This post is a bit out of sequence. I should have done it after I visited the Chinchilla Show three weeks ago, the day I left Chinchilla Weir to travel north to Baralaba.
So I left the Weir on Friday 25th May, caravan attached, and parked opposite the Chinchilla Showgrounds at around 11am. Still a bit early but I could hear some competitions starting up so in that sense, good timing.
So as with the previous shows there was a lot going on. These are a few of the competitions, exhibits and sideshows that caught my eye. And as with previous posts, click on any image for a larger view.
Sideshow alley was almost empty when I arrived …
Waiting. Empty for now.
… so I wandered around to the woodchopping (at this point it was “sawing”) and watched three cross-cut teams - two senior teams from QLD including Australian champion, plus a junior guest team from NZ. I caught the moment the middle team won.
The Decisive Moment.
Well that was exciting, so I plodded onward to a cooking show. M-a-a-a-a-te … he said … this is my favourite way to cook pumpkin scones … m-a-a-a-te!
Take a handful of pumpkin. Bake it.
Also a bit thrilling, and it made me hungry so I sauntered over to one of the Show Society “auxiliary” booths and bought a coffee and ham & cheese sandwich for the grand total of $5! I sat in the morning sun, a cool wintery 23ºC, and had lunch to the strains of Dark Side of the Moon.
So off down one of the exhibition lanes. This time the vehicle dealers - Holden, John Deere, Toyota, Ford …
Trust me. I'm your friendly dealer.
On the other side the ute show contestants were beginning to assemble …
More to come.
And on the way back I came across this old vintage truck which had been upcycled for bible distribution. It looked to have a miniature classroom in the back.
Roll up. Roll up. Step right this way. A soul saved every minute.
Then into the pavilion with houseplants
Flowers
More flowers
Some knitting projects.
Some chooks in cages (actually MANY chooks in MANY cages)
Packed lunch
Some very attractive grass arrangements
Some very attractive sorghum arrangements
Some very attractive grains - who woulda thought popcorn came in so many colours?
Some very attractive fruit and vegetables
… and some very attractive eggs
The private schools were active recruiting future victims
The locals were invited to take off their hats indoors
The various local schools had a huge presence and participation
Nearby were the craft sections
And quite a large photography section including a sunrise / sunset category (inspiration for mine!!)
Then some cakes
So that was it for the pavilion. I wandered back outside and past the horse comps (I didn’t take any shots - they were too far away) and for the first time came across a larger scale cattle comp - the others had been depleted due to drought, or the shows were not the right scale.
This was the highlight of my day, and I sat there for an hour or so while the cattle were groomed and paraded in their respective classes. For me it was interesting to watch the younger competitors - both bovine and human - learn the trade.
This one got a blow dry before the parade. Click and observe the pattern in its coat.
It eventually won its class.
That winning beast had a “good square frame, would hang well, and would yield the house down”. Very encouraging for the young human competitor. Not sure the beastie was quite as enthusiastic about the prospect.
Then it was on to sideshow alley, with an old friend from the Miles Show a few days earlier
The kids’ favourite, albeit showing signs of neck strain from years of watching tennis (or domestics)
My favourite from when I was small
Some locals who insisted on a photo
They start young in QLD. The toddler sliding down this one was not much older than the one in the pushchair, and still had nappies. The slide was about 7m high.
The Cha Cha ride (not pictured, but similar to the one in Coonamble) was playing some of my 70s faves that were sung by The Climax at The Tavern in Napier - Hotel California, Stuck in the Middle With You (I think Donald’s mate Billy sang that one) and so on.
By this time some of the bigger kids were arriving - it was a local public holiday for The Show - so the bigger rides had started up.
And that took me back to the gate at just the right time to jump in the ute, fill it up, and drive north.
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