The Ekka 2018

Let’s back up a bit

It’s been a pretty good week. Work has been steady and the weather has mostly been tolerable. Thursday morning was almost warm. By the time I got to work at 6.30 am, it was 9 °C/48 °F. However, Friday was a little different with a cold change and by the time I was ready to leave the flat for work, it was –4.3 °C/24.3 °F.

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A bit of a treat

On Wednesday afternoon I had to leave work early for a personal appointment but it gave me time to buy something for dessert.

Heading to Brisbane

I woke up Friday morning pretty happy. The Brisbane Broncos had defeated South Sydney the night before in the Thursday evening NRL match. I slept okay, not great but not poorly. I was happy most of all because I knew at the end of the day I’d be leaving Canberra and heading to Brisbane to spend the weekend with my daughters and my parents.

Most years, I try to make it to The Ekka. The Royal Queensland Show is managed by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA). Also known as The Show, ‘The Ekka’ is short for ‘The Exhibition’. An event where all things are exhibited, especially produce and products from rural Queensland. The Ekka has been going since 1876 and runs for 10 days every August.

I got to the Canberra airport after a day attending the Canberra Hospital and Health Services. The airport, as usual, for a Friday evening was busy. The queue to get through security was long and one of the x-ray screening stations was not working. It didn’t worry me too much, you just have to go with the flow these days.

It’s easy not to get upset with delays when you know you’ll soon be enjoying the company of family and the warmth of a city nearer the sea and the equator than Canberra.

The flight from Canberra to Brisbane

The flight went smoothly and QF1554 landed 10 minutes early.

I picked up a rental car and drove to my parents’ place. After putting my bag in my room I headed out to see my middle daughter and enjoy an ice cream.

 

 

 

 

Breakfast at Hermosa

I had arranged to meet my three daughters for breakfast at Hermosa in Westfield Chermside.

 

 

 

 

The feta cheese was deliciously creamy, while the hash browns were crispy. This was a perfect way to start a big day out.

Big day out

Lots of steps

We all got in >10,000 steps. It was a good day for walking especially with the warm day 28 °C/82 °F. It was so pleasant out in the sunshine. Not a cloud in the sky. So long as I remained hydrated, I knew it was going to be a wonderful day.

Towards the end of the day, we spent a lot of time on Machinery Hill.

Getting there

We caught the 333 bus from the Chermside bus interchange to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital bus terminal and then walked the short distance from the hospital to the RNA showgrounds.

Woodchop competition

On arriving, we headed straight to the wood chop competition arena. It’s changed since the last time we were there, it’s now covered and contained. There is also protective mesh around the competition area to protect the spectators from flying chips and blocks of wood as well as stray axes and axe heads.

The wood chopping competition is really popular and the stadium fills quickly before each competition.

I love that wood chopping is a sport for all ages and draws competitors from across the country as well as from New Zealand.

Dog show exhibit

On exiting the wood chop arena, we went to check out some of the dogs on show. Dog shows are entertaining, if not because of the dogs, it’s because of the eccentricities of the handlers who show the dogs. Watching the humans, including the judges can be as entertaining and amusing as watching the dogs.

I’m still not quite sure what the point of dog shows is. We didn’t spend too long there.

Food Pavilion

At lunchtime, we walked over to the food pavilion and enjoyed some free samples of steamed broccolini, a delightfully refreshing mandarin salsa, spicy sausage, freshly sauteed mushrooms, and cups of kombucha.

Racing Pigs

After satiating our hunger we went to see the racing pigs. The racing pigs are pretty cool, but really they form a minor portion of the show. The real entertainment comes from a young lad and a senior gentleman who have a tremendous rapport with one another. The pigs really just support their dialogue.

Supplementing Lunch

The free tasters weren’t really a full lunch so I also ate a cheeseburger as we waited for the pigs to race.

 

Animals, cakes, photographs, and virtual reality booth

After the racing pigs, we spent a few hours walking through a lot of the animal exhibits including the sheep, goats, alpacas, pigs, and horses. In one exhibit, we were able to walk in and handle some piglets.

Ms21 has some mad skills making and decorating cakes so we always take a look at the cakes and because I like photography, we wander through the rows and rows of photographs on display.

On the upper level of the building which houses the arts and crafts exhibits are a large hall dedicated to fashion shows and some specific technology vendors like drones. This year there was a virtual reality booth. I didn’t have a go but Ms23 and her boyfriend did and they enjoyed what they described as a weird experience.

Strawberry sundaes

I don’t know when the first strawberry sundaes were sold at The Ekka, but these treats have been a feature of the Show for as long as I can remember (and that’s a long long period of time).

In recent years, the iconic strawberry sundaes have been linked to the medical research fundraising at The Prince Charles Hospital.

I love the complexity of flavours associated with these delightful cones of joy. You can see a half of a strawberry on top but what isn’t obvious is a layer of sliced sweet fresh strawberries between a layer of ice cream and fresh cream. The ice cream is so creamy, it’s just about the best ice cream there is.

 

EkkaNITES

Bring on the entertainment

The evening entertainment is known as EkkaNITES. A broad selection of music with dramatic historical reenactments depicting pioneer life in Queensland. These shows usually play up a lot of history of rural life and the importance it plays in the success of Queensland’s rich agricultural heritage. The shows involve horses, sheep, cattle, and working dogs. These shows are both entertaining and educational.

While the pioneer aspect is important, the time jump to the latter part of the twentieth century is just as fun with the introduction of various mechanical aids to farming. The most important being the ute or utility vehicle. I love watching the competition utes circle the showgrounds, revving their V8 engines, flashing their lights, and blowing their air horns. The display helps segue the evening into the high energy end of the show.

The only thing that could be better than watching two Holden V8 utes drift racing around the show grounds would be watching two Ford V8 utes drift racing around the showgrounds. Yes, with the loss of a Mopar option in Australia, I’m a Ford supporter.

After the utes, we get wheelie popping monster trucks which also get airborne.

Have you ever been on a tarmac when fighter jets are strip-ready and then take off? I love the feeling of the noise. Yes, the feeling, because the noise is so loud, you can feel it vibrate your body. Well, monster trucks have big block engines tuned for torque and they make a great noise. I love it. I wonder when I can see monster trucks in Canberra.

A longtime favourite of mine at The Ekka is the freestyle motocross (FMX) part of the show. I don’t particularly care about the racing, it’s the jumping I really enjoy watching.

I apologise now about these photographs being dark. I’m using a variable aperture zoom lens and at the focal length I was using the aperture was about f/6.3. I was shooting at 1/800 second, and ISO 6400. I shoot raw so at least I can brighten the shadows and enhance the whites in post-production.

Fireworks

Ekkanites has two fireworks sessions. A short one early in the evening for the kids who may have to leave early for bed and a much bigger show as the Ekkanites finale.

I’ve watched a lot of fireworks shows and I reckon it’s hard to beat the fireworks of The Ekka.

More on EkkaNITES

During the entertainment on Saturday night, the crowd was encouraged to sing some songs, among them our national anthem plus a couple of other favourites.

I really think the second verse of Advance Australia Fair should be sung more often.

As I thought about the words of the other songs I wondered how the words might need to be changed and updated if they were written now for our time.

National Anthem

Australians all let us rejoice
For we are young and free
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil
Our home is girt by sea
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands
To make this Commonwealth of ours
renowned of all the lands
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair

I Am Australian

I came from the dream-time
From the dusty red-soil plains
I am the ancient heart
The keeper of the flame
I stood upon the rocky shores
I watched the tall ships come
For forty thousand years I’ve been
The first Australian I came upon the prison ship
Bowed down by iron chains
I bought the land, endured the lash
And waited for the rains
I’m a settler, I’m a farmer’s wife
On a dry and barren run
A convict, then a free man
I became AustralianI’m the daughter of a digger
Who sought the mother lode
The girl became a woman
On the long and dusty road
I’m a child of the Depression
I saw the good times come
I’m a bushie, I’m a battler
I am Australian We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We’ll share a dream and sing with one voice
“I am, you are, we are Australian “I’m a teller of stories
I’m a singer of songs
I am Albert Namatjira
And I paint the ghostly gums
I’m Clancy on his horse
I’m Ned Kelly on the run
I’m the one who waltzed Matilda
I am AustralianI’m the hot wind from the desert
I’m the black soil of the plains
I’m the mountains and the valleys
I’m the drought and flooding rains
I am the rock, I am the sky
The rivers when they run
The spirit of this great land
I am Australian We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We’ll share a dream and sing with one voice
“I am, you are, we are Australian”We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We’ll share a dream and sing with one voice
“I am, you are, we are Australian” “I am, you are, we are Australian

“Songwriters: Bruce Woodley / Dobe NewtonI Am Australian lyrics © Spirit Music Group, BMG Rights Management US, LLC

Down Under

Traveling in a fried-out combie
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she saidDo you come from a land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take coverBuying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six-foot-four and full of muscles
I said, “do you speak-a my language?”
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he saidI come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover, yeahLyin’ in a den in Bombay
With a slack jaw, and not much to say
I said to the man, “are you trying to tempt me
Because I come from the land of plenty?”
And he said Do you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah)
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take coverLiving in a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take coverLiving in a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take coverLiving in a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take coverLiving in a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?

Songwriters: Colin James Hay / Ronald Graham StrykertDown Under lyrics © O/B/O Apra Amcos

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Other shenanigans

There was a baby shower at work, and my workmate Jane aka Eagle 🦅 shared a photograph of me on her Instagram feed 😃

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmkcCLfFghJ/

Other stuff that happened this week.

I got some new bath towels. My current towels were getting threadbare. The bath mat was very tatty around the edges and my bath sheet just wasn’t doing it for me anymore.

I asked on social media if it’s weird for a bloke to be excited about new bath towels. The response was positive.

Sunday dinner

 

 

Monday lunch

 

Monday Dinner

Tuesday lunch

Tuesday dinner

Wednesday lunch

Wednesday dinner

Wednesday dessert

Thursday lunch

Thursday dinner

Friday dinner on QF1540

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Where’s the Dagwood dog?

I hear you. I know I said I’d do it but it didn’t happen. I felt quite good with the amount of food I’d eaten and to be fair, I did eat about 500 grams of potato gems (tater tots) with gravy while watching the fireworks. 

Here’s a photograph of me from four years ago enjoying a 30 cm (foot long, that’s 12 inches of happiness) Dagwood dog.