Visitor Information / Entertainment

The saying goes that Australia “rode to prosperity on the sheep’s back.”

Wool, and the shearing shed, has been part of Australia’s culture, identity and economy since the 1870s.

Have you ever wanted to know what it takes to be a shearer, or a rouseabout?

Or how to fling that freshly-shorn fleece perfectly across the wool table?

At East Gippsland Field Days on April 8 and 9, some of Australia’s best shearers, rouseabouts and woolhandlers will put on two days of training and demonstration at the Gippsland Sheep Breeders Training Centre.

Hosted by the Gippsland Sheep Breeders’ Association and the Shearer and Woolhandler Trainers’ Association, experts will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about the shearing profession, what to look for when handling or appraising wool, (and what exactly does “rouseabout” mean?)

On Friday starting at 10am, wethers from sheep farms across Gippsland will be shorn and valued, with the winner taking home the prize of Most Valued Fleece.

On Saturday, the shed will host training for shearers, rouseabouts and woolhandlers – the general public is welcome to come along, watch all the action, and chat with the experts on hand.

Did you know therapy dogs have been around for hundreds of years, and that in World War II they were used by the Red Cross to treat veterans suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

The calming and therapeutic effect of dogs on people experiencing anxiety, trauma or emotional discomfort is well-known.

At East Gippsland Field Days on April 8 and 9, you can soak up a little “pooch peacefulness” of your own, at a special Hug the Therapy Dog booth in the Dog Arena.

Hosted by Playful Paws Training & Wellness, you’ll be able to spend some snuggle time with Lola the Greyhound, Kitty the German Shepherd, Walt the Chihuahua-cross, Koda the Border Collie, Cricket the Lab and other therapy dogs.

It’s been a stressful few years in East Gippsland, for sure.

Following the 2020 bushfires and the COVID pandemic, a lot more people in our community are experiencing high levels of trauma and posttraumatic stress.

Therapy dogs are one way to help people of all ages cope, and find refuge from their anxiety.

If you want to learn more about therapy dogs, or just want to give one of these beautiful guys a soothing pat and a scratch on the ear, come along to the Dog Arena in the middle of the Field Days ground on Friday or Saturday.

There will also be demonstrations by agility dogs Quinny the Caucasian Shepherd and Jessie J the Border Collie, a colouring competition for kids, and tips and tricks from expert dog trainers and dog behaviourists on how to set your dog up for success!

Woof! Get your Field Days tickets now!

Wood Chop - is back!

North and East Gippsland Axeman’s Association or N&EGAA will be back at the East Gippsland Field Days after a few years away from the scene on the Saturday.

Look for them in a new spot in the south east corner in rows M and N. There will be a variety of events taking place throughout the day with our Juniors, Novice Competitors and our more experienced choppers putting on a display of their talents.

The ladies get their turn in the Jack and Jill crosscut sawing events. These saws are finely tuned pieces of art and are very well looked after. Prices start at almost $3000 for new saws and the sky is the limit. Saws require regular servicing and once they have been resharpened a few times they lose their competitive edge.

Listen out for the chainsaws especially the Production Hotsaws working their magic on a piece of Woolybutt from the hills surrounding our area. There are a couple of real handy 084 and 088 Stihls that have had a fair amount of port work and an expansion chamber fitted to eke the most out of them. They will also have up to 80cc and 100cc Stocksaws bouncing off the revlimiter in the stocksaw sessions.

Chainsawing involves boring through the centre of the log and then cutting down to the bottom of the log before completing the cut to the top. The next two biscuits are cut in a downwards motion and then an upward cut to complete the task. All of this within 150mm of the end of the log for Hotsaws and 100mm for the Stocksaws. It’s not as easy as it seems to complete the three biscuits inside the lines.

The chopping events consist of Underhand where you stand on the log and Standing Block where you stand facing the log. Juniors compete in Underhand events and are required to wear mesh leg and feet guards. The leg guards are to help prevent accidents as the axes are razor sharp.

Both logs require a front where the competitor cuts approximately halfway through the log before moving to the back of the log and completing the cut. There are a wide variety of axes in use by competitors and if you are interested in finding out about them ask one of the choppers to explain and to show you. One thing I can guarantee is that you wont pick one up at the local hardware store.

Around 1.30pm they will run the Field Days cup which will involve choppers from all age groups competing against each other in one single event. The back markers (highest handicap) will probably have a bit of catching up to do but watch for them towards the end of the event. It will all happen pretty quickly. But my guess is that they will be giving the first competitors away 40-50 seconds head start maybe even a bit more.

Enjoy the day and if your not sure about what’s happening or why sing out and they crew will do our best to help out. Likewise if you’ve always wanted to give woodchopping a try talk to one of the people there and they can point you in the right direction.