Author Topic: Disappointed at the Brisbane 4×4 & outdoors show and Tinnie & Tackle Show (Read 6589 times)

krisandkev · « **on:** March 26, 2012, 09:04:10 PM »

We went to the show on Sunday and it was utter disaster from the start.

We arrived at 9.30 am and spent the next 2 hours trying to get a park! Yes, two bloody hours.
We got stuck in a long line of vehicles being directed to parking areas; only to find out they were all full. Finally we arrived back at the start to a new sign telling us that all the parks are full and to take a train. I asked an official while we were again stopped in traffic and was told, 'yes all the parks are full, what do you expect, it is Brisbane'. Great, very helpful, OK if you are from Brisbane and know you way around, but not helpful for us. Spoke to others via our UHF and they were in the same predicament, and all getting very frustrated. We were very close to giving up, but had travelled 3 hours to go to the show and finally found a park on a street a bit of a walk away. Once inside the venue, what a mess. They are redeveloping the show grounds and have squeezed the 4×4 & outdoors exhibitors into a smaller area, put what felt and looked like a million people and it was not pleasant. It was so hard to move and to stop and look at things and impossible to talk to anyone.
We will not be back.

Kevin

dooguss · « **Reply #1 on:** March 26, 2012, 09:17:25 PM »

That seems to be the story from the few people i have spoken to about the show sort of glad i didnt go the show grounds will be tight until they finish all the redevelopment.

Kit_e_kat9 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 26, 2012, 10:08:10 PM »

You'd think they'd just hold it in a larger area. I'm sure that some country showgrounds would be equal or larger in size (eg: Ipswich / Caboolture). And parkings always been a PITA there, so that's just par for the course.

I figured the refurb into my equation and figured next year will do me.

Kit_e

luxabout · « **Reply #3 on:** March 26, 2012, 10:27:02 PM »

I went at about 11:00am on Saturday and parked at the pool at the top of the hill. A quick walk down the hill and we were in...

I thought it was a pretty good show this time - plenty of exhibitors, some good specials, the AusTrucks, a few campers etc...

Met Luke from Drifta too - top bloke

All up we spent about 5 hours there and came out thinking it was a pretty good show!

dooguss · « **Reply #4 on:** March 26, 2012, 10:43:23 PM »

Kit_e_kat you better rethink that 1 because the refurb thing is on going for the next 10 years with the full scale plan they have for the RNA with units and shopping malls.

Roo · « **Reply #5 on:** March 26, 2012, 11:14:12 PM »

Quote from: luxabout on March 26, 2012, 10:27:02 PM

I thought it was a pretty good show this time - plenty of exhibitors, some good specials, the AusTrucks, a few campers etc...

Met Luke from Drifta too - top bloke

x2
but we got there a little earlier and parked in the middle of the showground. was about 9.30am. came over the story bridge and turned onto St Pauls terrace immediately noticed the queue in the left lane....thinking it was for something else I got out of the left lane as we had planned to use the parking Via O'Connell terrace, a few blocks further up....oops that line up went all the way up, around the corner.....then around the next corner onto O'Connell. No GPS and not from Brissy we just had to follow our noses...found our way back and with the help of traffic lights, a right turn into O'Connell cutting about an hour or more off the wait in that same queue....20 mins later and I'm walking through the gates. Not deliberate cutting in....just lucky to find my way back to where we needed to be.

Also spoke to Luke and Beechy from Drifta. they sure do have a great product. The Drawers for the Landcruiser will most likely be one of their sets. Great value for money.

The show was busy for sure, but it always is. We trudged around checking out what we wanted then in the last 15 mins, split up and went and did the deals we wanted. I got a rear wheel carrier and The missus went and ordered an Air locker. Not as many people about so plenty of willing sales staff to serve at the end of the day.

DAZnBEC · « **Reply #6 on:** March 26, 2012, 11:45:18 PM »

We too had problems with parking, we arrived at 10 am on Friday to find all car parks full, after driving around for a while we ended up parking at the hospital costing us $32 :'( and they show wasn't much either.

Daz

waz65 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 27, 2012, 02:04:47 AM »

Quote from: DAZnBEC on March 26, 2012, 11:45:18 PM

We too had problems with parking, we arrived at 10 am on Friday to find all car parks full, after driving around for a while we ended up parking at the hospital costing us $32 :'( and they show wasn't much either.

Daz

I got there @ 09:30 on Friday and the Car Park was near full then , walked around for a couple of hours then left still with a full wallet as there wasn't many specials that i wanted

Pipeliner · « **Reply #8 on:** March 27, 2012, 07:36:26 AM »

Arrived about 9:15 on Sunday, spent maybe 15mins in the carpark queue on O'Connell, then straight in to the park in the middle of the arena. No queue at the ticket booth (we had online tickets anyway) and spent a couple of hours looking round before leaving for a lunch appointment.

To me the show seemed about the same size as always: those two shows have always been on that side of Gregory Terrace which is not the side currently being developed.

morcon · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2012, 11:37:24 AM »

We arrived about 10.30 Friday. Fortunately I had the wrong address in my GPS so I found a park very quickly but then had to walk about 2k's to the gate. No line up to get in and not too crowded in general. I was disappointed in the show; for the tinnie and tackle side I thought there weren't enough tinnies but plenty of bigger boats. I also thought there might have been some better deals to be had on the 4WD side of the show and despite going to the ARB stand 4 times I couldn't get a sales rep to talk to me. On the positive side, I did have a good look at Runva winches and NCC bull bars - both look quite ok to me. The other positive side - because I couldn't find an available rep at ARB, I have more money in my wallet today than I expected to.

Jenko67 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 27, 2012, 04:29:05 PM »

Exactly why I didn't go, have been disappointed with the previous shows and having to pay to get in, parking, it is a waste of time... the June one is generally better...but only if you want to buy a caravan/camper, like we did last year....

Calibrated · « **Reply #11 on:** March 27, 2012, 07:39:16 PM »

Quote from: morcon on March 27, 2012, 11:37:24 AM

We arrived about 10.30 Friday. Fortunately I had the wrong address in my GPS so I found a park very quickly but then had to walk about 2k's to the gate. No line up to get in and not too crowded in general. I was disappointed in the show; for the tinnie and tackle side I thought there weren't enough tinnies but plenty of bigger boats. I also thought there might have been some better deals to be had on the 4WD side of the show and despite going to the ARB stand 4 times I couldn't get a sales rep to talk to me. On the positive side, I did have a good look at Runva winches and NCC bull bars - both look quite ok to me. The other positive side - because I couldn't find an available rep at ARB, I have more money in my wallet today than I expected to.

Runva and MCC certainly do offer a very good value product

Dion · « **Reply #12 on:** March 27, 2012, 10:12:27 PM »

I was in the queue on Sun morn as well, and parked in a side street off O'Connell St. After parking and walking down (still half doz parks in the side street too) I walked past all the cars I had been behind in the queue and walked straight in.

Picked up couplertec system, rhino roof basket and Biji BBQ and was out by 11am, and boy it was getting crowded.

Teabag · « **Reply #13 on:** March 27, 2012, 10:20:46 PM »

I'm disappointed I live tooooooo far away and couldn't go.........Ah, no I'm not. I live in Cairns and there is nowhere better.......hehehe.

EFIwindsor · « **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2012, 04:17:02 PM »

Thats why my wife and I don't go any more.

Limited specials available from past experience, too many people and not enough parking as well as the same old stuff. kinda like going to Thailand Same Same but different.

Bill · « **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2012, 09:34:28 PM »

Quote from: Teabag on March 27, 2012, 10:20:46 PM

I'm disappointed I live tooooooo far away and couldn't go.........Ah, no I'm not. I live in Cairns and there is nowhere better.......hehehe.

I think our local camping/outdoor show seems to be getting bigger and better every year...
Bill and Morag

Teabag · « **Reply #16 on:** March 28, 2012, 09:50:08 PM »

Quote from: Bill on March 28, 2012, 09:34:28 PM

I think our local camping/outdoor show seems to be getting bigger and better every year...
Bill and Morag

I can only go off one experience of the Cairns show. Honestly, thought it was poo......I guess things change. Sorry to digress, back to Brisvagas show......

fuji · « **Reply #17 on:** March 29, 2012, 08:21:30 AM »

Went to the Melbourne 4x4 show at the showgrounds last year. What a waste of time, I was very disappointed. Never again.
Donuts

krisandkev · « **Reply #18 on:** March 29, 2012, 10:50:32 AM »

On a positive note....this is Kris, not Kev.
We did buy an ozpig, but they had run out of stock. So, free delivery, but not till after Easter. We were pretty happy with that , as lugging 20 odd kg back to the car would not have been fun....we were parked closer to St Andrews than RBWH I think.
We will be going to the one in June, to check out campers and maybe caravans.
Kris

Roo · « **Reply #19 on:** March 29, 2012, 01:49:39 PM »

Kris and Kev, the parking opens a few hours before the show so if you leave home a bit earlier you can park with ease then head on foot to the nearby cafe's for a relaxed breakfast before the gates open at 9.30am. That whole area is metro sexual latte sippin heaven...you'll love it. I have friends in Maryborough, I know what you're all like up there with you're sexie coffee and such

frahmbell · « **Reply #20 on:** March 29, 2012, 03:01:01 PM »

I'm looking at heading to the sunshine coast show next month to look at the ct's and 4wd acces so hoping its gonna be better

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Author Topic: Disappointed at the Brisbane 4×4 & outdoors show and Tinnie & Tackle Show (Read 6589 times)