Pastoralists reunite for friendly competition at outback gymkhana and motorkhana after welcome rain

In the middle of outback South Australia, with a population of 65 at the latest census, the town of Marree marks the end of bitumen roads.

While tourists pass through all year round to fly over the Marree Man and Kati-Thanda Lake Eyre, there are two events on the social calendar when the town goes all out: the Camel Cup, and the Marree Gymkhana & Motorkhana.

This year, the events mark more than annual reunions and friendly competition. Pastoralists are celebrating the end of a record-breaking dry stretch.

At Dulkaninna Station, about 100 kilometres out of Marree, the annual rainfall total has already hit 270 millimetres, compared to the 30mm it got in 2025. 

"It was pretty ordinary, there's not much you can do like that. Especially when it backs onto a year before where it was pretty ordinary," David Bell from Dulkaninna said.

"It's pretty hard work. But it is what it is; it's the nature of the beast where we live."

With some areas getting more than 600mm this year, the trip to Marree looked much greener than usual.

"I suppose we're all pretty happy to have the rain and some feed about us," Mr Bell said.

An organiser of the Marree Gymkhana & Motorkhana, which was held over the June long weekend, Mr Bell has only missed "one or two" of the events in his lifetime.

For him, the competition is secondary. 

"It's purely the catch-up, that's what it really is. It's good for the kids," he said.

"We've only got one child at home at the moment, because our eldest two are at boarding school. He's there on his own a little bit, so he gets to come in here and see his mates and catch up with them.

"The bush is a pretty good place to have a family and kids, and [at] these events everyone sort of looks out for them."

Some friendly competition

Saturday saw competitors take to the track on horseback, while on Sunday motorbikes kicked up dust into the early evening. 

One motorbike event was taken out by Quorn local Meggan Finlay.

"It makes it a lot better, gives the girls a lot better chance to have fun."

Ms Finlay made the 340km trek with her kids and partner, Riely Rasmus.

Their three-year-old was part of the competition this year, too.

"They can compete at any age, really, if they can ride," Mr Rasmus said.

He said the record-breaking rain had lifted spirits.

Like Mr Bell, Mr Rasmus said the weekend's social side was most important. 

"[To] go for a ride, bit of bloody banter with the boys, it's good."

The rain does have its downsides, with road damage and closures still slowing people down across the state.

Luckily for Courtney Rowe from Angepena Station, near Leigh Creek, her road was graded the week of the gymkhana and motorkhana. 

"It's something for the community, and all the local businesses … it's very important for all of us," she said of the event.

A call to arms

After two days of dust, drinks and competitive spirit, the weekend's emcee set a challenge: $10,000 for anyone who could make it around the 2,100-metre track on their back wheel. 

The challenge is laid every year, but this time around David Bell doubled the prize money from $5,000 to $10,000.

Though he vowed he would have paid up, Mr Bell said he was "not nervous at all".

"I've never even heard of anyone going around this track, so I was more than happy to put up 10 grand," he said.

"We want someone to do it … I reckon it would be a pretty cool thing.

"It's 10 grand to win the Finke Desert Race, [so] 10 grand to get a motorbike on one wheel around the Marree Racetrack is pretty cool."

And while a few competitors had a crack at the challenge, Mr Bell ultimately held onto his $10,000.

"We've had a couple of guys go close before, but just couldn't get it done," he said

"We'll have to see what happens next year."