Yesterday we headed to Blacktown Showground to see Sand Sculpting Australia’s latest offering, Alice in Wonderland. We’ve been regulars at the sand sculpting events over the years and we were “Curioser and curiouser” to see this one. Although kids enjoy looking at the sculptures, I think it’s the visiting adults who truly appreciate the skill and artistic nature of the works.
250 tonnes of sand has been used to create the sculptures, with artists from across Australia and the world putting days of work into bringing Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland to life. The Rabbit Hole pictured above took one sculptor 9 days to complete. I don’t have enough commitment to build a quick sandcastle at the beach so 9 days seems unimaginable. In saying that, I think this is the most stunning sand sculpture.
We enjoyed seeing many of our favourites from the movie including Alice, Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, The Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and the dastardly Queen of Hearts.
Many of the sculptures are double-sided and grand in size.
Viewing of the sand sculptures is easy with only a rope surrounding the works of art.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Kids always love the chance to participate in an interactive element. At Alice in Wonderland there’s free sand sculpting (written instructions are on posters for those who are committed to giving the professionals a run for their money) and sand art. The sand sculpting is free and the sand art, with coloured sand, is at an additional cost to the entry price. Judging by the time kids were spending on their sand art, it’s good value for money at $6 for a picture which you can complete at the event, or you can purchase a take home pack of two pictures for $8.
When AJ was younger she absolutely loved doing the sand art so we grabbed a couple of packs to do with some little friends of ours who we know will enjoy creating some colourful pictures with her help.
BJ really enjoyed watching the sand sculptor at work on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and had fun playing giant outdoor games with AJ.
He had absolutely no shame over the fact he was successful because he was cheating.
If you want to make a full day out of your visit, pack a picnic or have lunch at the café in the park. We packed BJ’s beach wheelchair on a previous visit and had a wonderful time with friends at the water park. There’s plenty of shade and picnic tables available in the park.
ACCESSIBILITY
Australian Companion Card is accepted.
The Showground Plaza at Blacktown Showground has good access throughout. The area where the sand sculptures are being exhibited is grass. Although not as easy as a path, we found it relatively easy to push BJ’s chair.
Food caravans have light snacks for sale within the exhibition area. The height of the counters would make it difficult for a wheelchair user to purchase food without assistance however we’ve always found these operators more than happy to assist.
Tables in the sand sculpting workshop and sand art areas are a good height for a child in a wheelchair.
Accessible parking is available in the showground. Bypass the main parking area and take the roadway which goes closer to the playground. You’ll see a sign which says only delivery vehicles and disabled parking permit holders can go beyond the main car park. At the end of this roadway there are four accessible parking spaces which are located at the base of the ramp which leads to the Alice in Wonderland sand sculptures.
The sand sculptures are behind the café near the playground and water park.
You can read more about Alice in Wonderland presented by Sand Sculpting Australia on their website.
We visited Alice in Wonderland as guests of Sandstorm Events, but as always our opinions are our own and as previously mentioned, this is an event we’ve enjoyed visiting many times before.
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