Henley-on-Todd Regatta

The Henley-on-Todd Regatta (also called the Todd River Race) is a 'boat' race held annually in the typically dry sandy bed of the Todd River in Alice Springs, Australia. It began - and continues - cautiously as a joke at the expense of the original British settlers and the formal atmosphere of the British river races which continue today.

Every year in the spring, around September, the town holds a mock regatta which large numbers of locals and tourists attend. Food and drink are sold at stalls, "no fishing" signs are put up, and the celebration takes all day. It's the only dry river regatta in the world; thus, it's the only regatta ever cancelled because it rained and there was water in the river. This happened in 1993, when the event was cancelled for the year due to flooding.

"Boats" are made from metal frames and hung with banners and advertisements, and teams of "rowers" run their boats in races through the hot sand. Races are also held in washtubs, human-sized mouse wheels and at the final event, modified trucks decked out as boats are driven by teams armed with flour bombs and water cannon. Many bystanders end up as casualties of the final battle. Traditional teams include Pirates and Vikings, complete with costumes. Who wins the final battle can be difficult to determine; even the announcers occasionally get a blast.

History

In 1962, Reg Smith and his compatriots at the Alice Springs Meteorological Bureau proposed they hold an actual regatta along the lines of the famous Henley Royal Regatta. The idea was taken up by the Rotary club of Alice Springs, and the fact that the town was 1,500 km from the nearest large body of water was never seen as a problem.

Watching seemingly sane people race in bottomless "eights", "Oxford tubs", "bath tubs" and yachts through the deep coarse sand of the Todd River provides a unique spectacle amongst world sporting events. The multi-event program attracts many local and international participants from the audience who often finish up on world TV news paddling canoes with sand shovels and in "land lubber" events like filling empty 44 gallon drums with sand.

The ASSA ABLOY Henley-On-Todd Regatta is run entirely on a volunteer basis by three Rotary Clubs based in 'the Alice'. The entire proceeds - well over a million dollars raised over the years - has been allocated to local, national and international humanitarian projects.

The Todd River was named by surveyor W. W. Mills after Lady Alice Todd (née Alice Gillam Bell), wife of Sir Charles Todd, Postmaster General of South Australia and driving force for the Australian Overland Telegraph Line from Port Augusta to Darwin. The river is usually dry, but prone to flooding during the wet season. Alice Springs was discovered in 1871 during the construction of this line.

References

* [http://www.henleyontodd.com.au/ Henley-on-Todd Regatta Official website] - Photos, history, contacts, events - Next: Sat 30 August 2008
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/Northern-Territory/Alice-Springs/2005/02/17/1108500201577.html Sydney Morning Herald on Alice Springs] - Includes references to the Todd River and the Henley-on-Todd Regatta
* [http://www.ozoutback.com.au/postcards/postcards_forms/alice_springs/Source/4.htm Ozoutback.com.au - Alice Springs] - Photo of Todd River