The carnival has finished, school is back and the caravan parks are quiet — it’s the perfect time for Warrnamboolians to let their hair down as a community and have some fun.

But beneath the sound of locals rocking out to the likes of Thirsty Merc on the Civic Green or Blue Heat at Lake Pertobe, there is another noise that can be faintly heard.

It is the sound of whinging.

It’s a sound Warrnamboolians love to make — especially at Wunta time.

When The Standard asked on our Facebook profile earlier this week whether people were planning to go to Wunta this weekend, only five people responded. Four of them said “no”.

Intrigued by the lack of interest, we posted this the next day: “We didn’t get many responses to yesterday’s question about Wunta so we’re just wondering if Wunta has lost its appeal and what would make you want to go?”

Sure enough, our wall lit up with the cries of the whinging masses — put Wunta back in Liebig Street, make it cheaper, get better bands, it’s not as good as it used to be, I don’t like it any more, do this, do that. Yes, we asked for the suggestions, but it was only when we pitched the question in negative terms that people sparked up about the event. Aha, they thought, time for a whinge.

What many people forget/ignore/don’t know is that Wunta is run by a volunteer committee of people just like you and me — not Warrnambool City Council, not people being paid to run an event. It’s just a group of well-meaning Warrnamboolians who give their time and effort to get this long-running event up and happening for another year, usually on the smell of an oily rag.

If these people weren’t there, the Wunta Fiesta would cease to exist, and then there really would be a public outcry. Something else people forget/ignore/don’t know is that having a festival such as Wunta is certainly better for the community than not having a festival at all.

So if you’ve got a problem with Wunta, if you think it ain’t what it used to be, if you think it could be better, then maybe it’s time to put up or shut up. Get involved and see first hand the difficulties and problems that arise when you throw together crowds, live entertainment, public liability, alcohol, a lack of funding, and stakeholders such as council and the police.