By ERWIN CHLANDA
One of The Alice’s premier annual events, the dry river regatta Henley on Todd (HOT), needs the town’s locals and growing immigrant populations to make up for the expected drop in tourist numbers this year.
“We are targeting all types of social, cultural and sporting groups for the BYO races,” says Dominic Miller, a spokesman for Rotary which runs the spectacle.
“We are particularly encouraging the Indians as they are the biggest ethnic migrant group.”
BYO races are for entrants who bring their own boats, none of which have bottoms so the legs can stick out and provide the propulsion up and down the Todd River – in its sand, not water.
Mr Mlller says another large ethnic group are the South Sudanese: “At the HOT beach cricket event we will have the international debut of the South Sudan Saints. We have interest from the Filipino community too.”
This year the event, staged by hundreds of volunteers, is making a foray into corporate motivating: “It’s also a great team building activity,” says Mr Miller.
HOT, to be launched on August 19, is claimed to be the only dry river boating Regatta in the world.
And with nuclear powered submarines causing widespread distress, the battle boats of HOT (pictured) represent the opposite end of nautical technology.
Last year HOT won the nationally televised Australia’s Best Competition Competition.
The only thing that could stop the event in its 60 year history, apart from Covid, was – you’ll never guess it – water: The Todd flowed in 1993.