We arrived in Birdsville on Monday, 19 June, after leaving home on Sunday, 4 June. We always camp on the Town Common, located south-east of the town, where there are no facilities apart from water taps spaced every hundred metres.

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The Common is quite distant from the town and can comfortably accommodate several thousand vans without feeling crowded, similar to a caravan park. The water comes from the Great Artesian Basin system, which stretches 2032 km in length and 1450 km in width. The bore is 1292 metres deep, with a surface temperature of 98 degrees Celsius. The water is cooled in ponds before being pumped 20 metres into the air from a 45,000-litre tank and then supplied to the town for drinking and household use, including the taps on the Town Common.
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When we first arrived, there were at most twenty vans, so our choice of sites was unlimited. We chose an area with a gravel base just over one kilometre from town and close to the bitumen road, which would keep us from being covered in dust from passing traffic—something that seems to happen more frequently when most people are not concerned about affecting others.
We enjoyed our daily walks and, on average, covered around five kilometres. Vans have been arriving gradually over the past week, but by Tuesday, the 27th, the arrivals had become steady. The Birdsville Track has been closed due to a rain event originating from Western Australia and moving into Central Australia. Vans already on the track before the closure were permitted to continue to Birdsville, and they were all covered in thick mud from top to bottom.
The rain eventually reached us, with the weather bureau forecasting over 13 mm. Fortunately, we only received just over 5 mm, but this was enough to turn the common into a muddy expanse. It was interesting to see some of the four-wheel drives towing vans struggling to find any patch of ground to camp on without becoming bogged. The forecast predicted more rain in the coming days, so our two-day early entry on Sunday, June 2nd, was moved to Friday, July 30th. After picking up the wristbands we wore for the concert, we stopped at the Birdsville Hotel for lunch and a beer. Ros enjoyed her chicken burger, and I had my steak sandwich.

We left Birdsville at 6:10 the next morning to travel to Big Red for the Bash, aiming to be closer to the main arena and all the food vendors. However, we later found out that people had camped on the access road the night before, so we ended up camping five rows back from the main area.
Our first four days involved walking, on average, just over six kilometres each day, inspecting the rigs and making a daily ascent up Big Red, which stands over forty metres tall.
We enjoyed breakfast in the van, but most days we bought lunch and dinner from food vendors, which, at $70 per day, quickly added up. Our favourites included wood-fired pizzas, brisket and pork belly burgers, and pies baked daily in ovens on board a semi-trailer. Another favourite was soft-serve ice cream with fruit blended through and served in a waffle cone.
Our main reason for attending this year was to see Icehouse, Human Nature, Ross Wilson, and Goanna, whom we had never seen in concert before, and we weren't disappointed.
Well, the predicted rain finally arrived, and overnight, we received 8mm, turning the whole area into a large muddy patch, which made conditions a bit difficult, but then we all just got on with it.



Our front awning strut was making a noise and kept us awake at night, which we attributed to the strong winds we had experienced. The next day, we tried to retract our electric awning but without success. Fortunately, I had purchased Starlink and was able to contact Bushtracker initially by phone and then via FaceTime to learn the steps needed to resolve our issue. It involved removing the awning motor, manually pushing the awning arms against the van, securing them with cable ties, and then reinstalling the motor. Additionally, the awning fabric was manually rolled back onto the roller. The fabric became loose again, so we repeated the process, but this time, we added extra duct tape to the front of the awning fabric, which we hope will prolong its effectiveness. I have contacted Bushtracker once more, and we are heading to their factory on the Sunshine Coast to have them fix the problem and fit a new strut.

Besides music, there are other ways to donate money to various charities. Each day, three events occur before the music starts, including the Nutbush City Limits Dance, which raises funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Participants pay $15, and Guinness World Records officials are present to ensure that dancers follow the moves correctly; otherwise, they are disqualified. This year, another world record was broken with 5838 people successfully completing the Nutbush.
Also supporting the Royal Flying Doctors is the Drag Race, where men pay to run alongside Big Red and into the arena wearing their finest attire.
A new event this year to raise funds for Type 1 diabetes involved people buying blue wigs and standing on a map of Australia drawn on the ground.
This will be our final Bash. While it's still a fantastic event, three times is enough for us, and moreover, the event is growing larger each year. With rumours that over fifteen thousand people attended, it's all getting out of hand. We spoke to a volunteer who had been in the merchandise tent, and she said that over eleven million dollars had been spent during the Bash.