The westerly winds are coming...

Nat here.  You know what the westerly winds mean if you've ever lived in BrisVegas....that's right, it's the Ekka!! 

Thanks to a Dad that can't go a year without his stawberry and cream ice-cream, a lucky ticket, the holden stunt cars, fireworks and carrying my 25 "must-have" showbags there are not too many years I've missed. Call me a carnie, but I just love it.

Apparently they've changed the recipe for the ice-cream this year, are you game to try it? What if it's different? I'll be gutted!

Of course, the Ekka is when the country and the city come together...

And nothing beats the smell as you step off the train - it's a little slice of country right in the city!

I remember telling L (a sophisticated Sydney-ite) in Cayman about my love of the Ekka and she said, what is the Eck-ar?!  Yep, that's how you say it all you overseas folk...eck-ar, or if you're bringing your cattle to the Ekka stables it has more of an Eck-aaaaaaar sound. 

Husband has the best Ekka story because he had an Uncle who was a real true blue carnie, he used to travel with the Royal Shows, when husband was a little tike he remembers being the caller on the dodgems "drivers, drivers one way, put your token in the slot!".  I can just imagine it.  He was also taken around on all the rides - for free!  I clearly wasn't in the know. 

Rides weren't really my thing, Dad loves to tell the story how he nearly "knocked out the bloke on the reins of the kids ferris wheel one year as he wouldn't stop the ride when I was clearly very scared".  It was about this big..

And I was 12....you can see why I was so petrified!  Let's just say I was always more of a shetland pony type of girl.

So a big happy Ekka to all those who love it!  Husband has promised to take me next Thursday woohoo!