The Royal Easter Show

Auckland hosts the Annual Royal Easter show, which boasts a  range of offerings.  There's a carnival/ fair  complete with rides and spun sugar.  There's an agricultural show, where kids can show the chicken/rabbit/pig they've been raising all summer.  There's an  arena, where equestrian and showjumping events took place.  There's a very big art show.
 
Carnival Rides.  On my first 20 minutes of walking through the carnival portion of the show, I chuckled to myself. Many of the rides promised spine tingling thrills for the patrons.  After a trip that included abseiling down a hole and falling off a 7-metre waterfall, this promise from the rides provoked a smile.   The participants on the rides were all bolted and strapped down for safety.  They were safer on the ride than they were trying to cross Green Lane Road  from the car parks at the National Womens' Hospital.

 
That's until I saw this:

The bumper cars attendant.  If your car got stuck, or if you weren't moving that much, he would jump over to your car and stand on the edge,

take the wheel and start steering your little car into the fray.  I think there must be a separate throttle control as well.  Imagine you are a seven-year-old kid from a nice quiet town in a country 'where nothing ever happens'.  You're  at The Royal Easter Show.  The bumper cars look like fun- you get to drive a car!!  You're bumping around under your own control, and suddenly, from over your shoulder,  there appears a lot of hair and ink, dressed in a black singlet.  He takes the wheel and driving your car straight into the other cars.  For a seven-year-old from a small town, that's frightening. 
 
These three were definitely not looking forward to their ride on the Scream Machine. 
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This was a little petting zoo, providing sheep, goats, pigs, and other farm animals for the city folk to see and touch.   After three months of seeing sheep, sheep, sheep, and more sheep, it was funny to come here and watch people encounter sheep for the first time.

 
The Agricultural Show.

This rabbit, upon being awarded first prize, proceeded to eat the ribbon.  Interesting example of the question of valuation.

 
The Kiwi Logger Sports troupe was at the show

 
The Axe Throw.  Axe is aloft in the middle image.
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The Double Buck Race
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The Underhand Chop
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The Springboard Chop
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Log Rolling
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The pricing structure for entry is a nice example of Kiwi pragmatism & fair dinkum.  Adult admission is $16, but a family of five (2 adults & 3 kids) is $35.  Pay for Mum & Dad, and then the kids are $1 each.