Mega gallery: 103 photos from the Gympie Muster
The 38th annual Gympie Music Muster is in full swing, with music and festival lovers descending on the town for four big days of fun. See all the pictures from Day 1.
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THE 2019 Gympie Music Muster party was in full swing as the 38th edition of the festival officially got underway on Thursday.
Browse all our best photos from Day 1, and stay tuned as we bring you comprehensive coverage throughout the four-day blockbuster.
MUSTER EVE
THE kind of magic unique to the Gympie Music Muster was all around on Thursday as enthusiastic debutants and jovial veterans alike made their final preparations for the festival's return.
A steady stream of traffic snaked its way along the dirt roads beginning past the Amamoor General Store and ending at the gates of the hallowed state forest as festival-goers made the most of their chance to get in before the start of the four-day chaos.
Returning with the crowd favourite Bundy Bar was the Conley family, who have been coming to the Muster for 27 years.
"We'd be rich if we charged for all the photos of people just going past and wanting a photo," Helen Conley said.
"We like to be kind of a landmark. We like to hear people say 'Just go to the Bundy Bar and it's not far from there'," Tracy Conley added.
"We've done different versions, we've got the lights this time so we'll give that a bang and see what it looks like.
"We've met a lot of people from the Muster who have become friends who you only see once a year, but you pick up where you left off."
Muster newcomers Randal and Michelle Auld, travelling from Valla Beach in NSW, weren't the only ones to join their mates this time around and give the festival a go.
"We're excited to see the range of artists, we're good country fans," Mr Auld said.
Some early birds needed a well-stocked campfire to avoid the pinch of the freezing overnight minimum, which dropped below zero in Gympie, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
"It was bloody cold out here last night that's for sure," Noel Simonsen said.
Brooweena State School P&C member Wayne Staib had already busied himself cutting firewood "for the whole Muster" by late morning.
"We sell two bags for $15 and probably cut between 30 and 35 tonnes of wood to supply all the venues," Mr Staib said.
"It takes a lot of work. We work about 12 hours chopping here and then have to deliver it all, we're pretty much working around the clock.
"All the profits go towards helping our kids."
The BoM forecasts temperatures to range between 6C and 27C across the four days, with absolutely no chance of rain apart from a brief rise to 5 per cent on Saturday.
Signs posted around the festival grounds reminded campers lighting fires is banned between 9am and 4pm.
Fires must be contained in a maximum 2x2x 2m fire ring on slashed or mowed campground only, and using only cut firewood.
Originally published as Mega gallery: 103 photos from the Gympie Muster