Hundreds lined the carpark at Gordon Park today to witness Cr Rhonda Hoban fulfil one of her more unusual mayoral duties.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Up for most things, the Honourable Mayor was acquiescing to the Valley's newest OAM recipient John Mills' request before she knew what she was agreeing to.
But she'd made her bed and now she literally had to lie in it.
When the starter sounded, Cr Hoban came hurtling down the carpark straddled atop a single mattress on wheels, pushed valiantly by an eager driver named Julian.
And there were plenty more giggles to be had today; the beloved mudcrab race - a Nambucca Valley institution - elicited quite a few.
A crab named Hamish was the odds-on-favourite, but it was lucky number seven which shot out of the box like a cat on a hot tin roof and took the title in a record (we presume) 15 seconds.
The race was over before number one even realised it was on to begin with.
Elsewhere, the Nambucca District Band - which celebrates its centenary this year - was in fine swing, entertaining the crowd with perennial favourites like 'I'd like to have a beer with Duncan', and 'Waltzing Matilda'.
And the Nambucca Heads Fire and Rescue squad were out proving why they'd win a water fight any day.
The turbulence from the joyflight helicopter's takeoff was a welcome breeze on a day so warm that grown adults were sucking back multi-coloured snow cones with wanton abandon.
But then it wouldn't be a true blue Australia Day without a little sweat, would it?