It’s time to get wet, dirty and wild at one of Australia’s most popular music festivals – with Camping At The Falls Festival.
Spread over four days across three of Australia’s coastal havens: Lorne in Victoria (Dec 28 – Jan 1) Byron Bay in NSW (Dec 31 – Jan 3) and Marion Bay in Tassie (Dec 29 – Jan 1), The Falls Festival is one part that you want to be a part of! For 2013, the line-up is as hot as ever including The Cat Empire, The Roots, The Paper Kites, Vampire Weekend, Solange and MGMT, just to name a few.
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For those new to the Festival, here are a few handy tips to help you have a great time and enjoy the music.
Pack and Prepare:
The Falls Festival is not a place for the prim and proper. Prepare to get dirty – very dirty!
Firstly, Falls takes place in one of those seasons that has some crazy weather patterns, so it pays to pack everything from shorts and singlet’s to a raincoat and a down puffy jacket. Hot, cold, wet and dry. It’s much better to anticipate the weather than to be caught out high and dry.
Furthermore, the shower and toilet situation might be a little different from what you are used too. Frankly, your only options are cold showers and drop toilets. If this is not your thing, bring baby wipes, dry shampoo and hand sanitizer to keep fresh. Just prepared to be dirty by the end of day one.
{YEAH I am so in!! I love Free Camping and all that goes with it 🙂 }
Another handy tip is to load up on cash as there are no ATMs at the venue. Though you can only really buy food with it, if you are pinching your pennies, make sure you pack your grub – both for the road trip and for the campsite.
Camping and Campervanning:
While people go to the Falls Festival to see the shows, often it is the events happening off-stage that create the best memories. This is the reason why most people choose to camp for one or all three days of the Festival at the designated camp sites.
If this is something you want to do, it is a good idea to hire a campervan for the festival instead of a tent. In fact, hiring a campervan has become a really popular and inexpensive way to enjoy the Falls Festival, especially if you want somewhere to shelter from the rain. As an example, Might Campers has campervan hire beginning from as little as $52AUD per day, or $156AUD for the three day festival. These campervans also provide you with the comfort of an actual bed and kitchenette.
For those looking to ‘glamp’ their way through the Festival, there is also the Tepee Life option. Present at both the Byron Bay and Marion Bay Festivals, Tepee Life offers comfy tepees with lounges, day beds, tables and electricity. A two man tepee starts at $540AUD (incl. GST), while a four to six man tepee are $890AUD (incl. GST).
{I have never ever tried a Tepee Camping but it is on my Bucket List}
Furthermore, at Marion Bay you can choose the Gimme Shelter option, where you’re given a fully set-up tent with two mats (for two people only), which will save you time pitching and packing. However, make sure you book these well ahead of time because they go fast.
Enjoying the Falls Festival
Regardless of the living situation you choose, it is important to have a good and safe time.
A smart thing to do is to get to know your neighbours. Find out where they are from and what kind of acts they are here to see. It’s in the Falls Festival spirit to make new friends and to have a great time. And who knows? You may come away with a few new buddies willing to attend next year’s Falls with you.
Remember too that your smartphones are useless at Falls as there is no electricity to charge your phone and extremely poor reception. So bring a notepad and pen to take down the numbers of your new friends.
Explore the Festival…and Beyond!
Now, there is more than just music beats at Falls. At each venue, you’ll find a host of activities to keep you active.
On the first night, there’s the Boogie Nights event – where you’re expected to dress up (this year’s theme is ‘intergalactic’) and enjoy some bands from the farthest places on Earth.
Then take a tour at The Village, a “festival within a festival”. You’ll find options galore: yoga/samba classes, workshops, puppetry, burlesque and comedy shows, all at your fingertips.
And finally when clock strikes midnight on December 31st there’s the Falls Fiesta; an extravaganza parade over NYE that celebrates all things decadent and fun. You can’t miss it.
*** This is a guest blog post “Camping At The falls Festival” proudly written for New Life on the Road ****
Have You Been To the Falls Festival?
I so want to experience it now that I have read about it 🙂
It sounds amazing.
It sounds like a total blast, Lisa, but do things ever get out of control with big, drunken crowds? I’ve found that to be true more and more today in society around the world. The header picture of the gal on someone’s shoulders brings back a fanastic memory. Boreal Ridge Ski Resort, California (that is right at the famous Donner Pass) a May concert was held with Joan Jett, Quiet Riot and Heart. I know, how crazy awesome was that??!! But, the problem was that there was still snow up above on the ski runs and it began to melt and created a huge mud bog in the enormous crowd at the bottom! When you mentioned dirty that was immediately what popped into my mind! 🙂
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Wow – it looks different! I’m used to quiet camping with just a few people. But everyone has their own idea of what is fun hey 🙂