Debbie Geard speaks to The Standard

Making an annual pilgrimage from ‘Brissy to the ‘Bool’ is a highlight of the year for former Warrnambool woman Debbie Geard.

Transcript

00:00Hi there, it's Rachel Houlihan from the Warrnambool Standard.

00:03I'm on track for day two of the May Racing Carnival.

00:06Now I'm with Debbie who is a former Warrnamboolian who now lives in Brisbane.

00:11Debbie tell me about your connection with Warrnambool.

00:14So I've lived in Brisbane for 40 years but we come home every year for the May Race Carnival

00:19and I bring my girlfriends with me.

00:21The most we've ever had is ten and the least is two.

00:24So this year we have four.

00:26Excellent and tell me about your connection to Warrnambool.

00:28I think your parents are quite well known in the area.

00:30Yes, my dad is Brian Hollingsworth, the builder and my mum is one of 12 and the McLean family.

00:36Yeah beautiful and tell me what keeps bringing you back to Warrnambool each year?

00:40What's so special about the races to you?

00:42The atmosphere, the fun and going out at night time.

00:46And tell me, so you've got four mates with you today.

00:49When do you come down and how long do you spend in the South West?

00:52I've got a big family so we usually come down on the Sunday and go home on the following Friday.

00:57Yeah great, so you spend the whole week and spend a bit of time enjoying the South Warrnambool's hospitality as well?

01:03We do, we spend lots of money here.

01:06It's very cold so we rug up, we bring our winter woolies compared to Brisbane it's very cold at this time of year.

01:11But yeah we so enjoy it and the Brisbane girls really really love it.

01:15Yeah brilliant, now tell me about your outfit today.

01:18Each day you do like to wear something a little bit special.

01:20So we have a shirt for each day for the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and it's well themed of horses or it's just themed as funny.

01:29Yesterday it said Brizzy to the bull, today it's just horses.

01:33Beautiful and what about for tomorrow, the final day of the carnival?

01:36We're actually being ladies tomorrow, so we're dressing up and being little ladies tomorrow.

01:41Beautiful, thank you so much Debbie, good on you.

01:44No worries, thank you.