We wanted to give you an update on some of the preparations and contingencies we have in place for the upcoming Mega. The weather in the last month or two has been challenging for all of us, however we are not letting it dampen our spirits… Instead we are riding the waves (fortunately not literally!).

Campgrounds

You may have seen Day’s ‘marvellous’ pitch report earlier today regarding the campgrounds at the Mega. Most are in good shape with a few more warm weather days ahead. Here are some of the insights from our visit today:

• Sheep Pasture – Campsite is high and dry – sites have a good solid base
• Pig Pen – Freshly mowed and reasonably dry in the camping area. No mud or slosh visible.
• Chicken Run – Solid base with gravel roads on all sides of the campsites
• Cow Paddock – As expected this campground (football oval) has some muddy areas, mainly towards the middle. We removed these sites from sale a few weeks ago, and currently there is little impact to the existing bookings. We are holding a number of sites in reserve as a contingency should any of the allocated spaces become unsuitable. For the most part, the area around the outer of the grounds is quite solid.

Parking

Some of our overflow car parking plans have had to change, however we have identified other areas with solid ground (mainly gravel) that we will utilise. Obviously it does help where teams are car pooling. Also, if you are camping, we ask that you leave your vehicle at your campsite whilst at the showgrounds so that spaces are available for day visitors.

Other Contingencies

We have moved some of our activities indoors as a precaution, and have contingencies in place for events should we have unfavourable weather on the day. We can’t control the forecast, but we’ll do our best to deal with it as things come up.

Other questions – Was The Whittlesea Show postponed?

Indeed it was. As an agricultural show, it has significant animals moving around the grounds (in low lying areas we are not utilising), has amusements and other structures all over the grounds, and has 1000’s of attendees who require parking. Many of the photos of flooding that were seen came from the carparks on the opposite side of the road to the showgrounds – an area we were never using. So whilst we sympathise with their difficult decision, our considerations are different.

Volunteers – a few spots to fill

We have a few last volunteer spots to fill. If you think you can help, especially with any of the spots below, please complete the form here. Don’t forget volunteers go into the daily prize draw (gift vouchers and other prizes), as well as exclusive pre-access to the puzzle room (and Maze) on Friday night.

• Friday AM – Maze setup
• Friday PM – Puzzle room/Camping Check in
• Saturday AM – Registration/Camping Check in/Parking
• Saturday PM – Registration/Maze/Gadget Alley
• Sunday AM – First Aid
• Sunday PM – Maze packup/Registration/Puzzle Room/Gadgets

Thank you to those that have already volunteered. We will start sending emails on Monday with further details.

There is no doubt the recent rains have been an unwelcome thorn in our side, however rest assured we are evolving our plans daily to ensure that we still deliver a great event. We look forward to seeing you all in Whittlesea in just a couple of short weeks.