Win a Free Trip To Finland

The opportunity to win a trip to Finland to compete in the World Wife Carrying Titles is coming up soon at CountryFest in Singleton, NSW Australia

The feature event of CountryFest is the Australian Wife Carrying Championship. This is a fun event in which a man carries a woman along an obstacle course. Even though it is called “Wife Carrying”, people do not have to be married to enter, just as long as they bring their sense of fun. So a man can throw his mother, sister, aunty, or mother-in-law or special friend over his shoulders and run the race. This race is not for professional athletes – it’s just for fun

The course will be a minimum of 200m in length with obstacles including log jumps, limbo bars, a water hazard and a mystery hazard. If the wife, or partner, being carried comes in contact with the ground for any length of time a 5 second penalty will apply per drop. Any carrying technique that keeps the wife/partner off the ground is permissible.

The Australian Wife Carrying Championship title will be awarded to the fastest couple. The winning couple will receive as their prize a free trip to Finland to compete at the World Wife Carrying Titles, courtesy of Finnair and the Finnish Tourist Board.

The small town of Sonkajarvi, in Finland's east, has been hosting the World Championships since 1992. Apparently the Wife Carrying Championships evolved from a local legend about 19th-century villain Herkko Ronkainen, who used to take liberties with the local ladies, including picking them up and swinging them on his shoulders.

CountryFest is an annual family event held at the Singleton Showgrounds featuring the Australian wife carrying title. It will be held this year on Saturday 24 September from 12pm to 7pm. Singleton is 47 km from Muswellbrook, and 146 km from Sydney.

Other events and entertainment on the day include: a World Husband Dragging Competition, New South Wales farmers challenge, rodeo, bushiest bush beard competition, a huge ute muster, bull riding, dog high jump, team penning, Fuji Image Plus Photo Competition, World's longest Contra Line attempt, sideshows, Country Music, stalls, bar and barbecue and much more.

People will be able to have a taste of the country life when they come along to CountryFest.  This year at CountryFest there is something for the whole family!

For further information see the website http://home.exetel.com.au/countryfest/

For accommodation bookings, and more information call the Singleton Visitor Information & Enterprise Centre staff on 02 6571 5888 or see the web site  www.visitsingleton.com