What’s almost three kilometres long has many hundreds of wheels and boasts many thousands of horsepower?
The 2011 Alexandra Truck, Ute and Rod Show will be the fourteenth annual staging of the popular event and this year is destined to be one of the biggest, if not the largest held to date.
And the good news is that the event held on the Queens Birthday Weekend in the pretty Upper Goulburn valley town has free admittance making it a great family day out.
The weekend opens on Saturday with the rod run from Alexandra to Eildon and returning to the Alexandra Timber Tramway Museum for lunch and a ride on the historic steam train.
Then on Sunday June 12, all the mobile gear - giant interstate rigs, timber trucks and contractor equipment - all the pride and joy of many truckies, together with an incredible array of hot rods, utes and motorbikes line up in Grant Street - Alexandra’s main street - for the judging.
Of course all this gear is specially prepared for show and shine and lovingly restored in the case of rods, utes and bikes and displayed with pride by their owners!
There’s also a public auction including a large range of transport related items held from the main stage in Grant Street which gets underway at 2pm. Trophy presentations follow from he same location at around 3.30pm.
But the day is just not about mobile gear.
There is a popular quilting exhibition held in the Masonic Hall at the top end of the main Grant Street.
There is also one of Victoria’s biggest Woodchop Competitions also on Sunday June 12 where the finest and fastest local and interstate axemen compete in a series of ten competitions for excellent cash prize money.
And as the last event of the Victorian wood chopping season, the competitors are at peak fitness.
There are competitions for senior and junior axemen with a couple of female competitors also expected to show that the woodchop - a feature of rural Australia since about 1870 - is not just a bloke’s event!
With traditional handicapping there is always the certainty of exciting finishes.
The Woodchop Competition is sponsored by VicForests the agency responsible for the sustainable harvest and sale of timber from Victoria’s State Forests.
One of the feature events at Alexandra is the exciting relay event where axemen compete over three events - the underhand and standing log and the spectacular tree climb.
Chairman of the Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod Show Committee Matt Ellis says that the event usually attracts between ten and twelve thousand visitors and the event is strongly supported by the local community and businesses.
“Thanks to our sponsors in particular we usually finish with a modest profit and this year we will distribute funds to the Alexandra and District Hospital for surgical equipment in their new health services unit so it is truly something by the community for the community” Matt Ellis added.
“Every one is invited to come along and enjoy their day with the great diversity of attractions in the Alexandra area” Matt Ellis added.
Enquiries and entries are invited, Alexandra Truck Ute & Rod Show, PO Box 44 Alexandra 3714.