Adelaide Show Teaser - Part 3

After a day at the show, you can start to just wonder how you managed to pull through. Fairy floss, deep-fried "things" and a good amount of caffeine (or related products) is a common reality. We'd actually thought we'd head off back home around 5pm-ish, but L-kun seemed to be doing just fine so we figured why not stick around. And we did - in fact to closing time (around 9:30-ish from memory).

Now at one point, T-chan let me go off and take some photos whilst she looked after L-kun. I haven't taken much in the way of night shots, and the Showgrounds is a little bit like cheating (with all that electricity pumping through the lights, it's hardly night-time). Anyway, I thought I'd just indulgently put up some of the photos... not that exciting, but I thought I'd throw them up for the hell of it.

Didn't quite get everything exposed just right on the one below - yeah, should have thought about a multi-exposure, but I was working against the clock.

The good thing about the Show is that you get both good light, but also lots of movement. Makes for some interesting effects.

A slightly different perspective.

I do love the CARN-Evil!... who wouldn't? The funny thing is that I've never been in a good haunted house. Do such things exist?

Speaking of haunted houses.... I loved that this one was in Live 3D. Of course, we're all in live 3D, but I'm sure that was part of the humour. I hope.

Colour and movement...

And it wouldn't be a Show if there wasn't Show Food. And lots of it. Why is it that after 8 hours in the Show, we can still go back for more sugary goodness?

I wonder if they remembered to smile?

Did I mention anything about my fear of heights? Not for me... even though this is a tame one. Comparatively.

And then, it was fireworks time. L-kun loves fireworks, and I guess he gets that from his parents. The Adelaide Show fireworks are run both in an early evening and end-of-the-day format. L-kun got a double serving.

And was looking for more well after they had finished.

Or were we simply following the crowd?...

So that was my fairly quick tale of our night at the Show... and I didn't even mention anything about Show Bags. Hint - expecting to get good show bags at the end of the show is an exercise in futility! However, L-kun came out of it happy, and Mum and Dad came out without too much damage to our wallets.

With just over a week before the Show starts again... we're charging ourselves up mentally - and physically - for the coming onslaught. Stay tuned.

Adelaide Show Teaser - Part 2

 The Adelaide Show is of course a story of two halves... there's the agricultural Show, then there's the fun Side Show. And Side Show Alley is where you'll find all of the rides. Not that L-kun is really ready for all the fun and excitement of the Show.

First off... here's a cultural shot. Hmmm pipe organ. Monkeys. Seems historic or symbolic... or both. Sometimes I think I would have made a good organ-grinder monkey. If only I could dance in time.

 Now this is more my style... I tort I taw a... well you get the picture (copyright infringement avoided - whew).

And what sort of show would it be if it didn't have copious amounts of sugar-based snacks? And when I say sugar-based, I guess you can pretty well miss out on any thing that isn't actually sugar - or even more concentrated carbohydrates. I'm glad the Show comes around only once a year.

L-kun was looking quite nonplussed about the Panda... poor Wang Wang and Funi... how quickly the popularity wanes. By the way, I understand that the Adelaide Zoo's financial state is not quite strong - maybe the cost of the new Panda redevelopment wasn't quite balanced by the increase in visitors. In fact they're 24 million in debt, and now considering re-branding themselves as the "Conservation Ark". *sigh* I sometimes wonder who is running this State... [time to get off my soap-box now]

Every year there's something that's a must buy at the Show... something that everyone has, and therefore you need to buy it (to avoid the savage glares from parents that have bought what ever it was already and don't want to be the sucker). This year it was the bubble guns. L-kun didn't seem to mind one bit... and went through about a bottle of bubble solution in the afternoon. Be warned however - you should shop around first as the price varies ridiculously from stall to stall. 

Now whilst L-kun was only 3 during last year's Show, he was able to enjoy a few small attractions... ok, they're not exactly thrill a minute, but when you're 3 they're pretty fun nonetheless.  

And unlike in 2009 (when he was 2 and really didn't know what the hell it was all about), in 2010 he really enjoyed himself on the rides.

And the truck-driving... beep beep!

The dragon-riding was the one exception however. This was his first "roller coaster" and he really didn't look at all comfortable. I doubt he would have wanted to come back for seconds on this ride.

The final challenge - the giant slippery slide. Ok... for those that have just come to this blog recently, there's one thing that you should know about me. I don't like heights. Ok... a fireman I would not make. Still, as a father, you have to suck it up, and do things that don't make you feel necessarily comfortable. This was one of those occasions. I know I know - you're most probably wondering how I could be afraid of a slippery slide. 

Well that's the thing with phobias, they're not exactly rational. Still, Everest was climbed, and Daddy felt like he'd bested yet another "fear factor". Ok - the fact that everyone and their dog was climbing up the ride didn't really come into it. I felt I had achieved something. 

And the trip down was a lot more interesting... though quicker. I'm not what my expression is here (fear or relief). L-kun seems to have mastered the art of hiding his fear however - under a facade of having a good time!

So that was our afternoon at the Adelaide Show (in short form)...  Was it fun L-kun? You betcha! 

But we're not quite finished just yet... one more to go.