What do you love about the Parkes Picnic Races?
Rachael Sladden: I love the fashion and being able to catch up with a lot of people.
Grant Gaut and Emily Dean: This is Grant’s first time at the races, but I love the food and the drinks!
Tim, Luke, Jade and Sheree Chellas: We love dressing up, the food and drinks – we just love all of it!
What did you most enjoy about the Green Army?
Bradley Dunn: I liked the teamwork, the skills we developed, improving the environment and making the world a better place.
Kyasha Palmer: I really liked the team environment and getting out there and helping the actual environment and making a difference.
Sebastian Berry: I enjoyed working as a team and helping the environment – we planted a LOT of trees.
What does reconciliation mean for you?
Wally Biles: Looking at the past and looking at positive and negative issues. This week of national reconciliation has brought more awareness to the whole community and that government need to look further at development for Aboriginal and Tor- res Strait Islander people.
Jessica Williams and Le-kiesha-Lee Bowden: It means to care about other people and helping them.
David Acheson: People coming together, sharing and behaving as one mob. We live in a multi- cultural society and we should all get on. There is unfortunately still a lof of the them and us mental- ity, but it is getting better.
What is your favourite thing at the fire station?
Tara Dennis: The fire truck is my favourite. I have a lot of relatives who work for the Rural Fire Service.
Mary Gray: I liked the hose. Spraying the water was fun.
Alana Wood: The lights and sirens. I like it when they drive with the lights and sirens when they go to put out fires.
Why is Mother’s Day special to you?
Marlene Bryant: My family is in Sydney, so I didn’t get to see them today. I just came out for lunch anyway. I’m looking forward to the Barry Green performance later. One of my grandson’s is going to be a doctor, and the other works in the media.
Marjorie Hockey: All the family come together, it’s always nice to see everyone together. I’m a great-grandmother: we have two daughters, five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Helen McGregor: I love seeing family and all the grandchildren. It’s also nice remembering all the great memories of your children growing up, as well as remembering your own mum. I had a great relationship with my mum, she lived to be over 100!
Why is Mother’s Day special to you?
Marlene Bryant: My family is in Sydney, so I didn’t get to see them today. I just came out for lunch anyway. I’m looking forward to the Barry Green performance later. One of my grandson’s is going to be a doctor, and the other works in the media.
Marjorie Hockey: All the family come together, it’s always nice to see everyone together. I’m a great-grandmother: we have two daughters, five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Helen McGregor: I love seeing family and all the grandchildren. It’s also nice remembering all the great memories of your children growing up, as well as remembering your own mum. I had a great relationship with my mum, she lived to be over 100!
What brings you to the ABBA Festival?
Tricia Trim: I was born in Trundle and I love sup- porting the town. This is where my family history is, and I am an ABBA fan of course! My favourite ABBA song is Mamma Mia.
Lindy Farrant: I came last year and had such a fun time – the atmosphere, music and people. It just makes you smile. I think all the ABBA songs are great, but I like Mamma Mia.
Barbara Guppy: I love ABBA and I like dressing up. I really enjoy the atmosphere and came for my second time. My favourite song is Dancing Queen and second is I do, I do, I do – but all the songs are good!
Why are you interested in heritage homes?
Judi Unger: I live in a really old home and I wanted to see what other people do with theirs. It is just stunning, so beautiful. It is a great idea to open up these homes. It is very kind of the owners to do it, as it is a big intrusion on their privacy.
Chrisina French and David Hudson: We live in Orange and have never been to Parkes. We are also interested in history and have been to herit- age homes all over the world. We thought it would be a great day to take a drive to Parkes and have a look around.
Nicayden Greenwood with Noni Greenwood: My great-grandfather Harry Bede Kirk served in the RAAF in New Guinea. It’s important to respect what the ANZACs have done for us.
Tianna Simpson with Trish Simpson: My great- grandfather Francis Raymond Simpson served in New Guinea. I think ANZAC day is important because the things these people went through for our country is something that shouldn’t be forgotten.
Ben Berry: My grandfather Walter Berry served in New Guinea, and my great uncle Henry Gault served in Singapore and was a prisioner of war. I think it’s important to pay respect to those who have served and are serving for our country.
What was the highlight of your holidays?
Deliah Karaitiana: The best thing was going to see my dad in Coonabarabran. He works there, so we all went to stay at his house. We went to the observatory and saw the moon.
Eliza Davis: We stayed at gran’s house in the Hunter Valley. We went to the beach and caught pipis and my dad opened the shell and we saw the pipi inside. The best thing was going to my friend Emily’s house because we haven’t seen her for ages.
Lucy Noakes: Probably going to the Royal Aus- tralian Mint in Canberra. We got to make our own $1 coin and went on a tour.