For nearly 50 years, Alice has hosted the Henley-on-Todd as a charity event. It is run by local rotary clubs and proceeds from the event are donated to humanitarian projects both locally and across the globe. The name is a clever play on words, as it mocks the famous Henley Royal Regatta on the Themes in the UK.

The Henley-on-Todd has evolved into a day of comical races, food, drinking and general revelry that are all intended to promote a spirit of community and charity. While the events in the riverbed get all the attention, behind the scenes are hundreds of volunteers donating time, money and effort to create one of the most hysterical and successful charitable initiatives in the world.

People from around Australia (including US Army soldiers stationed nearby) build bottomless "boats" that they race in the riverbed. If you're wondering how the boats are powered, just imagine how Fred Flinstone drove his car. Throughout the day, various heats are held to crown champions in a variety of contests.

Other events include sand shoveling, sand skis, anchor the boat (tug-o-war to us landlubbers) and the Battle Boat Spectacular, in which vikings, pirates and the navy wage war on each other in giant battleships. And by war, I mean spray water canons, balloons, confetti and flour at one another while thousands of people cheer on every explosion.

The Henley-on-Todd perfectly captures the personality of Alice Springs. It encompasses the charm of a people who don't take life too seriously yet feel an intense responsibility to work together to make life easier and safer for those around them. By making the Henley-on-Todd a charity event, Alice has combined their status as Australia's quirky little Outback town with the spirit of community that led their forefathers to create the School of the Air and Royal Flying Doctor Service.

The Henley-on-Todd is held every August, and if you can plan your trip to Alice around the event you won't be sorry. Sure, it's an excuse to drink all day (and night), dress in ridiculous costumes (and nearly every adult participant is dressed in a ridiculous costume) and build a boat out of beer cases. But it's also a chance for a town to show us all what it means to be community. For people to bring their kids into the center of town and show them that concepts like charity, volunteerism and ingenuity don't have to be dull and tedious. At the end of the day, the Henley-on-Todd is no different than the homecoming parades that are held in small towns across the United States every fall. Assuming, of course, that the parade floats are attacking each other with eggs.

For more information on the Henley-on-Todd, check out their website.

Mike Barish traversed the Outback on a trip sponsored by Tourism Northern Territory. He traveled alone and had no restrictions on what he could cover during his travels. That would explain how he ended up eating water buffalo. You can read the other entries in his Outback Australia series HERE.