Each year in the second week of August, Gemfest is held at
Anakie. As well as displays of unusual and spectacular sapphires from the
local area, there are many stalls displaying stones, jewellery, arts, crafts
and almost anything you can think of, for sale. There is also live entertainment,
competitions, and food and drink stalls. Gemfest will next be held from
the second Thursday in August 2005 through to Sunday.
In this unusual event, competitors have to push a wheelbarrow
18.3km from Anakie, through Sapphire, to Rubyvale. In the barrow is a pick, a
shovel and a billy boulder(large rounded rock) weighing approx. 5kg for ladies
and approx. 10kg for men. When the competitors reach Sapphire they have to
throw out their boulder, shovel up a bucket of dirt and continue to Rubyvale,
most of this part of the race being on a dirt side road. How did the organisers
thinkup such an interesting event? The derby originated from the legend of
Darkie Garnet. It is said he arrived at the Gemfields with all of his worldly
possessions in a wheelbarrow. During the years he lived on the Gemfields he made
and then frivilously spent a fortune three times over! Then when he moved on to
his next destination he once again pushed all his possessions in his
wheelbarrow. The date for the next Ironmnan Wheelbarrow Derby has not been set.
