Having recently returned from a trip to the Big Red Bash 35 km west of Birdsville in the Simpson Desert, all I can say is, WOW, what a fantastic time. How you can organise a 3 day concert on an organic cattle station with some of Australia’s leading performers at the base of Big Red sand dune and cater for 9000 people is just amazing. The journey just to get there was an adventure. 

Our group, David, Dot and Michael Hamilton, Lisa Leslie, Alice Ferguson, Wendy and Russell Pollock from First National Sarina, and their grandson Zander along with my wife Jo-Anne and myself had an absolute ball. Being on an organic cattle station there are no showers provided, so stock up on wet wipes, and compost toilets which worked really well, as I was skeptical about them remembering the old pit and thunder box days.

Camping was arranged in rows in a cone configuration fanning back from the stage area. There were separate areas for people camping with dogs, volunteers and a disability area.

It was BYO everything. There was a range of food vendors onsite ranging from fish and chips, hamburgers, Mexican, wood fired pizza, Wendys ice cream, snitzels, coffee and smoked ribs. With prices very modestly priced, $10.00 for a hamburger, $8.00 for fish and chips and $12.00 for a 9” pizza they were kept very busy.

Add to this 3 days of concerts by some of the best performers in the country with Big Red as a backdrop how could you not have a great time. It was BYO at the concerts as well, there were no bar facilities provided onsite, so take your chairs and esky, find a spot and set up for the entertainment. At the end of the night when everyone was leaving there was not a single empty can or scrap of paper left on the ground.

This has to be one of the best organized and run events in Australia and I congratulate the promoters and everyone who attended. 9000 people together in the desert, everyone happy, no trouble or fights and not a bit of rubbish left onsite. I will be back.