What exactly is this “Mundi Mundi Bash” and what is a music festival in the Aussie outback really like?
We are photographers who work in remote regions and on station properties all round Australia. We actually utilise the Belmont station property for photography and film productions. So when my wife, Gabrielle, told me that she had booked us into the Mundi Mundi Bash, well, lets just say, the thought of going to a remote location like this with 8,000 people simply gave me anxiety.
This beautiful piece of land with its amazing clay pans and open country. The quiet remote location where all you can hear is the wind and all you can see are clouds, and the horizon.
Am I able to share this with so many people?
After having a chat with my mate Johno from ARB Broken Hill, I started to change my tune. Camping together with one of my best mates at this site would make a difference for sure. But we still seriously had no idea what to expect and no idea what we were getting ourselves into.
I also looked forward to seeing my mate Kalen from Club 4X4 along with a few others in their management team that I’d heard were itching to get red dirt back under their feet. I caught Kal after a chat he had with The Duck from 2GB’s Camping & Off Road Show, which you can listen to below.
Anyway, if you are heading to a location like this and you plan your trip well, there is so much that you can do either before or after the event to make a holiday or maybe even an adventure of it.
There are amazing old towns and history to explore, and there are so many tourist destinations to discover. The closer you get to Broken Hill, the more you see the art and pub culture, plus of course there is much celebration by the film industries use of this region for films like Mad Max and Priscilla.
We travelled into the site early morning with another three 4X4s to ensure we were all camped together and waited in a short queue. The organisation of getting people in and welcoming you to the site was above expectation and the sites were level and clean. They had even gone to the trouble of setting up specific camp areas that were pet friendly.
The camp grounds are built off a series of roads in a half circle shape stepped out from the stage and concert area. I think the surveyor of this site was an artist as everything was marked out so accurately.
The site was well signed so that wherever you were, you could find your way back home. If you downloaded the Mundi Mundi app to your phone, you could even see where you were lost. The Mundi Mundi App was extremely helpful and interactive providing everything you needed to know about the event.
So I started figuring things out.
The Mundi Mundi Bash is an opportunity for families, friends and groups of all ages to connect in a remote location brought together by what would seem to be, similar interests.
But when you look closer, there are so many different type of personalities here.
Some people are more interested in the amazing concert performers, and some are more interested in the camping get-together with their mates, while the concert was simply a bonus. Either way, this is a bringing together of all walks of life.
Our group was well set-up with swags, a tent, awnings and a caravan. Elsewhere, there were camps who had huge numbers of caravans all parked together creating a fireplace in the middle to enjoy each others company. There were some incredible rigs.
Some sites even marked their position with a flag or raised light set up.
But there were people keen to do it really basic, like a character camped near us, who slept in the back of his sedan with no camping gear other than a fold-up chair and a coffee pot.
So I was starting to get into things.
I was starting to understand what this was all about. I guess the moment that Midnight Oil took to the stage was when I just got it…
This actually makes sense. People are loving this. The site location and the amazing skies create the atmosphere and everyone is smiling. Taking 8,000 people out of the big smoke to a remote site to gather together and celebrate Australia’s awesome music talent really does make sense. One thing for certain, the line-up of awesome talent, all commented on the beauty of this remote place.
There is plenty of room in the concert area to set-up with friends. Whilst everyone brought camp chairs along, some people brought along more elaborate set-ups with low tables, dog beds and of course their Esky. How did they get all that gear too and from camp?… Trolleys… It was almost like a competition. Johno got into it. He built a trolley which carried eight camp chairs, a table and even a portable ARB fridge with and external Redarc lithium battery.
Apart from the amazing talented line up on stage, the organisers get huge numbers of people involved with participation events like…
The Mad Max world record attempt.
– The Nutbush world record attempt.
– The Mundi Undi Run.
Doggie Fashions on the plains.
Helicopter scenic flights and Camel Rides, Sunrise Yoga just to name a few.
These events are always a great turn-out with many people attending and some taking it extremely seriously, but everyone left with smiles on their faces and I think that’s what it’s all about.
There was also a huge variety of food vendors, stall holders plus talented arts and craft displays.
I love a chat and created opportunities of conversations with many groups, but I never heard anything negative from anybody. So to bring 8,000 people together with so many positive attitudes is a credit to the organisers and also the attendees of the event.
Congratulations to the organisers and all their staff, helpers and officials, as this would have to be one of the best organised events I have ever attended.
On a personal note, a huge thanks to all the people who participated in helping me capture some awesome moments on camera.
-Michael Ellem Offroad Images
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