Maryborough Highland Gathering
We decided that we would drive to Maryborough for the 150th Highland Gathering. Maryborough is about 2 hours drive north west of our place just past Castlemaine and Newstead. We saw it advertised last week travelling through Clunes.
Anyway it ran all day and also has a Tattoo the day after but we didn't stay for that. Highland games ran throughout the day with several events. They are more of a strong man contest.
One that resembled a shot put but with really big puts,
a filled keg throw over a bar, where you have to throw 5 kegs over the bar as quickly as possible. The guy on the left one this event.a wheel barrow (small car) push, this guy one this event.
a caber toss, and this was the winning toss. This is not as simple as throwing a big stick. Firstly it is weighted at the top end so it is difficult to lift, difficult to keep steady once lifted and difficult to toss. Once tossed it has to travel in a straight line and then turn in line with the thrower so that ideally it flips and finishers in a straight line if a line is drawn from where it was thrown and where it first landed. Hopefully the end is at 12.00 on that line.
and finally the heavy (atlas) stones event. These are big lumps of concrete weighing in at 90 kilos, 110, 118, 131, and the big one at 142 kilos. They have to be lifted and then dropped over the bar. Really requires serious leg strength.
The guys who do this are extremely big and muscled. Only one got the caber to toss correctly and no-one completed the whole 5 of the atlas stones.
While all this is going on their is an athletics event with handicapped races all day and in the afternoon a Sheaf Tossing competition. We weren't really interested in the athletics but the handicapping at least made in interesting and somewhat exciting. The sheaf tossing is a global event and Australia has the current world champion and he was here. He is one very big boy. They can toss the sheaf about 18 meters on a good day. It only got to about 15m today as it was too windy.
That is the world champion on the left. The throw on the right is one of the early ones an the bar is only about 11m.
Last thing on the day is the massed pipe bands and the Girl Dancing on a Drum. This was quite interesting and surprisingly it was worth the wait. Somehow combined with everything that went on, staying and watching the pipes band and the Girl on the Drum was quite enjoyable and just seemed to finish the day very nicely.
