4x4 Activities June-August 2018: Travel Bulletin

The chilly months of June to August is set to warm up with the heat of competition and the excitement of various 4x4, art, and indigenous festivities around Australia.

QUEENSLAND CARAVAN CAMPING & TOURING SUPERSHOW (QLD)

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Qld Caravan and Camping Supershow will be held June 6-11 at the Brisbane Showgrounds.

The Supershow will be chock-full of hundreds of manufacturers and distributors showcasing all the latest products and services, including campervans, camper trailers, caravans, 4x4 vehicles and camping accessories. There will also be reps from various touring destinations to answer queries about your next potential adventure.

Check out queenslandcaravanshows.com.au/queensland-caravan-camping-and-touring-super-show for more info.

HENRY LAWSON FESTIVAL (NSW)

Held at Grenfell, the birthplace of this well-known poet, the festival runs over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend (June 7-11) and commemorates the birth of Lawson and his influence on Australian arts. The 2018 festival theme is poetry in motion, with Alison Bell, a local Grenfell product and an accomplished actor/TV producer, the festival’s official guest.

The festival opens on Thursday with an art exhibition at the Grenfell Art Gallery and goes through to the Monday, encompassing photo exhibitions, short story and verse comps, street parade, kids’ entertainment and live music.

For more, see henrylawsonfestival.com.au.

BARUNGA FESTIVAL (NT)

This awesome festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary and is held at the remote Aboriginal community of Barunga from June 8-10. It is one of the NT’s longest running festivals and is aimed at showcasing the indigenous community’s excellence in sports, dance, bush tucker, and other traditional activities and arts.

The festival draws crowds of up to 4000 visitors, with a fantastic welcome from the traditional owners.

For all the essential info, click on barungafestival.com.au.

PBR GLOBAL CUP (NSW)

Regarded as The Ashes of global bull-riding, this two-day event takes place in Sydney at the Qudos Bank Arena on June 9 and 10. The PBR Global Cup pits the five biggest bull-riding nations – Canada, Australia, USA, Brazil and Mexico – against each other for the chance to claim the title of “Toughest Nation on Dirt”.

The Sydney event is the second round of the competition (each country hosts one round) with all nations keen to retain their own piece of the PBR Global Cup trophy – a 54kg trophy comprising five separate horns, each of which is filled with soil from the competing nations.

For tickets, go to premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=pbr2018.

OUTBACK FILM FESTIVAL (QLD)

Lovers of film and the outback should mark June 29 to July 7 in their calendar, as it marks the dates for this celebration of outback culture.

Based in Winton, the Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival is a fantastic open-air film festival that offers viewers a wide variety of films to enjoy under the outback sky. “Celebrating the wide open road” is the 2018 festival’s catch cry, and films both new and old will be run over the course of the event.

Of course, besides the films, the town of Winton offers loads more to check out including great camping and plenty of off-road touring opportunities.

Check www.visionsplendidfilmfest.com for more information.

LASSETERS CAMEL CUP (NT)

For a truly unique NT experience head to Alice Springs on Saturday, July 14, and check out the Lasseters Camel Cup. Yep, it’s camel racing and it’s great fun to watch, but the event is also a fundraiser with entry fees going to a great cause. The Camel Cup is held on the southern hemisphere’s only purpose-built camel-racing track. There’s also other entertainment, along with beer and food stalls.

Check out camelcup.com.au.

ALBINS ARB GOONDIWINDI 400 (QLD)

Round five of the ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship (ORRC), held from August 17 to 19, will see entrants tested over two days of off-road racing near this famous country town.

The ARB ORRC runs over six rounds at six different locations in 2018. This event promises to showcase driver skills, with competitors racing through, over and around a mix of rugged terrain in search of ultimate glory.

See offroadracing.com.au for more info.