Banana Festival

Michele: Yesterday was the Mission Beach State School’s annual Banana (bah-nah'-nah) Festival to raise money for the school. For weeks the Parent & Citizen committee has been working hard to plan this event. We’ve donated used books for the book sale and a bottle filled with marbles for the bottle stall. The festivities were quite impressive! BBQ, bar, massage, art projects, bounce house, performances of recorder, chorus groups and yoga. I didn’t realize that yoga was a spectator sport but at one point I heard the crowd cheer. I wonder what that was... Just as at the Tully Show, there was food-as-art contests – is this an Aussie thing?

I helped sell plants for an hour.Although I couldn’t answer any questions about the plants, I had a good time and was impressed with how much money the plant sale brings for the school. The event draws not just school parents but a lot of tourists who are in town this weekend. This was evidenced when I ran into a geologist, Klaus, who I had met at the SGA conference last week. He lives in Perth and was having a short holiday with his family after the meeting.

The highlight of the day for me was watching the Lolly Toss. Lolly = candy. The principal, Mr Robertson, climbs onto the roof of the school and throws candy down onto the squealing children gathered below. It was hysterical mayhem! Klaus and I agreed that they ought to have had a Lolly-Toss at the SGA conference.Something to consider for the SG&T business meeting at GSA in October….

Several of us are still sick and feverish (looks like I got it too) so we left before the fireworks and the cane toad racing.That would be a blog in of itself.