At the base of one of Victoria's premier Volcanoes the small town of Noorat will burst into life this weekend with one of the districts most anticipated events, The Noorat Show.
Every year a series of rural shows brings fun and excitement to regional areas across Australia and the Noorat show is up there with the best of them.
The picturesque town of Noorat is situated 240kms from Melbourne, 145kms form Geelong, and a small distance of 8kms from the town of Terang, which is on the Princes Highway between Camperdown and Warrnambool.
Noorat is no stranger to the tourist trail with its historical interests, including being the birthplace of one of Australia's most well-known writers Alan Marshall (I can Jump Puddles), and also being situated at the base of a volcano with what has been called the best crater formation in Victoria (Mt Noorat).
The Noorat show has been running at the Noorat Football reserve since 1932 and is a chance for people in the surrounding areas to show off their baking skills, craft skills, cutest baby animals, show jumping and equestrian skills, wood chopping skills, sheep herding skills, and many more skills besides.
Don't miss out on the Beaut Ute competition which is scheduled for judging at 12pm. Entries for this competition is on the day and costs $15 at the gate and $3 per class, be there by 11.30am and choose whether you would like to have the Best Chick's Ute, the Dirtiest Ute, or the Ute with the Most Stickers.
There are carnival rides and sideshows to keep the kids entertained and plenty of food stalls to keep their tummies full, or perhaps pack a picnic and find a spot to sit and watch the crowds enjoying their day.
A country style show would not be complete without preserving and baking competitions which can be viewed in the Homecraft pavilion. Check out who has made the best preserves, baked the best fruit cake and written the best poem, maybe become inspired to do the same thing yourself when you get home.
Whatever your interest, be it checking out the latest in farming ideas and technology, admiring the agility and cunning of the Australian working dog, or just going to a fair and enjoying the rides, games and the atmosphere, the Noorat Show has many events that will make a trip into the country worthwhile.
The show's events begin early in the day, with the first events scheduled for 8am, last year I made the mistake of getting to the show too late in the day and missing much of the festivities so make a special effort to get there on time. The last event is scheduled to start at 1pm which allows the day-tripper plenty of time to get back home after the show.
The Noorat Show is a good excuse to take the family away on a weekend trip if you are not living locally, there is plenty of good accommodation in the surrounding towns. The Noorat Show will provide you with a glimpse into the country life and maybe inspire you to try it for yourself.
