Australia Day

I love my country.  Whenever we travel overseas and people ask where we are from we proudly tell them Australia!!!  And just about everyone you say that to says "oh....I would love to visit your country!"  Sometimes we don't appreciate it as much as we should.
Australia Day is the day that we truly celebrate being Australians.  This year we went to "Great Australian Bites Port Douglas".  We arrived at Rex Smeal Park nice and early and set ourselves up under some shady trees and watched as the "new" Australians were welcomed into our great country. They proudly held up their certificates to announce to Australia that they love our country enough to become citizens.

The local indigenous welcomed everybody with their symbolic dance

Thank goodness the rain stayed away and we were able to sit back under the shady trees and soak up the wonderful atmosphere and sip on refreshing drinks.

We watched the Tug-a-War events for young and old.....

and sack races for the kids

The "firies" brought along the little electric car that never stopped taking both young and old for rides around the park

There was a throng-throwing competition

And also a pie-eating competition.  I was amazed at how S L O W these kids ate their pies, unlike some of the other pie-eating competitions I have seen over the years!

For the adults there was a pavlova competition and cooking demonstrations.  I wasn't sure about the margarita with smoked salmon ;-(

And when you got tired or looking at everything going on you simply turned around and gazed out at the passing boats on Dickson Inlet.

There was a large flotilla of jet-skis that made the trip from Yorkeys Knob in Cairns to Port Douglas to raise money for Breast Cancer.

The day was well planned by the organising committee and as I looked around at other families enjoying the music I thought just how lucky we are to live where we live.