Camel racing

The tiny Queensland Outback town of Boulia is gearing up for its fourth annual camel races - an event which swells the population of around 300 to 4000.

With a cache of $A30,000 ($37,500) in prizemoney, camel "jockeys" mount up from Australia's western and southern states, Tasmania, Victoria and as far afield as America and Thailand.

The town, 300km south of Mt Isa, virtually shuts down for the camel racing.

Local "camel man" and the original organiser of the Boulia Desert Sands Race, Paddy McHugh, heads out to the edge of the Simpson Desert a week before the July event and rounds up about 30 feral camels.

The racing is held from July 14 to 16.

Contact: Paddy McHugh on telephone/fax (00617) 47216721, or e-mail: hump@ultra.net.au