Bathurst is a town about 100km away, lying at the western foot of the Blue Mountains and hence the gateway to the vast western plains. Its show draws exhibitors from the surrounding agricultural areas. We went primarily to check out the animals but ended up doing more people-watching, as entries were sparse in the livestock competitions, perhaps a result of the decade-long drought that has seen many smaller holdings go bankrupt. Although the drought is now officially over, after the wettest summer since 1953, it has devastated rural communities and turned more than a few outback centres into virtual ghost towns.
Michael has a good selection of photos on his website, whereas I only took three: a large man and his small granddaughter taking the dodgem cars very seriously; one of the rides, patronised only by little girls -clearly too sedate for any of the boys; and the winner of the best cake. No really!
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