Backing open
Drop Bear Dash
A snarling drop bear bursting out of the Murrumbidgee River at Narrandera
Rotary Narrandera · Saturday 19 September 2026 · Races from 2:00pm AEST

Drop Bear Dash
Narrandera

Twenty drop bears. One river. Four real races from 2:00pm AEST — broadcast live to the world from the Murrumbidgee.

Backing openSaturday 19 September 2026 · Races from 2:00pm AEST
--Days
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Until the first race on the Murrumbidgee.

Donate

Four races. Twenty bears. Back one from $5 — proceeds support koala preservation in Narrandera.

Bring your crew

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Backing is open — the bears hit the water Sat 19 Sep.
Back a Bear — from $5

Pick a Drop Bear and grab raffle entries. Top 3 finishing bears all trigger prize draws.

Watch the Dash

Tune in live from the Murrumbidgee as the bears float toward the finish.

The Koalas

Proceeds support koala preservation in Narrandera — home to a 290-strong colony counted by hand every September since 1979.

Meet the koalas →
Twenty drop bears charging down the Murrumbidgee River side by side

Never heard of this before? Start here

How it works

The Rotary Club of Narrandera races twenty drop bears down the Murrumbidgee River to raise money for koala preservation. The bears are fake. The race is real. So are the koalas — they live here in Narrandera, and there are about 290 of them.

  1. 1
    Pick your bear

    Twenty drop bears, each with a barrier, a set of silks and far too much backstory.

  2. 2
    Back it from $5

    Your $5 buys charity raffle entries against that bear. Back as many bears as you like.

  3. 3
    Watch the four races

    Saturday 19 September 2026 from 2:00pm AEST, live from the Murrumbidgee. All twenty bears run in every race.

  4. 4
    Top three trigger draws

    If your bear finishes in the top three, you're in the prize draw, live on the broadcast.

Where the money goes

Proceeds from the Dash support koala preservation in Narrandera. Bears that finish top three trigger live prize draws — and the prizes are serious. Full reveal before race day. Conducted by the Rotary Club of Narrandera under the NSW Community Gaming Act 2018. 18+ to enter. No purchase necessary to watch or chat. Full breakdown on our transparency page.

Where the money goes

Register with the stewards

Put your name in the race.

Sponsor a bear's run and your name runs with it — called on the broadcast, printed on the leaderboard, listed on the bear's dossier. Bruce stays Bruce; your name runs alongside as “running for you”.

$200

Race naming

Your name runs with one bear in one of the four races. 80 slots for the whole event.

$1,000

Race day naming

All four races with one bear, all afternoon. Only twenty exist.

Corporate

Naming rights partner

Event-level naming, broadcast billing and on-ground presence. Limited packages.

Talk to the committee

Naming is a sponsorship. It does not affect the races or the prize draws, and the bear keeps its own name — your name runs alongside it. Proceeds support koala preservation in Narrandera.

Family-friendly names only — the stewards' decision is final. Approved names appear on the site and the live broadcast.

Race schedule

Saturday 19 September 2026. Four races. All twenty bears run in every race. Gates for each race close five minutes before it starts.

  • 1Race 12:00pm AESTUpcoming
  • 2Race 22:15pm AESTUpcoming
  • 3Race 32:30pm AESTUpcoming
  • 4Race 42:45pm AESTUpcoming
A drop bear roaring at dusk on the Murrumbidgee as light trails stream out across the sky

Cheering from around the world

20 countries watching

AustraliaAotearoa NZUnited KingdomIrelandUnited StatesCanadaGermanyFranceNetherlandsSpainItalySwedenNorwayJapanSingaporeHong KongIndiaSouth AfricaBrazilUnited Arab Emirates
Backing open

Backing is open — the bears hit the water Sat 19 Sep.

Everything official lands here first — field news, race-week notices, then the live calls on the day.

Next milestone: the field reveal.

Race day, live

The river tracker and broadcast open on race week.

Saturday 19 September 2026 · Races from 2:00pm AEST. Live positions for all twenty bears, the marshal's calls and the stream all appear right here on the day.

View leaderboard

How people will hear what’s happening

Home banner
Race Chat
Leaderboard
Winner page

Keep this page open on the day. The marshal’s latest call lands here, the chat echoes it, and the leaderboard reflects river updates as they’re entered.

View leaderboardRace day FAQ

Prizes

Prize reveal — coming soon

The top three bears in every race trigger prize draws, live on the broadcast. The prize table is still growing — the full reveal lands before race day, and it will be worth the wait.

Don't miss the start gun

Race reminders, koala updates and the live start call on race day.

One-tap unsubscribe in every email. We only use your address for race and koala updates.

Race Chat

Marshal calls land here for anyone joining late.

no nickname yet

Be the first to say g'day

Keep it friendly and family-safe — Rotary rules apply.

Why we race

The bears are fake. The koalas are not.

Narrandera's koala colony lives along the Murrumbidgee — about 290 of them, counted by hand every September since 1979. Proceeds support koala preservation in Narrandera.

Meet the koalasDonate
A mother koala and her joey in a river red gum above the Murrumbidgee at Narrandera

TWENTY BEARS. ONE RIVER. REAL KOALAS.

Back a bear, or chip in directly. Proceeds support koala preservation in Narrandera.

Donate directlyMeet the bears

Narrandera Dispatch

Occasional updates on the koalas, the September count, and the inside word on race week.

Trust

Charity raffle conducted by the Rotary Club of Narrandera under the NSW Community Gaming Act 2018. Bears that finish top three trigger live prize draws — and the prizes are serious. Full reveal before race day. 18+ to enter. No purchase necessary to watch, chat or donate.

Country

The Drop Bear Dash is run on Wiradjuri Country. We acknowledge the Wiradjuri people as the traditional custodians of the Murrumbidgee and its riverbanks, and pay respect to Elders past and present.

TWENTY DROP BEARS. ONE RIVER. REAL KOALAS.