Queensland’s weird and whacky festivals!

Think of Queensland, and I am sure that golden beaches, blue seas, and the odd theme park might come to mind, but there is so much more…especially when it comes to Festivals. Queenslanders love them! Here are a few of the more unusual ones to come and exp

1

Pub with No Beer Festival: May

The Pub with No Beer Festival celebrates annually the true story of a convoy of American soldiers who drank Ingham’s Lees Hotel [then the Day Dawn] dry! When local resident, Dan Sheahan, rode in for a “coldie” and could only get a warm glass of wine, he was so inflamed he penned “The Pub Without Beer”, a poem which became Slim Dusty’s (and Australia’s) very first world-wide No. 1 smash hit. This year, the 71st anniversary will re-create the scandal complete with an American convoy of military re-enactors and descendants of Dan Sheahan riding to the pub.

2

Big Red Run: 2 - 7 July 2014

Man up for Australia’s first and only 250 kilometre running race, Big Red Run, set in the blistering Simpson Desert. Competitors race 40 kilometres a day through scorching heat, stomp through sinking sand and camp out at night in freezing winter conditions. Not exhausted by the day’s race? There’s evening entertainment and camp-fire cooking by night. Multiple categories are available, ranging from the main 250 kilometre event to a 42 kilometre desert dash.

3

Cooktown Discovery Festival:

6 - 9 June 2014

For 50 years, the people of Cooktown have come together every June to celebrate the arrival of explorer Captain James Cook by staging a fully costumed re-enactment of his landing and his time spent in this tropical paradise with the local Bama (Aboriginal people). Enjoy cannon firing, live music and street theatre.

4

Paniyiri Greek Festival: May

Take a gastronomical tour of Greece without the astronomical airfares at Paniyiri, home to 200,000 honey puffs and 500 kilos of Haloumi. Sample treats from the Aegean, mainland Greece, Cyprus, Chios, Crete, Rhodes and more at the 30+ food stalls or join the Greek olive or honey puff eating competitions. Enjoy live entertainment in the form of traditional Greek dancing, plate smashing and a fashion show celebrating Greek designers.

a6 Elvis – Viva Surfers Paradise: 12 - 14 14 July 2014

Surfers Paradise will become a sensory swirl of jumpsuits, black leather, blue suede shoes and some of the 20th century’s finest rock ‘n’ roll. The Elvis action will be on the beach and foreshore, in the heart of Surfers and includes the invitation-only Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition, the ‘world series’ for Elvis impersonators (who can actually sing).

7 Curry Merry Muster Festival: 1 - 4 August 2014

They call it “the Curry”, and there’s no better place to get hot and spicy in the outback than Cloncurry when it fires up for the Curry Merry Muster Festival. This is Cloncurry’s rodeo and it’s known for its heart-racing, adrenalin-pumping, man vs beast action.

8 Morning Glory Festival: 19 - 28 September 2014

The inaugural Morning Glory Festival will take place in Burketown, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, under the mesmerising cloud formations that roll across the Gulf. Take part in a Morning Glory photographic competition, Gangalidda and Garawa Rangers tours of Moungibi, historical tours, Doomadgee and Mornington Island dance displays, bush food and camp oven cooking demonstrations and more.

9 Australian Camp Oven Festival: 4 - 5 October 2014

Keen to stretch your one-pot cooking skills to more than possum stew? Then head off to the Australian Camp Oven Festival on the western fringe of the Darling Downs where experts show you how to whip up brownies, apple turnover and the prized Chelsea Pot in a single iron pot warmed up over scorching coals. In a weekend that celebrates cultural bush heritage, there’s also damper throwing and billy boiling competitions, sheep shearing and a bush poets breakfast.

10 Opera in the Outback: 9 - 11 October 2014

Three-hundred-and-fifty clicks south-west of Cairns, the outback hits its highest note as the stars of the Operatic circles travel north for a polished performance in the bush. Held in Undara under the spotlight of a million night stars, Opera in the Outback attracts a cross between music lovers and bush lovers and includes a theatrical performance on Thursday following by two nights of full blown Opera. Pitch a tent, stay in an historic rail carriage or bring your own van and be animated by a touch of bush class.