Ballarat Show 2016

Last weekend marked the 150th anniversary of the Ballarat Show. Shane Jones and I have been attending for the last 4 years and every time we pronounce it the best ever. This year was no exception. On Saturday, November 12, our friends Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison came for the day. It was their first visit to the show, and I'm fairly sure it won't be their last. For all of us, the animals provided some of the many highlights.

There were donkeys:

baby alpacas:

and this fine frog, surely a prince in disguise.

We met an exotic grasshopper:

and an extremely laid-back snake, pictured below right with Louise Jennison

- and in the following photo with Shane.

There were some champion pigeons.

We even got to hold one of them. That's me on the right

- and in the next two photos, Gracia Haby.

We also encountered some ferrets.

The next generation of Moth Women and Homo-insecta even put in an unexpected appearance.

The students were from Year 5

I couldn't find a label indicating which school has been studying my work, but loved their artworks and took it as a tremendous compliment.

As if that weren't enough excitement, there was pig racing

and a diminutive circus pony.

The day ended on a spectacular note when Louise was plucked from the audience to take part in this hair-raising lariat act.

She and her fellow "volunteer" hid their nerves like real troupers. Thankfully they both came away with their noses intact.

They took well deserved bows, as Gracia, Shane and I breathed a collective sigh of admiration, tinged with relief

- and swifter than the crack of a whip, our visit to the Ballarat Show was over for another year.

The 2015 Ballarat Show

Every year Shane and I eagerly anticipate the Ballarat Show. This year's show opened last Friday and ran throughout the weekend. We spent the entire day there on Sunday. The weather was marvellous (I can't believe how lucky we were - it's pouring as I write this) and we had a fabulous time. As I've mentioned before, I'm irresistibly drawn to fairgrounds, probably a result of growing up in St. Kilda near Luna Park, and the subject particularly impacted on my earlier work. Below are just some of the day's highlights.

This prize winning cake pays tribute to an Australian icon:

There was even a small circus. The acts took me back to my childhood:

Morning tea was courtesy of the Country Women's Association. The scones were delicious:

I've never been able to resist puppets:

This attraction, a staple of most fun fairs, is a potent reminder of childhood visits to Luna Park:

Our favourite event is the Dog's High Jump. This was the State Championship:

Here is the winning jump - a magnificent achievement from a wonderful little dog called Jessie. At 2.6 metres, it was an equal State Record:

Her owner was thrilled and so were we. Immediately after her win, which was against some pretty stiff competition, Jessie jumped into his arms. She seemed oblivious to her spectacular win - all she wanted to do was play with her red ball.

The bored attendant directly below couldn't believe we genuinely wanted to visit the Ghost House. We had the feeling he hadn't had too many takers:

It was pitch black inside, and some of the ghoulish exhibits were only visible when I used the flashlight on my camera:

At the Pony Ranch we discovered these miniature horses. Mini (foreground below) was keen to try Shane's coffee:

We went for a ride on the ferris wheel:

Then caught the last of the show jumping:

These gorgeous kids were clearly enjoying the show almost as much as we were:

Next year we are intending to visit the Fun House, which is guarded by this gargantuan fellow. (I can see why clowns have an established place in horror movies):

We left as the show closed its gates for another year, declaring this to be the best Ballarat show ever.