After a recent trip to the
Atherton Tablelands, I was allowed to head down to
Birdsville, for the Big Red Bash.
Arrrived in
Birdsville about midday on Saturday, to be met with people, and vehicles everywhere..........there must be something going on? A shower at the Ablution Trailer, then up to the
bakery for a couple of "maggot bags". Renigged on the curried camel and rabbit, and stuck with a couple of beef offerings.

Busy, busy at the Bakery in Birdsville.
Just after midday, there was a noticeable mass departure towards Big Red, so after my pie purchases, I joined the queue. Steady travelling towards the venue, but back to a crawl as we motored along the side of the dune.

Peak hour in the bush.

And just as busy behind us too.
Finally got to
the entrance to the
camping area, where I was directed to go "anywhere you like, as long as you don't go off by yourself". I interpreted this as don't leave the
camp area, to find a
camp.

A view from my camp.
After a walk up Big Red, I questioned a marshall about numbers, and he suggested about 4,000 attendees!
Camping area, even on late Saturday, was getting very crowded. wonder where the dunnies are?

Big Red view of the Big Red Bash.

Entrance to the seating area & stage.
The performances started each afternoon about 3pm, and continued almost non-stop till around 9pm. They also showed a video of the earlier Big Red Run, a 250km run into, and out of the
Simpson Desert, that finished a few days before the entertainment.
A Laser light show, on the side of Big Red, accompanied by an Aussie "Top 30 Hits", was provided by Redarc and ARB Lighting.

MC Wilbur Wild, on full zoom.
A Robinson R44 was on site, and did a brisk trade, every day.

R44 was a constant sight over the venue.
At times people were like ants, over the top of Big Red. Many of the kids had their boogie boards, to surf down the slopes, while others just ran and crashed out, rolling and tumbling, until they were ready for another go.

Kids Delight.
Plenty of the adults were trying their, and their vehicles skills, on the western side of the dune. As it's all to do with tyre pressure, and momentum, many had to have 2, 3 or more attempts before they were successful. One 200 series just couldn't hack it, without a lengthy run-up, even with those 600 NM's under the bonnet. The most impressive vehicle, to do the job without a lot of fanfare, was a late model Navarra.....maybe it was a V6?
Obviously we can't live without our modern communication devices, so Telstra provided free Wi-Fi for the masses, coming from the unit pictured below.

Iterra Satellite Wi-Fi unit @ Big Red.
And plenty of people used the service, including myself(catching up on emails and EO).

Big Red Wi-Fi People.
Conveniently situated adjacent to the main
toilets, one could virtually "Whiz on Wi-Fi".
And speaking of
toilets.......! 16 portaloos(spread over 2 locations) and a
toilet trailer were barely adequate for the masses. Many people had their porta pottis, and without these I think we'd have been up to our armpits in human excrement! I understand there is to be a review of this before next year's event.
Along with many others. I departed for
home, before daylight on Tuesday morning. Pulled up at the Cuttaburra, south of
Glengyle station, to make a coffee, and toast some bun loaf for brekkie. Fuelled up at
Bedourie(170.9c/L).
Took a look at the Vaughan Johnson
Lookout, which is at the Boulia/Diamantina
Shire boundary. This
lookout was the venue for 2015 Anzac Day celebrations, where they had 100 horseman in attendance, as
well as members from HMAS Diamantina. Would have been a moving experience for all those who attended.

View from Vaughan Johnson Lookout

Turnoff to Lookout, from Boulia-Bedourie road.

Custodian of the VJ Lookout?
Next stop was near Min Min Creek, for a quick sanger, at the western access road to what was our old
home for many years. Remainder of the trip past Middleton, and through Swords Range, then over the Diamantina crossing, was uneventful, due to little traffic.
Bob