HERE IS something intrinsically
Australian about the outback. Just
like eggs to a pav, stubbies to a
six-pack, and thunder to a box, the
outback goes to the core of what it
means to be Australian.
There are plenty of Aussies who
never venture too far inland these
days, as their 4x4s serve out a
sentence as school runabouts, doomed to the
cleanliness of city streets, never to experience
the remarkable redness of some of Australia’s
truest landscapes.
The Australian outback is much more than
masses of dirt, swarms of flies and endless
nothingness, and to drape your 4WD in a thick
layer of red dust is a badge of honour for every
avid off-roader. But if you believe outback
travel isjust for the adventurers, then you’d
be wrong. What if we told you we survived
the outback in a soft-roader – a Land Rover
Discover Sport – and collected plenty of dirt,
while still packing a pair of stilettos?
Such is the juxtaposition of one of Australia’s
greatest outback events, the Birdsville Races.Located 1200km north of Adelaide and
1600km east of Brisbane, the famous outback
town of Birdsville is the gateway to the
Simpson Desert. In September every year the
tiny town sees its population swell from 115
people to more than 5000, as travellers from
all over the country arrive for the only horse
racing event run on red dirt.
However, the Birdsville Races is just the end
reward for a cross-country journey that’ll leave
you feeling so in touch with the land you’ll
almost enjoy being covered by flies. Almost.GETTING THERE
THE tinny-covered roads and footy-short-
wearing crowds of the Birdsville Races are
part of the adventure, but it’s the roads
leading to the character-filled town that will
make you want to pack up and move to the
land of gibber plains.
There’s the option to travel via light plane,
but who are we kidding? You’re not reading
this magazine because you prefer your head
in the clouds. No matter which direction
you’re coming from, or what route you choose,Punters enjoying a
cold brew at the
Birdsville Hotel.Our Discovery Sport,
‘Hi Ho Silver’, leads
the convoy.112 http://www.4X4australia.com.au
EXPLORE BIRDSVILLE RACES