We went to the Royal Show today. I’ve always loved show time. I look forward to going for months. There’s something magical about it. I look forward to it as much as I look forward to Christmas. And that is a lot.

That first step through the gate is the best. The air is different – it’s aromatic. It’s a combination of different types of food – waffle dogs, frozen bananas, fairy floss, hamburgers, hot chips, freshly squeezed orange juice, jam donuts – intermingling with the smell of livestock.

The familiar smell of hay assaults your nostrils and gets stuck in your throat, making it tickle, and it’s awesome. You wish that the whole day could stay as awesome as it is in this moment, when you first smell the hay. But it doesn’t.

Little legs like to explore and run from ride to ride, trying to shove as much of the experience in as possible. You know that her favourite time of year will be show time because that’s what you were like when you were little. You wanted to taste everything, see everything. You wanted to take as much from this day as you possibly could because in a few short hours your show time would be over for the year. So you let her run.

You end up walking over six kilometres and when you get home you realise that you are sunburt and even though it hurts to move you know that you’ll soon forget the pain and you’ll look forward to the next show time. 364 days away.

1. Going in circles – Stilldez.
2. Wedding pinwheels – Pickled Parlor.
3. Letterpress Collection Trip to the Fair – Blackbird Letterpress.
4. Retro Sweet shop card – Bels Art.
5. Ferris Wheel notecard – The Red Star Designs.