That’s how my Aussie mate summed up Melbourne’s Spring Carnival to me in an email the other day. Things get underway
at Flemington tomorrow with the first of four
race days spread out over the next week. Tuesday’s
Emirates Melbourne Cup is the
premiere event, a Victorian tradition in its 144th year and a national holiday for the southern state. This is a big
deal for all of Australia — the actual cup tours
around Oz like the Olympic torch for a month or so leading up to the opening ceremonies. With perfect weather
slated for Tuesday, officials are predicting a record crowd of 130,000 fans at the race.
Off the track, the focus is on fashion
and fun, this year highlighted by the
Serbian/British girl group Wild. This is a
great time to visit Melbourne, as the weather starts to warm up and before the flight prices get jacked to their
ultimate summer highs. It’s of course too late to make it this year, but
Spring Carnival is surely one to consider
for 2006.