155th MELBOURNE CUP WITH 650 MILLION SPECTATORS
Always excited about national events, we made sure we arrived in Australia before the Melbourne Cup. Melbourne Cup Day is one of Australia’s most popular social and racing events and this year was the 155th running of Melbourne Cup horse racing. More than 100,000 people usually attend this spectacle at the Flemington Racecourse and the race is televised live to an audience of about 650 million people worldwide.
At the races, people dress up – many women wear their best or most colourful hats and dresses, with some participating in fashion parades on the field. Marquees are set up for VIP guests, including local, national and international celebrities who attend this festive event. Champagne, wine and gourmet foods are served on this day. Luckily, Lotte has a friend (Andrew Stewart) who has been organising a private marquee for the last five years and insisted on us joining.
TIME TO RISE AND SHINE
This is where we tomboys showed our other side. We bought some chic dresses in Melbourne and made our own matching fascinators (black and white of course), at the apartment of our Malaysian friend Mervyn Sia who couldn’t believe what was happening; two Dutch ladies designing, sewing and dressing up at his place. He was so nice and hospitable, showed us all around Melbourne and even gave us a ride to the racecourse.
We did not put a bet on the horses, as we were more intrigued by the stadium full of posh outfits. People were very happy and friendly, there was a great vibe. Though we had an amazing booth ourselves, we also got invited at many other booths for more delicious food and drinks. It was a lot bigger than the Auckland Cup. Even the whole city was dressed up. One of the most amazing people-watching we have experienced in our lives!
