Struth! Big Bangers Theory in Bowral

IN his continuing search for the more weird, wacky and wondrous in the world of travel, David Ellis says they take their snags seriously in the Southern Highlands of NSW, with an expected 300-plus aficionados putting their home-creations to the judges in this year’s third annual Bowral Tulip Time Battle of the Bangers competition.

Weekly cook-offs have already started among patrons of seven hotels across the Highlands, with the winners of these taking part on October 6 in the Grand Final Battle at the historic Surveyor General Inn at Berrima – where a smaller Battle of the Bangers had been an annual tradition for five years before publican, Ross Durney threw it open to “outsiders” in 2012.

And he found instant enthusiasm for his idea: Bowral’s Tulip Time Festival listed it as an “official event,” and local snag enthusiasts burnt the midnight oil creating meaty concoctions they had their butchers pack into sausage skins for the seventeen weekly heats at each of the seven competing hotels, and the ultimate Grand Final.

This year Queensland brewery, Lion Nathan are again donating $5500 worth of prizes – a 95L ice box and a case of their XXXX Gold worth $500 for each competing hotel’s  winning finalist, and for the Final Battle winner a Trophy and  $2000 Travel Voucher.

Last year’s ultimate winner was Sutton Forest Inn patron, Mick Hewson with his creative lamb, mint and rosemary snag.

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PHOTO CAPTIONS:

[] SHARING a banger: ‘Irish Mick’ Ritchie and Paul ‘Dexter’ Redden take their

   tasting seriously at the Surveyor General Inn, Berrima.

[] VISITORS taste the spoils of a Battle of the Bangers heat at the Sutton Forest Inn.

(Photos: Destination Southern Highlands)