Boat Racing in the Desert

Alice Springs is a melting pot of cultures and personalities. Sitting in a sidewalk café, you will hear a wide range of languages and dialects. People come and go here. Friends are made quickly and judgments made slowly. Time moves a little more slowly (know local as NT time) and more of it is spent relaxing and enjoying life. There are more patios and fewer palm pilots. The Aussie culture includes a healthy dose of alcohol and accompanied by a refreshing sense of absurdity.


Last week’s Henley-on-Todd was a great example of this combination. Although the Todd River is located in the center of Alice Springs, it’s a dry river bed and flows only on rare occasions. (The regatta has been canceled some years because of water in the river) I can only guess the amount of alcohol consumed in the development of the concept of boat raceing in the middle of a desert, let alone, during the construction of the “boats”, the training of the crew and by the fun loving spectators.

See additional photos at the bottom of this page.