As you may have gathered, I’ve signed up as a volunteer for the Sydney Royal Easter Show this year. I’ve been a visitor to the Show many, many times over the years, and I figured it was time to finally give back. My first shift today was supporting the new Quiet Room, which is a space for people with sensory sensitivities or other disabilities to duck in and recharge in a soothing environment.

My job was to stand outside the Quiet Room with a big sunflower sign so people would know where to go. The sunflower 🌻 is a symbol for hidden disabilities. A lot of folks today asked me about it, and I was happy to get to do some education. The guests that made use of the room really seemed to appreciate it.

Beyond that, I answered a LOT of questions about where to find things: the nearest toilet/ATM/water refill station; the Showbag pavilion; the petting zoo; the woodchopping; the dog show. That was kind of fun, albeit exhausting. I had a paper map, but also an app on my phone so I could look up specific venues and show people exactly where to go. The less fun part was standing near the lockers, because apparently 60% of people can’t read instructions or operate a simple coin locker… and they all seemed to think I was the locker tech support. After my lunch break, I managed to swap with someone else to get away from the lockers for a while.

I have decided that the only way I will survive the Show is if I sample a different “food on a stick” every time. Today I went with Maddix’s Twisty Potato, which is a classic. You can choose from different flavourings, and I went with the Mexican salt. It was very good. The potato was crisp at the edges but chewy in the middle, just how I like it. Relatively good value too at $7.

By 5pm I was wrecked. I checked out and caught the train home, where a hot shower and a cold beer were waiting for me. ❤️

One down, five to go…