Floating down the river on inflated tractor, truck and car tyre tubes may seem odd to some but in Wagga it’s an annual event.
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The World Championship Gumi Race first hit the river on Saturday March 27 1976.
The idea for the race was brought back from Papua New Guinea by a member of the Central Wagga Lions Club as a way for the club to raise money for charity.
The inaugural race saw 16 teams take to the water and “race” downstream.
The first ever team to cross the line did the 11 kilometre stretch in 77 minutes and 40 seconds.
The team was made up of a group of young officers from Kapooka and to this day defence personnel still take part inthe race.
After the first year the popularity of the event grew massively.
In 1977 organisers guessed the event would attract around 50 gumis.
This estimate was blown out of the water when 119 gumis took to the water with around 350 people on or in them.
119 gumis took to the water with around 350 people on or in them at the second Gumi Race in 1977.
From there the event just kept getting bigger with an entire week based around the gumi race.
The Gumi Festival included dances, street parades, a tennis tournament and even a race day at the MTC.
As with many events, problems started to arise in relation to health and safety and insurance.
In 1995 the race was held for what was thought to be the last time but in 2011 it made a come back when South Wagga Apex stepped in.
Since then it has been held annually with hundreds of gumis taking to the water at the Eunony Bridge Reserve and racing seven kilometres downstream to Wagga beach.
Take a look at this unique event for yourself this year on Sunday February 19.
