Camels Lead Outback Queensland’s Tourism Recovery as 3,000+ Descend on Boulia

More than 3,000 visitors descended on the tiny Outback Queensland town of Boulia for Australia’s richest camel racing festival, providing a welcome boost to communities recovering from widespread flooding earlier this year.

A lush green carpet replaced Boulia’s trademark red dust after record rains transformed the racetrack on the edge of the Simpson Desert, creating a rare backdrop for the 29th Boulia Camel Races.

Boulia Camel Races President Shelley Lorensen said the population of just 315 swelled almost tenfold across the weekend.

“After a challenging start to the year for many communities, it was wonderful to see thousands of people travelling through Outback Queensland, supporting local businesses and enjoying just how green and beautiful the region is,” Ms Lorensen said.

“You could say our tourism recovery is riding on a camel’s back, with the races giving visitors another great reason to get on the road and experience our welcoming Outback communities.”

Camel trainers, jockeys and handlers from across the nation competed for a share of Australia’s richest camel racing prize pool of $45,000.

Newcastle husband-and-wife team trainer Luke and Emily Parrott celebrated victory when Emily rode Polished Copper, to win the highly anticipated Sunday’s 1200-metre Pacific Fuel Solutions Boulia Camel Cup Final.

Emily also won Star Jockey of the weekend.

"We've had Polished Copper since the beginning, so to see him come from nothing to winning Australia's richest camel race is pretty magical," Emily Parrott said. "I've been the only jockey to race him, and Luke has handled him every step of the way. After finishing second the last two years, I honestly didn't know we'd won until we crossed the line."

Uncle Buck, trained by Wayne Morris of Camelot Camels and ridden by Emily Butcher, claimed the 1000-metre Boulia Camel Races Fuel $$$ Race.

Competitors had earned their places in the feature finals through a series of fast-paced 400-metre sprints and longer qualifying races across the weekend.

Away from the professional racing, brave contestants stripped down to the essentials for the winner-takes-all Boots & Jocks Race, with $1,000 on the line thanks to event sponsors, the Saunders Family.

Young local children also delighted crowds in colourful handmade camel costumes while raising funds for their school. Camel Tagging again proved one of the weekend’s biggest crowd-pleasers, as fearless competitors attempted to tag lively young camels.

When racing paused, performances by Mack Geiger, Heath Milner and Trent Bell, comedy from the Crack-Up Sisters, amusement rides, camel rides, and campfire gatherings kept celebrations rolling into the night.

Ms Lorensen thanked everyone who helped deliver another memorable chapter in one of Outback Queensland’s most iconic events.

“Our volunteers and community put an enormous amount of work into welcoming thousands of people to Boulia,” she said.

“We thank every visitor who made the journey, along with our sponsors, stallholders, performers, volunteers, and everyone working behind the scenes. Most importantly, we thank the camels and the dedicated jockeys, trainers and handlers who make this event possible.”

The Boulia Camel Races forms part of the Desert Champions Way: Outback Camel Trail, an epic 773-kilometre festival featuring camel racing events across four weekends in July and culminating in Winton this coming weekend on 25 July 2026.

Queensland’s camel racing celebrations will continue with Australia’s largest camel party, the Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races, expected to welcome more than 12,000 people from 31 July to 2 August in Queensland’s Western Downs.

The Boulia Camel Races are proudly supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.