Boorowa Irish Woolfest

100k due North of Canberra is a little town of Boorowa. It's a beautiful drive there, through the wine regions of the Murrumbateman and past green fields full of horses, cows and sheep which stretch out to the horizon on both sides of the road. Sometimes I'm amazed by how BIG Australia is; the sky, uninterrupted by houses or towns seems to be enormous at times, the vistas seemingly falling off the edge of the world.

We were on our way to the Boorowa Irish Woolfest. An annual event which promised 'The Running of the Sheep' a safer, (and let's face it more sensible) alternative to Pamplona. We'd left late from Canberra, and were dashing to arrive in time for the 12pm street parade and ovine celebration where a herd is paraded down the length of the high street.

We made it just in time. The town log-jammed with parked cars and the main street packed four or five abreast. Boorowa is lost in time somehow. There's a big courthouse (now an arts and crafts co-op) from the 18 somethings and a lot of old buildings including an old school house and an old fashioned Australian pub (for sale). It was heaving with visitors throughout the day, but with a permanent population which numbers 800 I'm not sure how vibrant it would be on a non-festival day.

The sheep arrived and miraculously we stumbled on front seat to see them stream into the corral at the end of the high street. Then the 'Magical Mirage of Meandering Floats' which the poster promised came past us as well. In truth it wasn't the Rio Carnival, but this was rural Australia and so there was a massed Irish Pipe band, a float demonstrating sheep shearing, an array of historic vehicles from around the area (including a very rusty tractor) and a representation from the local Chinese restaurant (several kids standing in the back of a trailer). It was all great fun. Simple, cheap, excellent.

We didn't do much while we were there to aid the undoubtedly ailing economy. I doubt if the sausages and jacket potato we bought will keep the Post Office open past Christmas, but it was lovely to be in Boorowa. We visited the petting zoo (a goat took a fancy to Eli's coat and I fortunately knocked it away before he made lasting damage to it) and wandered down the high street - a great Irish/Gaelic band kept us tapping our toes and Audrey had a dance in front of the main stage.

We ate delicious ice cream watching a (decidedly doddery and geriatric) magician, but our kids and the rest of the audience loved him. He probably had 50 years experience and he must love having a new audience for his jokes.

We drove back after a thoroughly enjoyable day. It had rained and drizzled all day in Canberra (the sun had shone on the Boorowa Woolfest) our decision to go spend Sunday in Boorowa had certainly been the right one.

people waiting expectantly for the sheep

ice cream on a sunny day