Inside Big Red Bash as 10k descend on iconic desert festival
It takes days to get there, became a mudbath due to a rare downpour and the toilets don’t flush, but 10,000 people at Queensland’s most famous desert festival wouldn’t have it any other way.
More than 10,000 campers have flocked to this year’s Big Red Bash in as much colour as possible, filling the red desert with to-die-for caravan set ups and plenty of dancing.
Despite initially being plagued by bad weather, the sky cleared on Wednesday morning with thousands braving the cold to climb atop “Big Red” to watch the first sunset after two days of cloud cover at the Big Red Bash.
Jenni McGrath from Bendigo arrived at ‘Bashville’ on Friday.
“We have travelled all over outback Queensland for the past three weeks,” she said.
“I love the whole Bashville experience, the bands and the food are exceptional.
Ms McGrath said she’s jokingly “married to a pyro” and her husband loved the experience of starting a campfire.
‘Bashville’ - as the event site is colloquially known - is just outside of Birdsville with the massive camp stretching around the stage in a huge semicircle.
It’s very much off-grid with campers responsible for generating their own power and bringing water for their own showers while food vendors provide some gourmet options aside from camp cooking.
There is no running water at Bashville so campers wishing to use the toilet have to cover their deposits with sawdust.
The sawdust when combined with toilet paper can create fertiliser.
“The toilets are pretty good. It’s an amazing system. The sawdust really helps cover the smell too,” Dee Lowrey from Kingscliff said.
“We slept in the common in swags. We can now camp in anything really. We all helped each other, laughed a lot and almost cried a few times as well,” she said.
There is a bit of a theme of those who left earlier than planned to arrive at the site before the rain.
Mardi Lebrun from Nildottie in South Australia said they managed to slip in early just before the Birdsville Track closed.
“We went really hard honestly. It was a lot of luck,” she said.
“We’ll be taking it slower on the way home.
“It’s amazing to finally see clear skies. Our kids will be doing some dune surfing today.
“It’s a cracking country. It’s amazing seeing people together watching the skyline. When else do people get to do things like this, I can just feel it everyone is so jittery to get out.”
One of the highlights of Wednesday morning was the annual drag racing competition and the fashions in the desert event. A group of “Simpson synchronised swimmers” impressed the crowd while Tina Turner lookalikes danced without a care in the world.
A swag of huge Australian acts have lit up the stage including ICEHOUSE, Jack Jones, Hoodoo Gurus, Kate Ceberano, Human Nature, John Williamson and The Chantoozies.
James Todd and Arlene Todd travelled from Bellvue Heights in South Australia.
The couple said they drove the long way to Bashville due to road closures, passing through Quilpie and Windorah, with a total of 26 hours spent driving.
“We drove overnight … even though we probably shouldn’t have,” Ms Todd said.
Despite the road closures, the couple said it was absolutely worth it.
“It has been amazing. It’s been so good. Seeing the world record for the Big Blue day happen was incredible. The sense of community is amazing,” Mr Todd said.
“We are Scottish so hearing the bagpipes first thing in the morning made it even more special.”
Wednesday night’s focal point was Icehouse performing Electric Blue while thousands waved blue glow sticks in unison.
Michelle and Justin Coupland left for Bashville from Sydney last Thursday.
“The music has been superb. The organisation of the event as well as the scale and the atmosphere is great. It’s so happy and relaxed,” they said.
Belinda Stacey and Phil Stacey travelled from the Hunter Valley.
“It’s beautiful. The event is so well organised. I nearly fainted walking up the dunes, but it was worth it,” Mrs Stacey said.
The only evidence of rain earlier in the week was clay deposits baked into the ground and traipsed into tents.
Those hit by roadblocks earlier in the week rolled in on Wednesday evening to soak up the atmosphere before the end of the festival. The toilet system confused the newer arrivals with concerns over why there were no lights on in the urinals at night and why there was no button to flush.
The fantastic weather continued later in the day with two couples tying the knot in the midst of the festivities.
Thursday is set to be the event’s biggest day, with Bashers attempting to break their own world record for the largest number of people dancing to Nutbush City Limits, as well as a musical Tina Turner tribute later in the night.
