SNAIL TRAIL

Pearl worked as a florist snail for all her adult life and whilst the pay wasn’t particularly good the perks of being around flowers (her Favorite snack) made it worthwhile. When the florist shop was bought out by a global conglomerate and they started to crack down on staff meals, it was time for Pearl to retire. Now she looks forward to the Ballarat Begonia Festival once a year where she can snack freely on flowers and remember the glory years of the florist shop.

Slick fancies himself as a “silver fox” but that can’t be true because everyone knows that snails and foxes are not compatible when it comes to coupling! As soon as Slicks silver locks where long enough, he stated collecting snail slime to slick it back. (snail slime has very similar qualities to L'Oréal Professional Max Hold Gel) He plans on hanging out with mates at the Ballarat Begonia Festival looking to get into trouble.

This is Florence the Snail Florence has always lived in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, can you tell? She has eaten soooooo many flowers that she has partially become a flower leading to her unusual appearance which somewhat reflects the look of a frilled neck lizard. Two years ago, Mother's Day was a disaster when Florence slunk into the conservatory and ate the entire chrysanthemum collection. Since then, the chrysanthemum gardeners designed and produced the smallest electric fence in the whole world which instantly turns any snail intruders into escargot and the only thing that needs to be added is a little sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Don't be fooled by that "butter wouldn't melt in her mouth" expression on the face of Josephine, or those big batty eyelashes or her fancy top and skirt. She is a descendant of Thomas Bath who opened the first pub in Ballarat in 1853 during the gold rush. Those days where wild as prospectors poured into Ballarat on the hunt for gold. There was regular bar fights and disagreements that spilled out onto the street and only the strong survived. Thomas became a fierce barman that you didn't want to get onto the wrong side of. Josephine has inherited that fierceness from Thomas and whilst times are different now, she is equally as entrepreneurial and driven so do yourself a favour and if you see her step back and don't get in her way!

Conquistador was the name given to the Fifteenth-to-Seventeenth century Spanish and Portuguese soldiers who conquered much of the world. Whilst that was almost 500 years ago Diego the Spaniard still hangs onto the stories of his history.  Once a year for the Ballarat Begonia Festival he loves to get dressed up in his fancy warrior clothing and don his sword for the weekend. Due to his reptation as a volunteer and upstanding citizen Diego was granted a permit by the city of Ballarat in order to carry a weapon just for this one special weekend.

He’s Da Boss… At least he thinks he is! He is the site safety officer walking around site feeling important telling people what to do and that sort of stuff. Safety is important, so do what Da Boss says and stay safe. Da Boss is made of 100% reclaimed steel and finished off beautifully by the Glass Guru with a piece of green handmade slumped glass.

He’s the Bearded Banshee Snail hailing all the way from Scotland, and that’s a long way to travel when you’re a snail! You’ll see and hear Fraser creeping through your garden screaming with delight at all the delicious flora to munch through a lot of which gets stuck in his beard, but that’s just more snacks for later. The gardens around Ballarat have a much better menu than those back in Scotland and begonias have become a firm favourite. Fraser is made of 100% reclaimed steel and finished off beautifully by the Glass Guru with a piece of green handmade slumped glass.

Jasper is a quirky dude with crazy hair and a friendly face. He can come across as a bit shy but in his element with his bass guitar in his hands or hanging of a bolder at a rock-climbing centre he really comes to life! He will be providing some tunes at the main stage this year. Slap that base Jasper! (He hates it when I say that) Jasper is made of 100% reclaimed steel and finished off beautifully by the Glass Guru with a piece of green handmade slumped glass.

She may be small but gee she’s fast, a bit too fast in fact because she’s always knocking stuff over! After the mess she made in the pavilion at last year’s Ballarat Begonia Festival she’s been banned for life. Not one to be discouraged Speedy has plans for a disguise and every day she has spent almost 22 minutes practising slow slinking in the hope that she won’t be recognised Speedy is made of 100% reclaimed steel and finished off beautifully by the Glass Guru with a piece of green handmade slumped glass.

Jamar hails from Jamaica, the birthplace of Reggae music. After getting in with the wrong crowd and acquiring too much of a taste for Red Stripe beer and Jamaican Rum, Jamar needed a change. He migrated to Australia where he found a slower quieter life in Ballarat. He regularly plays reggae at 'Volta' at Ballarat Central and will be joining Jasper on the main stage at the Begonia Festival this year. He is now known locally for being a very "chilled out dude"