Kulin Bush Races – Kulin Western Australia
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Kulin Bush Races – We found this event on the internet and after reading all about it decided to attend in 2011. The bush races are held every October with 2011being the 17th anniversary of its inception. Information on the shire site seemed to suggest arriving on Friday so we headed off on Friday morning to travel the approximately 300 kilometres eastwards from Perth to get there. We made our way up the Great Eastern Highway then towards and through York to Quairading where we turned South Easterly to travel through Corrigin before eventually heading in to Kulin. The last several kilometres we were starting to feel the spirit of the event with several horse statues made mainly from drums, colourfully painted and mounted along the highway. Kulin when you arrive there presents itself as a delightful very well maintained town with excellent facilities and a friendly population of country people that gives it the feel of being a very welcoming place.
From Kulin we followed the signage that had been excellent and was ongoing so as to make sure that no one could get lost, onto the Tin Horse Highway and out the 14km to the Bush Races turn off. We had no idea of this famous highway’s existence but it is something that everyone should put on their list of things they must see. The tin horse statues are ongoing and relentless in their variety and entertainment value for the entire 14 kilometres before arriving at the turnoff that comes all too quickly. Then the newly graded gravel road takes us in to the race track and camping area. At the entry we are charged $60.00 for the two of us and this amount covers everything including entry to the race event, camping for two days (with showers and toilets supplied), admission to all the displays, performers in the huge event tent and the live bands at the after race concert.
The camp ground is situated right next to the racetrack which in turn is sandwiched between Jilakin Rock and Jilakin Lake. The organisation is exceptional with volunteers directing us to a suitable campsite and explaining the event. We were a little surprised to find so many campers already set up at the camp ground but it turns out that many of them arrived on the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday to secure their favourite spot. There is a charge of $20.00 per day for a site outside of the Friday and Saturday nights that are as previously mentioned included in the event admission cost. With hundreds of caravans and tents already in place we took a photo after we had set up but then the rest of the vacant land shown in the photograph filled up over the next 8 or so hours with caravans still arriving late in the night and into the Saturday morning.
Friday afternoon was spent reconnoitring the area along with walking across Jilakin Rock down through the forest and along part of the lake shore. Next it was off to the event tent for a meal, some live entertainment and between songs a chance to witness some tin horse racing where individuals purchase a small model tin horse for a race then get to race it by winding it in on a hand reel with string attached to it. Great fun! After all this, consuming our generous serve of fish & chips and enjoying some Mad Fish wine purchased at just 20.00 for a bottle (a great price when considering it is purchased at a licenced venue) we retired back to our caravan for the night.
Saturday morning saw us awake at about 9AM to have breakfast in our caravan before getting ready to head over to the main tent where we were able to secure a table. We had missed the gymkhana but were in time for the pipe band that started at around 11AM. There were some presentations in the distance and Mary purchased a bottle of pink bubbles that was served to us in a bucket with ice in it (a standard plastic bucket). Shortly afterwards was an opening parade (pipe band) at 12PM with then some barrel races before the horse racing began. There is betting handled by the committee where they take your bet and then after the race there are a percentage of takings held by the organisers with the balance being divided between the winners. It is all very efficiently run with a series of networked laptops running the relevant software. We won $27 with a $5.00 bet on the first race but for us it was all down hill from there (with the exception of a small win in the 5th race towards the end of the afternoon).
By now the massive tent had filled completely with people scrambling for spare chairs and as we had a whole table Mary invited some passing chair seekers to join us and luck had it that they were local Kulin people so we were treated to a very entertaining afternoon especially as we began to understand the scratching’s etc. There were a total of six horse races then a dog race (no betting on the dogs) before at around 6PM the pipe band plays then the meals are once again in full swing. 7:45PM there are fireworks and a good display of them at that with by now the two up game in full swing and the headline bands playing in the concert area next to a huge bonfire for a whole new crowd of young people that have been steadily arriving throughout the day. We retired but are told that the evening can finish at any time in the morning.
Sunday there is a ”Great Aussie Revival Breakfast” served in the main tent starting at 6:30AM. We attended at around 9AM and for our $10.00 each we, along with several thousand other people, were very efficiently supplied with a substantial breakfast. Next it was back to our caravan to pack up before heading homeward. On the way we stopped in the town to have a look at a quilting display and at the local artist’s studio to take in some local artworks. We have decided that we will definitely be doing this event again most probably in 2013.
Thank you Kulin for a great weekend!
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Bush Races – Kulin Western Australia