The first big activity for day 2 of the bash was the ‘Bashville Drags’ and ‘Fashions on the Field’. This is one of those events you need to see to believe!
Basically hundreds of men dress up as women (think “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert”) and race down Big Red into the waiting crowd in the plaza! They then parade themselves like they are in an elaborate beauty contest! There were even some dogs dressed up!
Although it’s a bit of fun, there is a small registration fee to enter and all funds raised go to the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service, a very worthy cause.
The other big event which happened on the Tuesday was the Nutbush world record attempt, some of you may have seen this on the news and various tv shows which did stories. This was happening as we were arriving and setting up so we didn’t see it or take part, but we did hear it!
At last years Big Red Bash they created an official World Record with 1719 people dancing the Nutbush. So this year they wanted to beat it and they did just that, with 2,330 people!
Like the drag races, there was a small registration fee to enter and all funds raised also went to the RFDS.
Now the Big Red Bash isn’t just about the music, there are activities, like the two mentioned above, that run each day. There is a plaza area with various merchandise stands, plus many food trucks providing a really varied and reasonably priced array of food. And to keep you entertained and up to date with what’s going on, Bash FM radio broadcasts all day. Of course there is also the Big Red Bash app which has the full program and interactive map which worked without phone reception …. handy if you needed help finding your way back to camp in the dark!
Every morning you get the 7.30am wake up call as the helicopter joy flights start up for the day. If you want to get up for an early morning yoga session, these are held each day on top of Big Red.
Those feeling energetic can do some dune surfing or play a game of beach volleyball on top of Big Red. Camel rides are available for kiddies and adults and if you feel like getting your creative juices flowing, you can take part in dunny door painting! Of course you can always sit around camp, go for a wander and visit fellow bashers or even take the shuttle bus back into Birdsville.
Come midday/early arvo its time to get ready for the concerts to start. These are all held on the main stage in front of Big Red. Gates to the concert area open about an hour before it starts and people were lining up well before that. We (and many other people) ended up sitting outside the fenced off concert area each day to give us a little more room to ourselves! With that many people moving around you can imagine how much dust is flying around as well so if you suffer from asthma or sinus issues, be aware!
Concerts finished around 7.30-8.00pm each night and by then it was freezing! Literally as soon as that sun went down behind the dune, it was cold …. really cold!
So here’s the deal ….. you gather everything you will need for the night (camping chairs, food & beer to last you for the whole concert, layers of clothing for when it cools down, camera etc) and then you make the trek down to the concert area. Now for those camped closer this would not have been so bad, but when you are camping about 500 meters away, this isn’t a fun walk … keep in mind that you are walking in sand too!
Below is a screenshot from the interactive map on the BRB app – see that white marker right up the back (it’s that far back we are actually off the camping area of the map) ….. that’s where we were camped!
The entertainment for the night was
The Chantoozies
Mark Gable
Eurogliders
Chocolate Starfish
Bjorn Again
1927
The Living End
All were great, Shelly loved Bjorn Again! Not sure everyone around us loved her singing and dancing through their whole set though! And The Living End were awesome, they totally rocked it!
We are George & Shelly, a married couple from Sydney, Australia, who love 4WDing, camping and travelling this great country of ours. We love sharing our adventures and hope to inspire others to travel as well. Join us on our journeys around Australia!
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….. making memories one track at a time
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