Excitement builds for carrot carnival

Ohakune Carrot Carnival organisers, Diana Booth and David "Rabbit" Nottage

The great Carrot Carnival of Ohakune is revving up for its second year on Queen's Birthday Weekend after being in recess for a few years.

For the first time it's being held on a Sunday. Organisers hope June 1 will be a better choice than the usual Saturday.

Ruapehu District councillor David (Rabbit) Nottage said Saturday in the town was too taken up with sports.

Either local teams were going to away games or matches of local importance were being played in town, he said.

"And some people coming from out of town would either get there too late or arrive halfway through it."

Together with carnival organiser Diana Booth, enough fun activities have been set up to keep everyone entertained from 10.30am to 2pm.

All the region's growers would deliver huge boxes of carrots, spuds, brussels sprouts and parsnips, and all were free.

Grower Peter Frew was organising a competition titled Pack and Stack that would test the mettle of most contestants, Rabbit said. "They're on a strict time limit to get the job done."

Then there would be races carrying with bags of carrots, bobbing for spouts (like bobbing for apples at Halloween) and the sprout and spoon race.

Much easier than egg and spoon, Diana said. "The sprouts

don't slip around like eggs do, sprouts stick better."

There will also be huge bins of carrots with prizes buried among them. "So the kids dive in head first trying to find a prize, and eat carrots along the way," Rabbit said.

A variety of craft and food stalls will be coming in from Taihape, Waiouru and Mangaweka, he said.

And adding to the festive community spirit there will be entertainment from tiny kindy kids to kapa haka by Ruapehu College students.

Queen's Birthday Weekend will also feature a sparkling community fashion show at The Clyde Hotel.

Award winning Ohakune designer Janelle Hinch is choreographing the Saturday night show with mostly local models wearing gear from ski businesses including Mountain Flair and Glamour.

Then she will present her own range of Apres Ski clothes, all made from natural fibres.

The show starts at 7.30.