Talk about quirky?? – It’s A boat race with a unique difference – on the dry sands of the Todd River.

The Henley-On-Todd Regatta is the most iconic event in the Australian outback, mainly because of its totally unique nature. Its a boat race – without any sign of water! Its a day of fun where teams and individuals race ‘boats’, in the dry bed of the Todd River in outback Alice Springs. Have fun and enjoy the hilarity as you watch seemingly sane people race in bottomless ‘eights’, ‘Oxford tubs’, ‘rowing 8’s’ and ‘yachts’ through the deep coarse sand.

The event has its origins when Reg Smith, an Alice Springs local, and his work colleagues proposed holding a regatta based on the famous Henley-on-Thames. The idea was taken up by the Rotary Clubs of Alice Springs and the fact that the town was 1,500 kilometers from the nearest large body of water was never seen as a problem. So the Henley-On-Todd was born.

The event is the major annual fundraiser for the three local Rotary clubs in Alice Springs.