Abby and Gwen Rooks-Naylor, from Nanango, get ready to roll in Goomeri!

May 27, 2012

The 2012 Goomeri Pumpkin Festival may have got off to a coolish start this morning – we’ve been told there was ice on the ground in Dickinson Park – but by the time the pumpkins started rolling, the large crowd had been well and truly warmed up!

Not only were there pots of hot pumpkin soup available, but also plenty of pumpkin-themed events to get the adrenalin flowing, including Pumpkin Bowls and Pumpkin Power Shotput .

There was also a pumpkin cooking demonstration by Kingaroy chef Jason Ford, pumpkin scones and heaps of other fun including a street parade, whipcracking demonstrations, camel rides, classic cars, vintage machinery, live music and more than a hundred market stalls.

The Festival’s iconic event, the Great Australian Pumpkin Roll, attracted a huge crowd to Policeman’s Hill. There were more than 400 adult competitors plus more than a hundred children.

First place winner was Kelly Larter, from Brisbane, who took home $350. Sadly, no one managed to land on the lucky spot!

Footnote: It was obvious that this year’s roll was less messy than usual with fewer of the pumpkins prematurely turning into soup on the hill. We’re not sure if this was linked to the temporary shortage of local pumpkins but we bet the Gympie Shire street cleaners are smiling!

The celebrity Pumpkin Roll kicked off Goomeri’s iconic event 

Jacquelyn Codd and Cathie Kraatz travelled from Rockhampton to take part

Goomeri Mayor Ron Dyne is an old hand at pumpkin rolling

This is how you do it … ready, steady, roll! Noah Fuller, 10, Currimundi, shows how it’s done

Triston Murray, 12, was part of a group that travelled from Cherbourg with Bertie Button to  sell traditional art and didgeridoos to the crowd

There was a large range of classic cars on display … Maree and Ralph Magnussen, Kingaroy, with their 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300B

Jason Tooley, Sean Moloney, Kelly Larter, Tyler Murphy, Trent Osborne, Steven Larter and Michael Larter, from Brisbane, allowed the Pumpkin Festival spirit to go to their heads; Kelly aced the Great Australian Pumpkin Roll, taking out 1st Prize and five of the boys found success in the Pumpkin Pull