Perth Royal Show 2012
It’s Show time! The Perth Royal Show is on at Claremont Showgrounds until 6 October. Jac and I went to the Show on Saturday. We hadn’t been for five years and enjoyed a brilliant day out – we were there for a good 8+ hours. The images below capture the highlights of our day.
Superbowl ride
Show food and drink
We began our day with a Royal Show favourite – The Lamb Van, famous for enormous lamb shanks and hot roast lamb rolls.
The Lamb Van
We shared a roast lamb roll with onions and gravy. The soft bread roll was stuffed with slices of tender roast lamb, caramelised onions and smothered with lashings of gravy. There’s no elegant way of eating this but that’s why we came prepared with tissues and hand sanitiser for the aftermath.
Lamb, gravy and onion roll, The Lamb Van
A cup of cold lemonade hit the spot, tart and refreshing.
Lemonade stand and lemonade
On the way to the IGA Fresh From WA Pavilion, I bumped into the Mt Barker Free Range Chicken, walking around as free range chooks do. He kindly posed for two photos (one for the blog, one for Twitter/Facebook).
The Mt Barker Free Range Chicken says hi!
IGA Pavilion
Fruit and vegetable “showbag” in the IGA Pavilion
Cooking demonstrations are on daily (check Royal Show program for details) in the IGA Pavilion, using WA fresh produce. Pictured is Noelene Swain, about to cook with WA-grown potatoes.
Herb and veggie garden ready for the picking in the IGA Pavilion
A very popular Show snack: sausage on a stick, 6 for AU$5.
In the IGA Pavilion you’ll also find Justin Bell and the team from Snags and Sons, Leederville cooking up $10 gourmet hot dogs starring succulent Linley Valley free range pork sausages topped a delectable combo of balsamic onions, housemade tomato sugo, pesto and parmesan.
Gourmet hot dog, Snags and Sons
My all-time favourite Show snack is hot buttered corn. There are two corn stalls at the Show where you can buy hot corn on the cob (AU$4.50) slathered in your choice of flavoured butter: herb, garlic, chilli or honey. Plain butter is available too.
JD’s Hot Buttered Corn
Hot buttered corn stall
If I was only allowed to eat one thing at the Show, this would be it. It’s too good to share, so we get a corn cob each – both with garlic butter.
Hot buttered corn with garlic butter.
The corn was so bursty, with every bite we took we spattered each other with juice. It’s both the hazard and pleasure of eating hot buttered corn.
Hot buttered corn with garlic butter
Churros van – get churros rolled in cinnamon sugar (AU$4) or for $2 more, make it an indulgent treat served with whipped cream and chocolate, caramel or berry puree.
Murtabak van – the Malaysian food corner. Just next door is Bunga Raya Satay.
There are numerous places to get your Show essentials of hot donuts, toffee apples, fairy floss and slushies.
JD’s Mexican van – nachos, burritos, chilli dog and more.
Orange juice – there’s something so appealing about buying orange juice from a giant orange.
Super salads with gluten-free options.
Snow cones, waffles, hot donuts, fairy floss.
Candy Castle – toffee apples, snow cones, fairy floss, hot cinnamon donuts, jam donuts and fresh cream waffles.
JD’s American Diner
Another item on my Royal Show To Eat list: a Dagwood Dog, sometimes called a Pluto Pup, the Aussie version of what Americans call a corn dog. It’s a red frankfurter on a stick, coated in batter and deep-fried, served dipped in tomato sauce. It looks terrible but I wouldn’t dream of a Show without a Dagwood Dog – it’s a tradition! We shared a Dagwood Dog and a bucket of crispy hot chips sprinkled with chicken salt.
9-inch Dagwood dog, JD’s Diner
Hot chips with chicken salt, JD’s Diner
The Dairy Pavilion’s another delicious place to visit, with free tastings of yoghurt, flavoured milk, ice cream and cheese – but you’ll need to be patient as it gets very crowded – the lines tend to move along at a snail’s pace and some people aren’t very good at moving out of the way once they’ve received their samples. As you work your way through the Dairy Pavilion, there are posters on the wall featuring Western Australian dairy farmers, which are well worth a look/read. There were once over 500 dairy farms in Western Australia; there are now only 172 left. It’s really important that we keep supporting our local farmers and buy local dairy products whenever we can.
Making butter in the Dairy Pavilion
Serving up free West ‘N’ Fresh gourmet yoghurt samples in the Dairy Pavilion
We shared a cup of Ferrero gelato (1 flavour AU$5) at Amore Gelato in the Dairy Pavilion. Amore Gelato were my go-to place on James St, Northbridge for durian gelato but they have relocated to 12/215 Grand Promenade in Bedford.
You’ll know when you’re in the vicinity of cheese toastie central at the Dairy Pavilion – the smell of hot butter and cheese is mouth-watering. These guys were pumping them out.The $2 cheese toasties are one of the best bargains at this year’s Royal Show.
Twisted Chips
Another place for Show essentials – fresh cream waffles, fairy floss, hot cinnamon donuts, snow cones, jam donuts and toffee apples.
A hot cinnamon donut that leaves sugar and grease on my lips – one of the pleasures of being at the Show.
Macaron fans, there’s a Jean Pierre Sancho popup cafe at the Royal Show (look out for JP Sancho bicycle cart) where you can buy macarons as well as gourmet burgers, coffee and ice cream. There are Jean Pierre Sancho macaron showbags too. For more macarons, check out Maison St Honore’s stalls set up along the verandah of the Agricultural Hall of Fame, where the WA Genealogical Society has a display on tracing family history.
Maison St Honore macarons for sale on the verandah
Maison St Honore macarons
Maison St Honore macaron tower
Animals
10,000 animals are expected at the Perth Royal Show this year. We love to see the animals and always see as many as we can.
Cattle judging. There was much mooing as these cows were walked around the pavilion.
Sprucing up
Goats. Jac’s decided if we ever move to the country, she wants to rear goats and make goat cheese.
Alpacas. These guys have such funny facial expressions.
Pigs. The piglets were gorgeous, especially the ones sucking so vigorously at their mum’s teat, only to fall asleep mid-drink.
Face-to-face with an emu
Sheep. We watched a sheep dog trial and marvelled at the sheep dog’s sheep herding techniques.
Having kept chooks in our previous backyard, we’ve got a special interest in the poultry exhibits.
A chook looks out.
We watched some chicken judging, admiring the expert, effortless manner in which the judge picked up the chickens to examine them.
Dog show entrants
Dogs ready for judging.
Cookery exhibits
As you walk around the cookery competition exhibits, you may notice a scarecrow theme. To celebrate 2012 as the Year of the Farmer, The Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia added a Scarecrow Decorated Cake Class in the cookery competition. There’s also a Scarecrow Class for each craft in the creative craft competition.
First prize Scarecrow Class decorated cake
Scarecrow cakes
Ballerinas
Pigs
Haunted house
The Very Hungry Caterpillar cake
Happy Birthday to the Old Cheese
For all the beautiful, intricate work on display, I often wonder how good the cakes underneath all that sugar and fondant actually taste.
Wizard of Oz cake
Wedding cakes
Cinderella cupcakes
New York, Paris, London cupcakes
Toy Story cupcakes
Sea creatures cupcakes
Balls biscuits
Christmas biscuits
Macarons
Afternoon tea plates
First prize slice
Junior baking
Tiki themed biscuits
Muffins
Scones
Cakes
I’m much more interested in creative cookery than creative crafts, but I have a soft spot for tea cosies.
Tea cosies
Regional displays
The Western Australian regional displays showcase the produce and primary industries of each region. The detail in some of these displays is incredible – a lot of work goes into their design and construction.
Great Southern region
Great Southern region – eggs
South West region display
South West region display
Midwest region display
Midwest region display – breakfast table
Gascoyne region display – food bowl of WA.
Gascoyne region display – Carnarvon bananas
Coastal City Farming display
Central WA regional display
West Coast Eagles ruckman Nic Naitanui (or is that Knit Naitanui?) features in the Central WA display
Goldfields region display
Treasures of the North display
Vegetable gardens planted by school children
Cowaramup cows outside the Margaret River Guest Town Pavilion – one of my favourites, Gabriel Chocolate, has a booth there with free chocolate tastings and staff happy to chat about chocolate.
By late afternoon, the crowd is heaving!
Perth Royal Show crowd
Novelties
Sideshow Alley and rides
Tickets
Runaway Train
Kiddieland teacups ride
Super Nova
We realised there are two Wave Swingers (Jac’s favourite ride). This one’s the slower, lower Wave Swinger
This one’s the slightly faster, higher Wave Swinger
Haunted Darkride
Ghost Train
Love Dodgems! Jac tells me that I squeal non-stop when we’re in the dodgem car. I can’t say that I’ve noticed. I guess I’m usually too busy squealing!
Python Loop. $10 buys you a very short ride – you’re taken through the circuit once and that’s it. Jac was left feeling quite dissatisfied.
Merry-go-round
WA Police Band – tuning up
Animal and Angry Bird hats and propeller hats are all the rage this year
We did emerge with showbags – I only got one, my beloved Bertie Beetle (this year I got the Triple, incorporating Bertie Beetle Red, Blue and Gold showbags). Jac bought the Moreish Nuts and Oreo showbags. What’s your favourite showbag?
Another Showbag Super Shop.
Caption this!
I want to end this post with one of my favourite photos of the day, snapped at the Camel Rides. The long-drawn guttural sound coming from this camel’s mouth was hilarious! Anyone want to suggest a caption?
Caption this!
IGA Perth Royal Show 2012
29 September to 6 October
Show hours are 9am to 9pm (certain exhibitions/pavilions close at different times – check program for details)
Adults AU$26
Seniors (Commonwealth or WA Senior’s Card holders) $16
Children 12 years and under free and must be accompanied by an adult
Students 13-17 (must have valid school ID or Transperth Secondary Smartrider) $13
Pensioners (Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card holders) $13
Family Ticket (2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 4 children) $65
More ticket info or buy tickets online (you’ll need a printer to print them out)
We bought our tickets online before the Show and got a $3 discount per ticket. IGA stores usually have an allocation of discounted tickets for sale before the Show too – those remain on sale until sold out.
If you didn’t get your copy of the Royal Show program in the Sunday Times, visit their website to view the program online, or if you have an iPhone, download the Perth Royal Show app.
Don’t forget – current competitions
Win a pack of NESCAFÉ Gold Single Origin Colombian Blend – closes 9pm WST on Friday, 5 October 2012.
Win a double pass to UnWined Western Australia – closes 9pm WST on Sunday, 14 October 2012.
Thanks to JD’s for the coupons which we used to get hot buttered corn, cinnamon donut, the dagwood dog and chips plus a toffee apple and fairy floss for the road.