"It's a bit of a competitive sport," said Tess Ryan, who has been coming to Bendigo's annual Easter book fair with her mum, who owns a second-hand book shop, since she was a kid.
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She was part of a queue of hundreds who began arriving before 7am on Friday morning. By 9am when organisers flung open the doors to people the lines snaked down Myers Street and around the corner.
They came from around the city and far beyond, bringing with them a range of enthusiasms to the festival.
Among the early arrivals were booksellers, collectors, keen readers and avid supporters of the community fundraising event.
"Our family Easter holidays were always based around the book fair," she said, discussing various strategies she and her siblings had for holding their place in the queue.
Her mum, Michelle Coxall, owns The Known World Bookshop in Ballarat and hasn't missed a Bendigo book fair in 23 years.
"The weather is perfect every single time," she said.
Chasing book fairs 'around the country'
Mary and David O'Brien "chase book fairs around the country".
"I like illustrated Australian books," Mary said. "David choses crime fiction and military books.
"We've come from Wagga and we're off to the Warrnambool book fair on Saturday."
At the front of the line Jim O'Brien said it had become a habit to arrive at 7am with a couple of friends. Sadly, they had both now passed away so he was on his own.
Not far behind him, regular attendee and history book fan David Sinclair said he always arrives more than an hour early and stands "watching the clocktower".
This year will be the last time he does, though, with the event set to be relocated in 2025.
Looking for a new home for next year
The YMCA, Tom Tweed Stadium's owners, have given notice, asking the event to move out by the middle of this year.
Book fair coordinator Garth Keech acknowledged a hunt was on for new premises but said organisers were grateful for the YMCA's support over many years.
Also among the first wave of shoppers were Ottilie and Rudy Wolff, who were looking for books to take to their grandma's.
While Rudy had found a large atlas, Ottilie, a big fan of dinosaurs, was seeking something on the T-Rex.
Another early arrival was Jordana Edwards, who finished a night shift at Bethlehem Home for the Aged and "came straight down here".
"I do wildlife photography in my spare time for my mental health and I always look for books on birds, reptiles, insects and different places to go bushwalking," she said.
Shared love of books since cafe meeting
Friends Sarah Mildern and Lisa Pellegrino, who have shared a love of books since they met in a cafe and bonded over Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series eight years ago, had arrived with trolleys and carry bags ready for "multiple trips in and out".
For Elsa Packham and Lorna Robinson the fair is a regular outing together with their other sister, Rosemary. Growing up in the bush in an era before TV the girls learnt to make their own entertainment, they said.
While regular Kim Osborn said she would be any kind of books.
"I like to support them because they help the community," she said, simply. "Then when we're finished with the books, we donate them back."
The event, now run by Bendigo Foodshare, is raising money to help feed those in need in the region.
VOX POPS
Elsa Packham and Lorna Robinson come every year with their other sister, Rosemary, and buy "heaps of books". "They like novels and mysteries," Lorna says. "But I'm more into knowing the history of things." The sisters grew up in the bush in the era before TV and learnt to make their own entertainment.
Jordana Edwards:" I finished night shift at 7 this morning at Bethlehem Home for the Aged so came straight down here. I do wildlife photography in my spare time and I always look for books on birds, reptiles, insects and different places to go bushwalking.
Garry Beckwith and Gayle Fremantle: They met near the front of the book fair queue. Garry, a book collector, came up from Melbourne for the event while Gayle, a local, was on the hunt for DVDs for her partner's collection of 3000 art house, crime and noir movies.
Kim Osborn: I like to support the book fair because they help the community. Then when we're finished with the books, we donate them back.
Laura Johnstone: I'm looking for any books really but mostly historical fiction.
David Sinclair: It's history books I'm after, Napoleonic history. I've got a mail order painting service. I paint figures for people so I'm always on the lookout for uniform details. I'm a regular attendee. I get here at 10 to 8 and just stand here watching the clocktower. I'm out by 9.30."
Christopher: I love cooking so I bought a handful of cookbooks and a really great old book on country home gardens.
