It’s a technicolour assault on the senses, especially for a young child. The oddly comforting smell of warm manure and fertile country dirt, against a backdrop of adrenaline-fuelled rides that tower above nearby buildings, a tomato-sauce dipped dagwood dog for lunch and a strawberry sundae for dessert. Then, if you behave, a Bertie Beetle show bag to take home
For a child born into the show business, a ‘show kid’, the Ekka experience is just as exciting…but there are a few extra perks.
A young Jamie Pickett, one of six children born to an Australian showman father and Māori nurse mother, knew how to milk the benefits of a life on the road, travelling the country with his family on the bustling show circuit. Jamie and the other show kids would spend the nine-day Ekka taking back-to-back rides for free, with an all-access pass to the inner workings of the show.
But Jamie found another loophole that well and truly topped the unlimited rides. He’d seen countless children wander in and out of the lost-and-found tent, after being separated from their parents, and all left holding a consolatory ice cream. You beauty! Jamie, unsurprisingly, became a regular in the lost-and-found tent.
“Oh, we knew our way around, but we also knew how to trick the system just a little bit,” Jamie laughs, reminiscing on his earliest and most joyous memories of the Ekka. “We’d fill up on ice cream then end up on the jumping castle all day!”
These days, Jamie owns and operates FJF Amusements, alongside his wife Penny, and their children Taylum, Lilly and Kennedy – all of whom are involved in the business.
We’d fill up on ice cream then end up on the jumping castle all day!
Of course, there’s also his crew of travelling show people, many with children and pets in tow, and all self-sufficient with a convoy of caravans that travels alongside a 10-plus-truck-strong fleet of Volvos and MANs, with a few smaller Isuzu runners and American pick-ups thrown into the mix, transporting the biggest, baddest rides in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Ekka is a big deal for the show people, many of whom share similar childhood memories to Jamie’s, having been born into the multi-generational show business – some families have even had skin in the game for longer than the Ekka’s 149-year history. And there’s around 50 other families making the pilgrimage, Jamie tells me, casually.
It was clear, from the moment we wandered into the Maryborough showgrounds, that show people have maintained something missing in today’s world – a deep sense of community. In an every-man-for-himself society, the show people stand as a reminder of the old ways, proof that many hands make light work, and that it takes a village to raise a child. Everyone is treated as family regardless of ancestry, skin colour or background.
After meeting with Jamie and his family (extended, mind you, given many of them don’t share Pickett DNA), an eclectic bunch that treated us with more respect and comforting curiosity than we’re used to, we talk through how we’re going to tackle the task of documenting this momentous journey.
The plan, Jamie and his business partner, operator of ‘The Beast’, Bryce Platt, tell me, is to make the final run from Maryborough to the Brisbane Showgrounds – home of the Ekka. There’s no dawdling, with an efficient packdown and prompt departure, children beaming with excitement, wives piloting the many tow vehicles, men aboard the trucks, and the promise of a McDonald’s breakfast once out on the road.
I’ve zigzagged through countless convoys, shuttling ROADBOSS’s photographer – this time the immensely talented Thomas Wielecki – from back to front, front to back, making sure to spend as much time as safely possible next to each truck. Never, in more than a decade doing this, has a convoy communicated more efficiently.
FJF Amusements runs a fleet of 10 MAN and Volvo trucks, as well as a few smaller Isuzu runners and American pick ups, transporting the biggest, baddest rides in the Southern Hemisphere
Show people spend their life on the road, starting in tow vehicles, like the various American pick-ups littered throughout this convoy, before moving into light-duty trucks, and then onto heavy-duty ride runners. It’s a staged progression, an apprenticeship in roadcraft, and the level of respect and responsibility on display is admirable. It’s ingrained.
“We spend our life on the open road, you know,” Jamie says, “and we understand that the interstate drivers need to keep their logs moving and all of that. We’re very mindful of getting those guys past us, giving them priority to get them going. Even our caravans, everyone’s got a method to travelling and we make sure we’ve got good brakes and enough power so we aren’t holding people up.”
When he says they spend their life on the road, Jamie isn’t joking. They literally don’t stop.
“Our year runs from Apollo Bay [in Victoria] in January, where we spend about six weeks, onto the Melbourne festivals,” he says. “Then we head to Sydney for the Royal Easter Show, and onto Hawkesbury and then into Queensland for the northern run, which we’re on now. So, Ipswich, Gympie, Bundaberg, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, then a heap of smaller shows on the way through, before ending at the Ekka.”
This means the show people are away from home, which is Melbourne for most of them, for roughly six months.
“I don’t think I saw a Melbourne winter for 25 years,” Jamie laughs, “until COVID happened and we were grounded for a bit.”
We need to have the best rides, or the best games, and then we have to move that from A-to-B with reliable trucks.
We’re in no rush, with the various gun operators running the oversize setups sticking to the left, prioritising a smooth, safe ride over a deadline-busting run at the limit. It’s a masterclass in responsible road use, and the bright, transformer-like ride trailers get plenty of attention from passers-by. There’s no hiding what the FJF crew are carting.
“These rides are expensive and need constant maintenance and engineering, so every bump – especially on rough sections of road like this – impacts the wear and tear of our equipment,” explains ‘Sky Flyer’ operator, Dick Sage, who’s wheeling a Volvo FH like he was born to do it.
“It’s a beautiful trailer to pull, too,” he says, peeking back at the ‘Sky Flyer’. “In fact, the whole ride is such a well-made machine. There’s only five in Australia, and they’re Italian-built, so while I love the truck, and I’ve been driving Volvos for more than 30 years, the ride is special – it brings the community together and I just love that.”
As the Golden Arches come into view just outside of Kilcoy, indicators blink in sync across the convoy, as the crew exits and parks up. Tucker time.
Talking with Bryce over a sausage and egg muffin, he gives me a rundown of the show circuit, speaking of his fellow show people with deep respect and pride as he lists off their duties, achievements and family histories. It really does feel like I’m having breakfast with one big family.
“Well, I’m a fifth-generation showman,” he tells me, mid-bite, “but some of these people’s families go back even further. My grandma was a well-known horse rider, she even set some records back in the day and did great things for the industry.”
The FJF crew literally spend their life on the road travelling between shows across the country, with most on away from home for six months of the year
Bryce takes a swig of his coffee and sums things up for me: “Basically, we all go back a way – and this is the life we love.”
As I chat with Bryce, and then Jamie as he joins us, the children hover around our table, visibly excited by what must be a slightly unusual situation. A journalist and a photographer handing out ROADBOSS magazines, trying to understand how the show people live out on the road and cart their incredible rides around the country.
The final run into Brisbane requires some careful wheel-work, as the oversize trucks navigate inner-city traffic without breaking the daisy-chain convoy order. A few caravans fall away from the convoy, as passenger-car drivers dash in front of them to try and shave a second or two off their weekday commute, but miraculously the trucks remain bumper-to-bumper all the way in.
Rolling into the grounds, the Ekka organisers know Jamie well, as do the other show people, with waves, handshakes and a warm welcome for the FJF crew.
With millimetre precision, the various trailers, carrying ‘The Beast’, ‘The Warrior’ and the ‘Sky Flyer’, are positioned in pre-allocated spaces. Suddenly, the cool, casual energy shifts as the FJF crew flick over into setup mode – and everyone’s got a job. It’s like clockwork. It’s showtime.
Transformers take rise
The showgrounds are alarmingly empty, a sea of nondescript trailers and demountable buildings, and it’s hard to picture it all coming together in less than a week. It feels like a ghost town, but I’m told the mad rush is about to start.
While I love the truck, and I’ve been driving Volvos for more than 30 years, the ride is special – it brings the community together and I just love that.
“It all goes up pretty quickly, so within a few days it’ll look completely different – all these rides will be up and ready to go,” says Jamie.
He likens his trailers to transformers, and as the crew begins folding them out to present the rides, we’d have to agree. They’re incredibly modular, purpose-built setups, featuring generators, cranes, everything needed to set up and run the rides.
As the rides unfold, a ute rolls in and a gentleman by the name of Wayne Cox begins doing an annual inspection for ‘The Warrior’. Wayne’s business, Strongline Engineering, does the checks on most of the biggest rides on the show circuit, which is an incredibly thorough process.
“We do these checks annually, then we do a major 10-year pulldown,” Wayne tells me. “We do Dreamworld, and a lot of the rides here, but honestly, you won’t find better rides than Jamie’s. It doesn’t matter what it costs, he’ll keep these rides in absolutely top condition.”
It’s a glowing vote of confidence, and I watch on as Wayne x-rays individual bolts and pins. I had no idea how thorough the compliance side is, but it’s reassuring given the FJF crew intend to put me on their rides…for research purposes!
A dead ringer for his old man, Taylum Picket is coordinating the setup of ‘The Warrior’, which he heads up, and I scurry to stay out of his way. I manage a quick introduction as he paces around the site, but it’s clear his mind is on the job as his 55-metre pendulum starts to take shape.
The key to FJF Amusements’ long-term success is having the best rides and the best games, and moving those from A-to-B across the country with the most reliable trucks
Once he’s got his team under control, the ride now half-assembled and Wayne’s checks complete, we get chatting beside another trailer that’s packed floor-to-ceiling with stuffed toys and other show fare.
“That’s all ours,” he says, after seeing me poke a large bear. “We use those as prizes for our other games.”
By games, Taylum means sideshow attractions, of which FJF has plenty. Before the massive rides came the games, and Taylum has fond memories helping run them as a kid.
“I remember coming here as a kid, helping my grandma with the ‘Ringer Bottle’ attraction,” he tells me. “I’ve really spent my whole life coming to the Ekka and even though we’re all competitors, we all get along really well.”
I ask Taylum, who’s a strapping young fella, whether the young show people date each other. He nods and laughs.
“Oh, there’s definitely a lot of dating within these circles, but my partner Ruby isn’t from the show,” he says. “I went to boarding school in Melbourne, and then studied mechanical engineering at Vic Uni, so I met her down there. She does do a lot of our marketing and social media now, which she’s really good at!”
They’re like plane spotters, but for rides. They absolutely love it and they’ll follow us to every show to see and go on a particular ride.
He shows me the ride’s TikTok page and it’s got a huge following. It’s clear the younger crowd are lapping up Ruby’s marketing efforts.
Being a mechanical engineer certainly helps him run ‘The Warrior’, but Taylum is also interested in the business side of FJF Amusements.
“These rides are literally one big engineering problem,” he says. “Long term though, the plan would definitely be to keep expanding on all of this. I don’t see dad retiring anytime soon, but he’s definitely setting me up to do big things as well as working directly on the rides.”
As I try to get my head around the whole show circuit, I ask Taylum whether there are loyal fans who follow them around the country. That’s when I learnt about ‘ride fanatics’.
“They’re like plane spotters, but for rides,” he says. “They absolutely love it and they’ll follow us to every show to see and go on one particular ride.”
The ride fanatics aren’t strangers to the crew, either, with some actually joining the company as workers while others are given free rides when they show up to gawk at ‘The Warrior’ or ‘The Beast’.
From almost any angle, the FJF Amusements rides – including ‘The Beast’, ‘The Warrior’ and the ‘Sky Flyer’ – can be seen towering above all else at the Brisbane Ekka
“Chris, who’s been with us for a while, is a ride fanatic,” Taylum tells me. “He works for ‘The Beast’ but also does all our graphics. He actually travels the world seeing rides in his spare time. Everything to do with rides, he just loves it.”
Then there’s the younger ride fanatics, who slowly become part of the FJF family, like 20-year-old Aden.
“He absolutely loves our Ghost Train ride. He travels from all over to go to every show, just to get on that one ride. He’ll ride that one ride all day long,” Taylem says.
“He might end up working for us too,” Jamie adds, overhearing us talking. “He’s become a friend of ours, and whenever we’ve got a horror or Halloween event, we let him do the production setup design for us. He just loves it, and his parents are so supportive.”
When it all boils down, Jamie tells me he and his crew are all ride fanatics at heart: “You’ve got to be in this industry, I guess.”
As the crew busily assemble the rides, I joke that there isn’t a bludger in sight. Jamie nods, clearly stoked with the team he’s assembled.
I’ve always been a bit of a truck guy. I started in a B model Mack, which made a lot of noise but didn’t go anywhere quickly. I love this Kenworth, though.
“They’ve all got a role and that role can be pretty diverse,” he says. “Even though Taylem’s doing the marketing and business management, he also gets his hands dirty. You’ve got to make it move and it doesn’t work unless everyone is driving and working.”
It’s easy to find people to work the rides, Jamie elaborates, but harder to find good drivers.
“It’s the hardest part by far,” he says. “When we find good ones, we hold onto them, but it’s definitely getting tougher.” The longest-serving driver in Jamie’s crew, a German-Australian called Hardy, is a critical cog in the FJF machine, and he’s a lifelong truckie.
“It’s really all I’ve ever enjoyed doing,” he tells me, speaking with an okka-come-German accent. Every few sentences, he pronounces a ‘w’ as a ‘v’, reminding us that despite moving here as a teenager (his current age, quite frankly, is hard to pick) from Dresden, he’s held onto his accent.
Hardy has been driving an MAN on this trip, which feels suitable given his heritage, but usually drives a Kenworth K200 – the only American truck in Jamie’s otherwise Euro fleet. Jamie tells us later that he bought the Kenworth to keep Hardy happy.
“They’ve got too many computers now,” Hardy says, pointing to the Volvo prime movers behind us. “Even the lights have a computer. We don’t need all these computers!”
With millimetre precision, the various trailers, carrying ‘The Beast’, ‘The Warrior’ and the ‘Sky Flyer’, are positioned in pre-allocated spaces
He also has a disdain for automatic transmissions, I learn, so it’s no surprise that his K200 is equipped with a Road Ranger.
More of a truck fanatic myself (no offence to ride fanatics), I’m pleased to spot a Kenworth K604 wearing a fiery bright orange livery, pulling what looks like another giant ride. It pulls up right next to the FJF crew.
“G’day mate, she’s a beauty isn’t she?” says owner Frank Laurie, who’s seen me loitering.
Frank owns a ride called ‘Break Dance’, which he used to cart by rail, but says it was too slow and unreliable.
“I’ve always been a bit of a truck guy, so driving has become a real perk of owning the ride,” he says. “I started in a B model Mack, which made a lot of noise but didn’t go anywhere quickly. I love this Kenworth, though.”
We discuss our shared love of the mighty Caterpillar C15, an engine that was sadly never made clean enough for the modern world.
When we had that little bubble-nose Volvo, I remember a time doing hire jobs around Melbourne, when we squeezed maybe 14 people into the cab!
“Beautiful engine,” Frank says. “She’s an ‘07, so last of the C15s, and I won’t buy a newer one if I can avoid it!”
I discover that Frank is actually a good mate of Jamie’s, and the FJF crew will be camping at his property on the Gold Coast for the first few days of the Ekka setup.
Talking to Jamie about his trucks, it’s clear that while he isn’t quite a fanatic, he’s still spent plenty of time looking through the windscreen of one.
“I’m a Volvo guy,” he tells me. “I’ve loved them going back to when we had an F86. Growing up, our rides were old and our trucks were even older. When we had that little bubble-nose Volvo, I remember a time doing hire jobs around Melbourne, when we squeezed maybe 14 people into the cab! We all squeezed in to get to a job and set up these rides, it was like one of those comedy cars from the circus where non-stop people just keep getting out!”
These days, Jamie runs a professional operation with an immaculate fleet of Volvo and MAN trucks pulling his various rides. Gone are the days of rumbly old trucks and overloaded cabs.
“Our industry as a whole has come a long way, but so has the affordability of trucks,” he explains.
As the last of the crowds dissipate, the pack up process begins in full swing as the FJF
Amusements team prepare for the long trip to the next show in Adelaide
“The equipment spinning on show days is the most important part of what we do. So, what we need to have is the best rides, or the best games, and then we have to move that from A-to-B with reliable trucks.”
The trucks don’t travel far, but Jamie says presentation is important, which is why he prefers to run fairly new gear across his operation.
“We only do about 20,000km a year, but I’m really proud of the trucks that I’ve got,” he says. “We buy them when they’re a couple of years old and we look for very low kilometres. They’re all pretty fresh and we keep them in good condition.”
Jamie’s also actively working with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), through his involvement in the Showman’s Guild of Australasia, to develop a gazette for ride operators and their unique truck and trailer combinations.
“I’m excited to see that progress, because we really do have unique purpose-built trailers that are unlike anything else,” he explains. “We’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve there.”
Jamie’s secret to success, he is quick to tell me, is his wife Penny. “Behind every successful showman, is a very successful show woman in the background holding up him,” he says, earnestly. “That’s definitely the case for me, anyway. Penny takes on twice as much as I do.”
We only do about 20,000km a year, but I’m really proud of the trucks that I’ve got. We buy them when they’re a couple of years old and look for low km’s.
He and Penny met many moons ago, when she was travelling around Australia – a ‘setup’ by his parents, he jokes.
“It’s really quite a long story,” he says. “She’d basically come over from England, and my mum had met her parents on a European vacation so they suggested Penny come and stay with us and maybe pick up some work. I feel like it was a bit of an arranged marriage! A very happy one, though.”
Record crowds roll in
As the gates open to the 2025 Ekka, the Brisbane Showgrounds plays host to bumper crowds – the biggest in more than 20 years – and it’s standing room only everywhere we go.
Speaking with organisers, the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA), the event drew a massive 425,000-strong crowd – and you could feel it from day one. The energy was electric.
“We are very grateful to every Queenslander who came through the gates and made this the most successful Ekka since 2008,” RNA chief executive Brendan Christou says.
“The community showed up in droves to celebrate what makes Queensland truly special; we saw smiles, laughter and a genuine sense of pride.”
The 2025 Ekka – run by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland – drew a massive 425,000-strong crowd – and you could feel it from day one. The energy was electric!
He also points out that a staggering – and quite frankly nauseating – 150,000 dagwood dogs were eaten, and 190,000 strawberry sundaes were enjoyed too. We contributed to both of those numbers.
It’s the FJF rides that stand front and centre for us. From almost every angle, every vantage point, even the offsite carparks, their rides can be seen towering above all else.
We spend the day with the crew, jumping between The Beast and The Warrior, as they quite literally steal the show. The look of trepidation on people’s faces as they’re strapped into each ride, followed by sheer joy during the action and then the huge smiles once it’s over – these rides offer good old-fashioned, analogue joy.
“No one’s on their phone, everyone’s enjoying themselves, it’s just a great example of being in the moment,” Jamie tells me, smiling himself as he watches a group of people swing through the air aboard ‘The Warrior’.
The scope and chaos here is just off the charts, as we circle the ride area. It blows my mind that all of this came in on trucks – 60-metre towers, roller coasters, all of it, transported by trucks.
For the show people, though, it’s just another day in the office.
No one’s on their phone, everyone’s enjoying themselves, it’s just a great example of being in the moment.
In the distance, Jamie’s latest toy, the ‘Sky Flyer XXL’, stands taller than half the surrounding buildings at 60-metres high. This is its first time at the Ekka, and it was a bit of a surprise heading into the event. Amazingly it fits on three trailers but does require a 150-tonne crane to set it up.
As we make our way over to the ‘Sky Flyer XXL’, having so far avoided riding on ‘The Beast’ or ‘The Warrior’, we’re told to jump on by the crew. For the sake of the story, Thomas strapped his camera to his body and joined me – neither of us particularly fond of heights.
Heading up the tower is scary, but as the carousels begin to swing, 60 metres in the air, my palms become sweaty and a sick, queasy feeling creeps up on me. I get flashbacks to the engineering checks, reminded of the stringent safety standards these rides adhere to. I’m able to relax and soak in what has to be one of the best views of the Bowen Hills area you could possibly get. A quick look back at Thomas confirms he’s having a blast, too.
Onto the next one…
We decide to pop back down on the final day, with plans to watch the guys wrap things up and hit the road. Standing around as the Ekka crowds die down, the sun setting over the enormous rides, I get a sense of the gargantuan pack-down and truck-out effort.
You’d think pack down would be the part the show people dread most, but Dick tells me, “it’s no big deal.” “This is all part of it for us mate, there’s no point thinking about it – we all just get in and do it.”
As the last of the crowds dissipate, the Ekka comes to a close. Farmers load their prized stock, axemen tend to blistered hands, food vendors throw out leftover dagwood dogs and the FJF crew start the pack down process before heading south to Adelaide. By next weekend they’ll have these rides set back up, as the gruelling show calendar continues.
Besides the incredible rides and games, a nauseating 150,000 dagwood dogs and 190,000 strawberry sundaes were eaten at the Brisbane show in early August
They’re straight into it. As the last few passengers stepped off ‘The Warrior’, the team were in position and eager to start – impact wrenches at the ready. From the moment the gates were swung shut, the clang-and-bang of rattle guns could be heard throughout the showgrounds.
Packdown is swift, with pins pulled, parts craned down and trucks loaded at an alarming pace. Again, many hands make light work – only it doesn’t look very light from where we’re standing.
While the setup process involves engineering checks and meticulous ride placement, the packdown lets the team work unhindered, like clockwork, as the rides are transformed back into trailers.
The truck-out is equally impressive, as the gargantuan machines are shoehorned out of the showgrounds. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d have said it wasn’t possible.
It’s now around 11:00pm, and it’s all but done. The FJF crew roll out for a well-earned sleep at the nearby Rocklea Showgrounds, before coming back in the morning to hitch up and hit the road.
“You’ll have to follow us for longer next time, just bring a caravan,” Dick laughs, as I say my goodbyes to the crew.
We’re not sure we’re cut out for it, because these have got to be some of the hardest working people I’ve ever spent time with. We could all learn a thing or two from the show people.
