No bull — but lots more
Saturday’s Kaikohe AP&H show will be a no bull affair for perhaps the first time.
There will be no cattle, beef or dairy at all, as a precaution against inadvertently spreading Mycoplasma bovis, but there will be plenty more to see.
The area traditionally provided for bovine exhibitors will be put to good use with a series of tug ‘o war challenges for teams of six representing sports clubs, businesses, families or mates, as well as an throw ‘n’ catch competition, in which pairs of contestants will try to throw a raw egg the greatest distance, and catch it without breaking it.
Agri-Kids-type challenges, for adults and children, will also be on the programme, and NZ Royal Agricultural Society youth ambassador Courtney Davies will demonstrate animal handling techniques throughout the day. The pet lamb events will be contested, and are expected to draw more entries than usual with calves being left at home.
Photography, baking, horticulture and handcraft entries will be on display in the exhibit hall, while Top Energy will once again offer free tours of the nearby Nga¯wha¯ geothermal power station, aboard buses that will leave from and return to the showgrounds.
Other popular attractions will include woodchopping, shearing, small animals and rare breed displays, equestrian events and an animal petting area for the kids. The Kaikohe show is also known for having the biggest miniature horse and horse and buggy section north of Auckland.
The gates will open at 9am, entry $10 per person 15 years and over. The showgrounds are at the corner of State Highway 12 and Nga¯wha¯ Springs Rd, just east of Kaikohe.
Go to www.ras.org.nz for the full schedule. Make-up will help, and so will the costumier, so a stunning resemblance isn’t strictly necessary, but Kerikeri’s Stage Door Theatre Company is keen to hear from anyone who has a friendly green ogre lurking inside them, trying to get out, to play the lead role in Shrek the Musical.
Auditions will be held on Sunday, and anyone who thinks they might have what it takes is invited to email producer Kim Bailey at kim.bailey.224@ gmail.com to secure a time slot and receive an information pack.
The company will also be holding open auditions on Sunday for lesser roles. No one needs to register for those, but should still email Kim for useful information, including their phone number, age, and the part(s) they want to audition for.