Melbourne’s Moomba Festival draws crowds with Birdman Rally splash

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Melbourne’s Moomba Festival is in full swing this long weekend, with crowds celebrating arts and community. Thousands turned out despite the warm weather, while others cooled off in the Birdman Rally—where participants took a splash in the Yarra.

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00:00Up, up and away. Melbourne's Labour Day Festival is back in full swing. Thousands making the

00:08most of the warm start to autumn to enjoy everything Moomba has to offer.

00:12We love it. We love it.

00:14The Birdman Rally always attracts a big crowd.

00:18I loved watching the people jumping off the board.

00:25Fourteen competitors took flight, attempting to soar across the Yarra River, most ending

00:30up in the murky depths soon after take-off.

00:33This year's Moomba monarchs, the comedy trio Sushi Mango, also got in on the act.

00:37With my one airplane from the Salami, it's going to fly straight to Italy, this one.

00:42But predictably, the Salami airplane didn't soar.

00:47Tony Greer managed to stay airborne the longest, flying 8.8 metres before his inevitable watery

00:53demise.

00:54On the sidelines, spectators cast their vote for their favourite flyer, and while it was

00:58all for a bit of fun, it also raises funds and awareness.

01:01I have lost not only friends but family to cancer. We need to kick it. It needs to go.

01:09And this was in honour of a dear friend of mine.

01:13Spread across five days, Moomba is Australia's largest free community festival, known for

01:17its carnival rides and quirky characters, with something for even its youngest audiences.

01:23I won this. It's a pineapple.

01:26I just like the rides here.

01:28The festival wraps up tomorrow with the Moomba parade, and while it was cancelled last year

01:32due to hot weather, it's still set to go ahead tomorrow, despite temperatures reaching into

01:37the 30s. Organisers are encouraging people to monitor weather conditions.

01:41Ruth Brooke, ABC News, Melbourne.

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