CAIRNS SHOW A perfect day for family fun

BLUE skies and a perfect 30degree day helped draw thousands through the gates on the first day of this year’s Cairns Show.

Families packed icy drinks and donned hats before taking in all the fun of the annual event, taking advantage of yesterday’s traditionally smaller crowd.

Chickens and ducklings in the animal nursery were a highlight, as well as donkeys and camels.

Cairns Show Association president Ian Allen said at midday yesterday 100 more people had entered the show than on the first day last year.

By 5pm, even bigger crowds were starting to flow through for the evening entertainment in the main arena.

“The sheep shearing has been popular, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather,” Mr Allen said.

“The people of Cairns come out and support their show no matter what the weather.”

Grace Rea was honouring a long-held family tradition by bringing her four children to the show yesterday.

Ms Rea said her father had taken her to the show every year as a child.

“The showbags have been the most popular for the kids I think, that and just being out of the house,” she said. “We live not far away and every time we’d drive past the showgrounds Check out more photos and watch videos online at we’d see the rides going in and see the trucks bringing in the animals.”

The more adrenalin-pumping rides were the most popular in Hot Ten Sideshow Alley.

Tenille Allen and her friends could not get enough of the XXXL which flung riders into the air in a chair which constantly twisted about.

“It was an awesome ride. I want to go on it again,” she said. “My head was going crazy while I was up there.”

Show secretary-manager Ian Moller-Neilsen said showbag vendors were rushed off their feet yesterday.

“The rides are all going really well, I couldn’t say one was more popular than the other,” he said.