Australian and New Zealand rural areas hold regular farm festivals and agricultural shows and they are big hits with the locals. They have established traditions of their own.
Farm Fest at Midge Point on the Whitsundays mainland near the Laguna Quays Golf Resort (Carlisle Coast) is held from time to time - where a host of rural displays are on exhibition providing the local community a feast of rural atmosphere.
This is simply an example of what happens around Australia and New Zealand for generations where such like annual farm festivals are celebrated. I recall my late father a dairy man from Crediton, Eungella (west of Mackay) went to the Mackay farm day and being clever mathematically, took detailed notes of new machinery, He then modified what he saw and often built them from scratch.
Back to the story - Midge Point local developer Garry Poole makes his property available with his private air strip. Cars are parked for what seems like 'forever', These farm fests bring together the local community.
Farm and heavy machinery are on display, as are many light aircraft (18 at last count), a helicopter and some ultra-lights. There are trucks with bails of hay, vintage and less modern motor vehicles are highlights as are the animals.
There were static presentations along with cows and sheep, donkeys and goats, horses, foals and ponies all in the barn, chooks and birds in cages, snakes and lizards in display-glass along with many stalls.
Fund raiser
Farm fest is a fund raiser for the local primary school at Bloomsbury in which monies are raised and Garry Poole had his team promoting his own land sale developments,
Whitsunday Park is a rural development with small acreages, Mountain Vista (all sold) has sea views and in Midge Point itself, with house and land packages house blocks for the 'sea-change'. The prices are very reasonable.
The area is bound to go ahead with more and more mines demanding workers and in turn who are wanting to have their families live in a reasonable proximity yet not in the rush and bustle of a regional city such as Mackay.
Midge Point and Laguna Quays is 20 minutes drive south from the Proserpine airport and 25 from the supermarkets in Proserpine, not too much more than in a Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne suburb, but a whole lot closer to the airport. Mackay is just over an hour away.
There is only one church in the area, the Midge Point Catholic Church, while Protestant and Pentecostal Christians in Proserpine.
The Laguna Quays Respite facility for missionaries backs onto the Laquna Quays Golf Resort and three minutes from Midge Point small shops and the Point Tavern which doubles up as a community centre. Moreover, Garry Poole has hosted our Country Town Tours ministries.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html