The Gold Coast Show

I am a Brisvegas girl and going to the Ekka is what all Brissie kids did. It didn't used to cost a motza to go and we would all wander around getting sick on the rides and from all the hydrogenated fats we threw down our throats. We'd buy more show bags than we could reasonably carry and had a lunch of bits of cheese and sausage and stuff from the sample place.

I remember going with my lovely Dad and as a mad punter, he would hold point position at the U turn in Side Show Alley where there was an enormous lucky envelope stand. He would stand there and we kids would come and go and he would not be ready to leave until either his pockets were empty or he had won something from the top shelf. He didn't consider all the other dross he won on the way, A Win, so inevitably he was surrounded by all sorts of crap until he won the biggest bit of crap. You've gotta love a bloke who will bet on this sort of nonsense. I am pretty sure it was the Red Cross Stand, so I reckon they might have loved him too.

My Nanna would always go on People's day and take a thermos and a sanga and sit and watch the grand parade. I always wondered what was so exciting about cows.

I haven't been to the Ekka in more than 30 years. This year I felt guilty for not being a good Ma so I made a deal with Zig that I would take him next year but in the mean time I would get him a Show Bag from the Goldie Show. He asked for a WARHEADS one - I had to google it to find out what it was. Done and dusted!

So that's where I have been today and a bloody damn fine time I have had.

The crowds were not too terrible and the place not too big, it was all Goldilocks 'Just right'.

There is something quaint and old fashioned and at the same time buzzy and exciting about the place.

The celebration of local talents in the way of painting and crafts and cooking was fab, and I am pleased that people still enter into the spirit of trying out for the best scone at show. The CWA should be looking over their collective shoulders for competition from the blokes, who it seems can whip up a damn fine fruit cake or a  sponge.

I particularly enjoyed having a good look at the display of Wearable Art by St Stephen's College students. Their teachers and parents must all be very proud.

As luck would have it, or not, I was in time for a fashion parade of gear by local designers and from the front all the beach wear was fine, but I reckon one of the designers ran out of fabric and so the view from behind left nothing to the imagination, although in truth as all the models had their nipples covered, I suppose they were more fully dressed than is often the case at the beach.

I was reminded of an Ekka date - perhaps that last time I was there, when I was 15. He was a strange one alright. His surname was LUCK and I reckon he was hoping to prove that it was Luck by name and Luck by nature. He was disappointed. Ho Hum. I wonder whatever happened to him. One night he had 'borrowed' his bosses car and came for a visit. There was an enormous smash and crash and the whole family ran out onto the road, Dad was in his PJs ( he figured it was intimidating to the young fellas?) A drunk driver had collected the bosses car and all but wedged it into our house. Mister Luck was none too lucky and neither was his boss, cos the coppers came and the drunk was documented, so an insurance claim went by the board. Not much Luck anywhere that night.

The Side Show Alley was frantic and full of people of all ages either having a go or standing around trying to keep down their lunches. I thought that marketing people had had a field day re-branding rides from a different era. My old Cha Cha Cha is now the Cyber Party, although the good ol' Dodgems are still Dodgems. Reckon they might have gone with the idea that if it ain't broken don't fix it. Kids were having a hoot and the hot dates were on even in the afternoon. Romance is still on the menu at The Show - good to know.

The Piglet races was a wonderful addition. It's a great way to raise funds for charity and very good fun to watch, more so I imagine if you had been lucky enough to score a piggy in the lucky ticket dip. They are just so bloody cute - hard to believe they grow up to be bacon.

The How Much Wood Can a Wood Chuck Chop was entertaining and sweaty. Boy can those fellas swing an axe! It was such an education! I thought they just flung the metal around and the tree trunk flew off, but there is a lot of measuring and hammering of nails and drawing stuff, and then there are golfer type practice swings and then they are off and chopping. The commentators could give the NRL fellas a run for their money too.

There are concert stages and animal petting and a free circus - more than enough to keep the kids entertained and there was something going on in the main drag up ramps and stuff and I guess that could have been cars or bikes or skateboards. I am sure that details for this would be online, but I didn't stop for that.

I am looking forward to the crackers tonight, cos we get a first class view from the balcony here at the Big House, and yes of course Dog will be cowering under the bed like the coward she is. Crackers for 3 nights on the trot, I think it's Christmas but she will be packing up ready to leave by the end of it all.

I didn't hear a cranky voice or a whingey kid all day, and people were rocking along with all manner of carnie type food and Show Bags were weighing down every other arm, so I reckon it must be a pretty good show this ol' Gold Coast Show of ours.

Amy from Gold Coast Show Marketing was kind enough to toss me a free entry ticket and so I have had an even better time than had I had to pay to get in.