Glider pilots surf them, tourists come from all over the world to see them and they prompt cries of joy from all who gaze skywards.

The morning glory cloud phenomenon spanning northern Australia each year at this time is such a special occasion that the residents of one tiny town on the Gulf of Carpentaria decided to celebrate.

"It rolls right over my front verandah," Burke Shire Council CEO Phil Keirle said.

"I think everyone reverts to an eight-year-old's joy on Christmas morning and an awe as it passes over and a little bit of giddiness that you've seen a remarkable one.

"The first time I saw one roll over it was very impressive and I thought 'oh my God, look at this'.

"It's rolled over the top and then all of a sudden there was another one coming through not too far away and it was like this stuff just keeps going, how good is this?

"It's always a massive conversation point and you never get tired of seeing them, that's for sure."

That a meteorological event could be so apt to make him wax lyrical had prompted Mr Keirle and his council colleagues to organise the inaugural Morning Glory Festival, which starts in Burketown today and continues until Sunday.

Burketown will host the inaugural Morning Glory Festival this week. ( Supplied: Burke Shire Council )

This week, Burketown airport has been heaving with gliders as pilots race skyward to surf the edge of the rolling cloud formations.

"I couldn't put a figure on it but I went down to the airport a couple of days ago to pick up my mum who's in town for the festival and there were a couple of powered gliders heading up and plenty more camped off to the side of the apron," Mr Keirle said.

"Hopefully bulk text messaging will be going out and people will be looking to the skies as a number of morning glory clouds roll over throughout the festival.

"The big ones are what people are hanging out for and the ones that give the greatest thrill to the gliders.

"It'll bring in a hell of a lot more tourists this year, regionally as well as hopefully from distant lands and distant places within Australia.

"Burketown is by all accounts either the best or one of the best places in the Gulf to see the morning glory clouds at this time of year.

"So perfect place and perfect theme for a festival."

As well as live music and junior draft and rodeo events, Carpentaria Land Council would be conducting ranger tours.

"I don't have a deep grounding on the significance of the cloud to traditional owners in the region," Mr Keirle admitted.

"But I'm certainly hoping to learn a lot more about that over the course of the weekend."