I love the idea of the Sydney Royal Easter Show – that the country can come to the city and give Sydneysiders a taste of agricultural life. But sadly, the show has morphed into something else entirely, and far from being the fun family outing it is marketed as, it is over-priced, over-commercialised and, despite declining numbers, overcrowded.

What was once the sideshow now seems to be the main event – in fact, a first-time visitor would be forgiven for thinking that the amusement rides were meant to be the Easter Show’s drawcard. And yes, you could bypass the rides and head straight for the agricultural arenas, but as the organisers are well aware, when you are visiting with children, the lure of the rides is strong.

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