Press + Media

Fast Facts

What

Drop Bear Dash - twenty drop bears raced down the Murrumbidgee River.

When

Saturday 19 September 2026. Four races ran at 2:00pm, 2:15pm (Race 2 - The Bundy Run), 2:30pm and 2:45pm AEST.

Where

Murrumbidgee River, Narrandera, NSW.

Format

Charity raffle entries were $5. Every backer of a top-three bear received 3x, 2x or 1x their stake for that bear and race.

Prizes

Every backer of a bear that finishes 1st, 2nd or 3rd receives a cash payout based on their stake in that bear for that race. 1st place - 3x your money back · 2nd place - 2x your money back · 3rd place - your money back.

Cause

Proceeds support koala preservation in Narrandera.

Permit

Conducted by the Rotary Club of Narrandera under the NSW Community Gaming Act 2018.

2026 race times

Saturday 19 September 2026. All twenty bears ran in each of the four races.

• 1Race 12:00pm AESTComplete
• 2Race 2 · The Bundy Run2:15pm AESTComplete
• 3Race 32:30pm AESTComplete
• 4Race 42:45pm AESTComplete

The Koala Story

The koalas are real. In the early 1970s, 23 koalas were released onto Narrandera's riverbank reserve. Today the colony numbers more than 290. Locals have counted them by hand every September since 1979 - one of the longest continuous community-run koala counts in Australia. In 2022 koalas were declared endangered in NSW, and a parliamentary inquiry warned they could be extinct in the wild in the state by 2050.

Spokespersons

Media Contact

For interviews, broadcast rights, accreditation, and asset requests:

media@narranderarotary.club

Results and sponsors

The official results and full sponsor list are published on the homepage. Media can contact Rotary Narrandera for post-event information and approved imagery.