Club VeeDub Sydney hosted their annual VW Nationals show over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd May. I went along to the Show N Shine on the Sunday at the Fairfield Showgrounds.

So even though my Splittie project is not yet off the ground, and even though I decided to leave the Caddy at home, I decided to head off to the show with a fresh attitude and enjoy the day out. Now I've been going to the Nationals for a few years now, but not nearly as many as some of our foundation Club members. During that time, I have gone as a spectator and also as an entrant. Over the years, numbers for both groups has varied, as has general interest.

With the Nationals you basically know what to expect on the Sunday. Whilst Club VeeDub has made changes over the years to freshen up the event, there are generally no suprises or radical makeovers to the format. So I had to ask myself, if I was going to go and really enjoy the show but I already knew what to expect, how could I get the most out of it. I started off by making, in the words of one of my old teachers, "an attitude adjustment"!

So with that in mind, my first step was to break out the camera equipment. I love to take photos but like most hobbies, you go through phases where there are periods when you are right into it followed by periods where the equipment goes back in the cupboard. What better way to rekindle interest than to combine the show with a hobby!! Car shows are always great opportunities to shoot a few (hundred) pics and it's even better with digital photography now, no developing costs and the ability to share those pictures with others.

 What else could I plan for the agenda...(a) take the opportunity to give the jaw a good workout. There would be plenty of people to catch up with from the VW scene, both in the Club and from other groups (b) plan to reward myself by purchasing a model Kombi to add to my collection (that's growing...but that's for another story) (c) make an effort to take a look at all the VW types on show, Buses, Bugs, Ghias, Notches, Buggies, aircooled and watercooled...

So off I headed on my planned, short but sweet trip to the Nats. For those of you who have never been to the VW Nationals, it is the biggest, annual VW show held in Sydney. There are always a few hundred vehicles on display ranging from daily drivers, rats and show cars across all models of Volkswagens. If you're planning to buy a VW or need inspiration for a dream project, this may well be the place to gather some ideas. The show itself has sections of like models on display, some trade stands, swapmeet stalls, food and drink stations and some rides and activities for kids.

Don't forget to checkout the car park outside the show. There are always a couple of sweet rides that don't enter the official display. Well the day did not disappoint. The short but sweet didn't happen, I ended up leaving much later than planned! I did pick up a little (depending on who you ask) item for my collection, enjoyed plenty of chit-chat with friends I had not seen in a while and took lots of snaps. There's always new entrants to the show with the enthusiasm that some of us may have lost over the years so it's always good to give them some support.

If you haven't been for a few years now, maybe 2012 will be the time to reignite the interest and enjoy the Nats for what they are. You can see more of my photos from the day by clicking here.