Crowds flock to Auckland's Easter Show

Crowds flock to Auckland's Easter Show

Auckland institution, The Royal Easter Show is on over this weekend at ASB Showgrounds, and if last year is anything to go by, crowds could be in excess of 180,000.

It's a magnificent feat, considering the event has been annually occurring since 1843, but it has also done its fair share of changing over its lifetime.

What started off an event to show city-folk a glimpse of farm life, has now transformed into a mecca of theme park rides, side-shows and live entertainment.

Duncan McNabb has been at the helm of the Easter Show since 1986, residing as the board's chairman.

He says in his time he has seen the show develop dramatically, but also stick to its roots with the likes of the sheep shearing competition.

"The biggest thing we're trying to do at our show is to make sure that the public enjoy what we do, so they enjoy the agricultural side of it. But we also want to make sure that our competitors have a great time because they love being in front of the big crowd, but the competition has to be well organised and well run."

He says the back in the 1980s the Easter Show ran for a 12-day stretch, compared to the five days they have now. Although he says things have only become more intense for staff.

"In the old days, we'd do 12-day shows -- so it was a long time that you were committed to the work. Now we have got five days -- but it is probably more intense because we are getting huge numbers."

Despite his decades organising the event though, Mr McNabb says he still loves doing what he does.

"This is one of the happiest places that Aucklanders will spend their day, everybody is smiling, there is something to smile about and it is stunning."

CJ Mahon, the general manager Mahon's Amusements, has also been in the industry for the almost all of his life. That is because his grandfather started Mahon's 70 years ago and he is a third-generation member of the team that orchestrates the theme park rides.

The company uses its largest outlay of rides for the Easter extravaganza, which takes staff days to set up.

"This is our biggest outlay of rides, so this is most of our machines that we have available. But we are also developing, buying, building new ones and moving with the times as well -- when we can."

Growing up around the Easter Show, and also other events like it, Mr Mahon could be forgiven if he was over the lifestyle. He's not though, in fact he loves it and says when he can see other people enjoying what the company has put together -- that it makes the long days and stringent planning seem a distant memory.

"It is still the little children on the carousels that keep you smiling. They're on a magical horse ride when they  go  around for their first ever ride and so that is what we are all about, that is what we enjoy and those smiles are kind of priceless."

The Royal Easter Show opened its doors yesterday, and will remain open between the hours of 10am and 10pm until Monday.

Each night is topped off with a fireworks display at 9:30pm.

Newshub.