival attracts 15,000-plus Elvis fans and voyeurs annually.

Imagine a sleepy country town almost five hours’ drive west of Sydney (population 10,000) inundated by 15,000-plus Elvis fans and voyeurs for a few days in one of the hottest months of the year – that’s why it’s one of Australia’s quirkiest events.

Elvis impersonators and crowds gather at the annua Street Parade in Parkes. — Elvis impersonators and crowds gather at the annual Street Parade in Parkes.

2. Henly-on-Todd Regatta, Alice Springs

This Alice Springs perennial has been going on so long that many Australians probably think it’s quite normal, but put this annual mockery of the UK’s terribly posh Henly Royal Regatta back into context and you see that it is unadulterated lunacy.

participants and spectators at the Henley on Todd Regatta in Alice Springs — It’s the most fun you can have without water. (Image: Tourism NT/Imparja Creative)

A boat race, where teams of participants (rowers) run down a dry, sandy riverbed, Fred Flintstone-style, carrying a mock-up yacht – and it’s held around 1500km from any body of water of any consequence. Ironically it was once cancelled due to bad weather – too much rain!

Henley on Todd Regatta — Henley-on-Todd Regatta is the world’s only dry river boating event in Alice Springs. (Image: Tourism NT/Imparja Creative)

3. Shitbox Rally

Quirky because it celebrates the underdog – in this case the clapped-out Australian car – and then proceeds to put it through a distinctly Australian torture test.

In the Redex-trail spirit, entrants in the Shitbox Rally must drive their under-$1500 ‘shitbox’ in one of three annual routes to raise money for the Cancer Council: Adelaide to Perth via the Northern Territory in autumn, Melbourne to Alice Springs passing through NSW and Queensland in winter, and Bendigo to Townsville with a dip over the border into South Australia en route in spring.

Every route features roads the cars would have struggled with even in their younger years, but of course, it only adds to the sense of adventure.

The quirky rally celebrates the underdog!

4. Tunarama

Our weirdness tends to swim upstream on Australia Day, so it’s no coincidence that the South Australian fishing city Port Lincoln holds its “world famous" Tunarama to coincide with it.

The festival celebrates all things relating to the city’s most lucrative fish resource, highlighted by, naturally, the World Championship Tuna Toss. The festival was cancelled in 2024 but will be resurrected under new ownership with some changes, likely to incorporate more of a focus on food and wine and local music. The iconic tuna toss is set to remain.

What’s weirder than the world-famous Tuna toss?

5. Boorowa’s Running of the Sheep

Not quite the gore and frenetic activity of the similarly named Running of the Bulls in Spain.

Boorowa streetscape — Farmers guide a flock of sheep down the town’s main street at the annual festival. (Image: Holly Bradford; Capital Country Tourism)

In fact, the pinnacle of the action is a farmer on a quadbike and some dogs guiding a flock of sheep down the town’s main street, which lies about an hour north of Canberra. It’s the grand finale of the Boorowa Hotel’s Irish Woolfest .

Sheep shearing in Boorowa, Capital Country — (Image: Holly Bradford; Capital Country Tourism)

6. Dunny Races

The dunny race surely embodies the pinnacle of Australian festival toilet humour.

The Sunshine Coast is home to the Great Australian Dunny Race. It started as an Australia Day race outside the Ettamogah Pub; the road transformed into a thunderbox drag strip with the athletes acting as human horses as they endeavour to pull their loo the quickest and be declared Dunny Race Champion of the World.

Now in its 34th year, the race is part of the Sunshine Coast Chilli & Chocolate Festival held annually in March with an entry fee that goes towards Mates in the Bush via Rural Aid. Other towns, such as Werribee, Victoria, and Quilton in Outback Queensland, have also dabbled in dunny races.

7. Maslin Beach Nude Games

Somewhat less patronised, but equally energetic is the primo sporting event on the South Australian nudists/naturalist’s sporting calendar.

The marquee events at the Pilwarren Maslin Beach Nude Games , held on the banks of the Murray River, are the three-legged race, the sack race and the tug of war. Unlike the competitors, clothes are optional for spectators at this summertime festival.

The event, which is currently on hold, has over 30 years of history and attracts over 300 participants annually. Hopefully, a resurrection is in the works.

8. Tully Golden Gumboot

Tully in Queensland scores the award for conjuring up the most obscure reason for a festival: celebrating its reputation for rain and being “a pretty wet place".

The symbol of this annual event, the Golden Gumboot, stands proud over a festival full of small-town energy with the mandatory float parade and, of course, gumboot throwing on the schedule.

The competition sees the Far North Queensland towns of Tully, Innisfail, and Babinda in Australia battle it out for the title of the wettest town in Australia with the winner of the competition awarded, rather fittingly, a rubber boot.

The Golden Gumboot in Tully Queensland — The township of Tully is home to the Golden Gumboot. (Image: Tourism Events Queensland)

9. Deni Ute Muster

A devastating drought in the late nineties inspired a small group of Deniliquin locals to start a rural-themed festival to bring visitors (and much-needed income) to the small country town. What followed was a mass gathering of ute devotees openly celebrating their sub-culture: bumper stickers, ‘circle work’, big, big aerials, and blue singlets.

The Deni Ute Muster now attracts over 20,000 people of all ages to the festival annually, with a mosaicked vintage ute and an erected ute on a pole two of the headline attractions.

TransmUTE is a celebration of arts and the ute culture in Deniliquin. — The mosaic vintage ute paints Deniliquin as the ute capital of the free world. (Image: Destination NSW)

The nightly concerts feature performances by Australian and International rock and country musicians (think Amy Shark, Kip Moore and Tyler Hubbard), and the day is full of entertainment for all ages.

Crowds enjoying the Deni Ute Muster — The evening entertainment features some of the country’s best musicians. (Image: Destination NSW)

There were 9,736 examples of the classic Aussie transport at the 2013 Deni Ute Muster , leading to claims that Deniliquin is indeed the ute capital of the free world.

Woman posing with three costumed kangaroos at the Deni Ute Muster 2015, Deniliquin. — The annual event attracts over 20,000 ute devotees. (Image: The Art of Zowie Photography)

Just over an hour from Melbourne, spectacular walking and hiking trails encompass ancient landscapes, forested ridgelines and volcanic peaks.

Just a short drive from the city, the urban sprawl gives way to rolling hills, mineral springs, and lush forests that will have you feeling like you’re in the bucolic countryside of France. Encompassing Daylesford , the Macedon Ranges, Castlemaine and the Central Goldfields, this pocket of Victoria is a region where nature, art, and wellness intertwine. Heritage towns hum with creativity, good food and wine, and welcoming locals. While Daylesford hikes, and those nearby, offer the chance to take a pause and reconnect with nature.

1. Hanging Rock Summit Walk

Etched into folklore, few places in Australia carry as much mystique as Hanging Rock. Rising dramatically from the plains near Woodend, this volcanic mamelon offers a beautiful nature walk. The walk begins at a gentle pace, weaving through shaded woodland before it gets a little steeper as the path starts to climb and twist to the summit. From here, you’ll have views that stretch across the Macedon Ranges. The walk is roughly 1.8 kilometres return, but the real reward lies in standing among the weathered boulders, feeling the age and energy of the earth beneath your feet.

2. Macedon Ranges Walking Trail

Macedon Ranges Walking Trail camel's hump lookout — Walk to Camel’s Hump. (Image: Clair Derwort)

The Macedon Ranges Walking Trail traverses around 19 kilometres of forest and mountain landscapes. The full trail is a six-hour circuit, with most of the walk being a grade three; however, you don’t have to tackle it all at once. There are shorter walks that will take you through the tall mountain ash forests, to tranquil picnic areas, and sweeping views from Camels Hump and the Memorial Cross. The best times of year to head out are autumn, when the mountain turns into a tapestry of crimson and gold, and spring, when wildflowers brighten the trail.

3. Mount Alexander Traverse

Towering above the goldfields near Castlemaine, Mount Alexander is a granite giant that offers some great bushwalking trails. The Mount Alexander Traverse winds along the mountain’s rocky spine through dry eucalypt forest that opens up in sections to reveal beautiful panoramas across Loddon Valley and all the way to the distant Grampians. Once a site of ancient volcanic activity (and later a gathering place for the Dja Dja Wurrung people), the mountain’s granite tors are now quiet and create a beautiful, serene atmosphere for a moment of reflection while walking.

4. Murmuring Walk

Murmuring Walk daylesford hikes — Circle the picturesque Sanatorium Lake.

Located an easy drive from Daylesford, Murmuring Walk offers something a little different. Circling Sanatorium Lake, this free audio-guided walk aims to immerse you in the rhythms of Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country by blending the sounds of nature with a multi-layered soundtrack. There are two routes to explore while you listen: a shorter loop around the lake itself and a longer circuit that extends deeper into the woodland.

5. La Gerche Forest Walk

Located in Creswick, the La Gerche Forest Walk honours the legacy of John La Gerche, a 19th-century forester who championed the regeneration of the then gold-rush-ravaged land. Today, over 100 years later, his replanting efforts have grown into a living cathedral of towering pines, oaks, and native gums. As you meander along the 2.2-kilometre circuit, you’ll find interpretive panels along the way that help tell the story of La Gerche’s vision, so you can learn as you wander.

6. Sailors Falls Loop

Just outside Daylesford, Sailors Falls tumbles through a fern-lined gorge, fed by mineral springs. Thought to be named after the sailors who jumped ship to seek gold in the area during the 1850s gold rush, the loop walk begins at the car park and descends through a cool, shaded gully to the base of the falls. From here, you’ll make the climb back via the mineral springs. It’s a short but enchanting walk – about 1.5 kilometres in total, so make a day of it by packing a picnic to sit by the springs; you’ll feel worlds away from the city.

7. Paddys Ranges Loop Walk

Further north, the Paddys Ranges State Park loop reveals a different side of Victoria’s Heartland – dry forest, golden light and hints of a gold-rush past. This protected reserve is a stronghold of box-ironbark woodland, providing vital refuge for endangered species. In spring, the forest floor is awash with the colour of over 230 species of wildflowers, so a springtime walk is a must-do. As you walk the 4.5-kilometre loop trail, keep an eye out for remnants of old mine shafts and rusted relics from the prospectors who once sought their fortunes here.

8. Mount Franklin Summit Walk

An extinct volcano turned picnic ground, Mount Franklin (known as Lalgambook to the Dja Dja Wurrung people) is one of the region’s quiet marvels. The summit walk follows a narrow, winding path through native forest to the crater’s rim, where you’ll get glimpses of farmland and forest below. It’s a moderate climb – just over an hour return, so it can easily be done if you’re camping in the surrounding reserve for a weekend nature retreat.

The trails of Victoria’s Heartland offer a chance to reconnect with the landscape, local history and yourself. Start planning your next adventure at daylesfordmacedonlife.com.au.

9 of Australia’s weirdest festivals and races