THE Hastings Bonsai Group’s three-day exhibition at Port Macquarie Panthers on the weekend has been hailed as an unequalled success.
“The response was fantastic,” president Lance Wilson said. “It would have to have been one of the best bonsai shows ever held in Australia.”
Around 1400 people attended the show to view over 150 bonsai trees, which included all styles of bonsai, from forest plantings and trees growing on rocks to traditional bonsai. Star exhibits included Japanese black pines up to 65 years old and a Port Jackson fig that was 82 years old.
Another area to attract keen interest was the apprentice display, where the newer members of the group showed off trees they had been working on since joining the group.
The special bonsai demonstrations by the Nesci family from Dural in Sydney also proved a hit, with all 50 seats taken up at each session.
Children were kept entertained with a spot-the-skeleton competition, in which they had to find a tiny skeleton lodged in one tree and write the name of the tree down and pop it in an entry box.
The keen interest in all things bonsai also translated into 15 new members for the group.
Entry was by gold coin donation and the proceeds have been donated to charity.
Mr Wilson said the group planned to follow up the success of the first exhibition with another exhibition in October.
For more information about the group contact Lance on 0419 850 056 or email hastingsbonsai@tomm.com.au
