Remember last year how I blogged about balls? Well on Saturday night we did it again. A decent chunk of the population of Kalgoorlie swapped high-vis overalls for suits and gowns and hit the local gymnasium for a good old fashioned knees-up. Doesn’t that sound awful? It isn’t true at all. I’ve never worn high-visibility overalls in my life.

But we did dress up and go to the local gymnasium, which by the power of some serious magical witch-craft was transformed into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

It all started in Claire and Mike’s backyard.

Having spent the most part of the afternoon making ourselves look decent it was time to relax with a drink (and pose for a million photos) ahead of the ball.

I got my red dress on ASOS for a steal.

^ Can you tell this laughing photo is completely staged? I think it comes across very natural. My friends think I’m super lame for suggesting such poses but then they turn out so well…

The boys looking very dapper.

^Looks like I have a grey streak in my hair! Maybe I do? Just call me Mr Sheffield.

Cuttsy and I. He refused to be my date after last year; I was dragged on stage and asked if I had come with a date and I answered “No”. To be fair I also told the 2000-strong crowd that my name was Consuela so I was clearly in no fit state to be accurately responding to questions. Thankfully no such incident took place this year.

Things started to get a bit more festive when it was almost time to leave.

Below is our version of Ellen’s Oscars Selfie, which sadly received nowhere near the shares and retweets that hers did (probably would have helped to tweet the photo in the first place…).

We headed to the converted gym and after walking through a hallway of auction items that non-mining industry people would have no hope in hell of affording we took our seats at our table just near the stage.

Cheers!

The place was decked out with giant candy canes and Willy Wonka, Veruca Salt, Augustus Gloop, Charlie and a bunch of Oompa Loompas (not to be confused with the ladies who had overdone the fake tan) where mingling around.

The food was amazing. We had salmon tart for entree, I had a rack of lamb for main (I may have gnawed on the bones in a manner that would have upset etiquette experts everywhere…) and then we were presented with a tower of desserts. Which Claire is presenting with her best Matt Preston ‘I’m so unimpressed face’:

After that we hit the dance floor and the photos took a definite downward turn:

Good times! I got home at 4:30am, slept for maybe two and a half hours and have been exhausted ever since. Totally worth it.