The Races

Our special night arrived. A number of other guests from the resort were also going to the Races but only the 4 of us were going by limousine - well open-top mini moke really. We got ourselves ready but luckily did not spend too much time on the hair as the open top moke put paid to any style other than a well laquered beehive or a bald head.
It took all of 5 minutes to get there by car, the bus journey would have been 20 minutes as all buses on the island are routed to include meeting every ferry that comes in and also to cater for almost every back-packer hostel.(Every time we did go on the bus, we always seemed to be the oldest on it!!!!)
We had decided to eat at 'the races' - we thought about the champagne hamper etc but decided that it was perhaps going over the top a bit. So we looked for the nearest restaurant walking around the tiny resort twice before we found the open hatch through which we had to put our order for food. We then found a table and waited until our buzzer sounded when we had to go to the hatch to collect the food. It was very nice but not quite what we expected for our night out.
We had just finished our meal - eating quite quickly as the people on the table next to us had been assisted with their meal by a very cheeky cockatoo who swooped in and stole chips from their plates - when the heavens opened. We swiftly moved inside and watched torrential rain bouncing off the patio. Oh no we thought, what will happen to the races?
However, as is the case in the tropics, the rain stopped as quickly as it had begun and just in time for the chairs outside to be dried off and preparations for the big event of the night to begin. For those of you who like me have been wondering how they get toads to run in straight lines, you'll be interested to know that all the toads are put into a special bottomless barrel in the centre of a circle which is about 2 metres in diameter, and they then have to race to the ouside of the ring. So simple really!
The toads, who all had different coloured ribbons around their middle, were then auctioned. The man doing it was quite difficult to understand - like most auctioneers I suppose. He must have been in his 80's and has been doing this activity for the last 22 years to raise money for the Young Surf Rescue Teams. The patter and the speel he was giving for each toad in turn is probably the same every week but for those of us who were there for the 1st time, he was very entertaining. Anyway, at last it was time for the race - he suggested that we should not blink as the race would take all of 2 seconds - he was not wrong. He lifted the barrel and all 8 toads scarpered in different directions with squealing from those in the 'supporters enclosure' who discovered that the toads did not realise they had to stop once they were over the line!
There was only 2 races this this time because of the weather so between races he called out quiz questions and gave out little prizes. Most of the questions were about the Melbourne cup but he did throw in a few for the 'visitors'. I won a Kangaroo keyring for knowing the 3 letter cathedral city in England.
The whole event from beginning to end took all of half an hour but it certainly was an entertaining evening. How many people can say that they have been to Toad Races and supported a local charity at the same time. Apparently the bloke doing the whole event is an x headteacher from the north of Queensland. He has been banned from all quiz shows because his general knowledge is so good that he always wins but he is allowed to set questions and be an ajudicator. He sometimes uses the money he raises to buy equipment for the local primary school.
Anyway a good time was had by all and it was a talking point around the swimming pool for the next few days.