The Los Angeles Police Department, Batman and a whacky bride and groom were just some of the crazy characters that flew down Port Kembla’s main street on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The city’s annual billy cart derby was well-attended, despite the wet weather, with nearly 14,000 people lining Wentworth Street to watch over 100 competitors whip down the road in their home-made contraptions.
All four divisions in the derby were hotly contested, particularly the kid’s categories as children thundered down the street to screams of support from their classmates.
Co-organiser Wynne Gibson said the atmosphere on the day was just fantastic.
‘‘It was a really happy day, even though it was raining and windy, everyone had a great time,’’ she said.
‘‘The kids who participate become such heroes, they get in that cart, hurtle down the street and they can hear all their mates along the side yelling and cheering for them, it’s just wonderful.’’
Ms Gibson said many participants spent months, and significant sums of money, putting all the safety requirements and finishing touches on their carts.
‘‘They really devote a lot of time to them, some people spend $3000 or $4000 on them,’’ she said.
‘‘As long as they have the correct specifications, they have free rein to decorate them however they like, we’ve seen some fabulous carts.’’
Visitors to the event also enjoyed a motorbike parade, which kicked off the day, along with buskers, face painting, stilt walkers and an art market.
Ms Gibson believes the derby, now in its second year, has helped put Port Kembla on the map.
‘‘You can see it just in the real estate prices here, the area is booming,’’ she said.
‘‘People see events like this and all the shop fronts and they want to move here - it’s a great area.’’
