Preparation has begun for the Big Red Bash 2019

Since a relatively snap decision several weeks ago to attend this years Big Red Bash in Outback Queensland, we have both been simultaneously excited and worried about the decision.  It was definitely a "lets book the tickets before we change our minds" decision, and one that I'm sure will the the experience of a lifetime.

However, before we get can leave, there are a number of things that need to be done:

• food and packing list
• removing necessary weight from the car and caravan
• measures to protect the car and caravan from the rocks and dust
• ...and just what route are we going to take getting there and coming home.

Although in the past we have prepared for numerous trips away all over Australia, for some reason this one seems daunting.  Maybe it's the remoteness of the location, the length of the festival (with no water or other facilities for 6 days), or just the words of caution from other past festivalgoers echoing in our minds that is making us second-guess our every move.  

Our night-time reading has been taken up by scouring the Internet for blogs about the Big Red Bash, trying to gain some insight into the experience, but especially insight in the preparation.  The biggest worry seems to be not while at the Big Red Bash itself, but rather the roads out there.  Rocks and dust seem to be the biggest culprits to caravan and car damage, and one that we want to avoid at all costs.

So in the spirit of knowing that "if it can go wrong, it will to us", we have thrown ourselves into modifications to the car and caravan in order to protect against the hundreds of kilometers of dust and rocks.

This weekend was the start.

Al started work on our stone guards for both the car and van.  This will not be the only stone protection we have, as we also need to protect the underside of the caravan, however this will help to dampen the stones that are flicked up from the tyres.  Other precautions will be to place wire mesh underneath the caravan to protect the plumbing and electrical cables, and to tape up the vents and window edges.

So, part one of preparation for the Big Red Bash has started.

Stone guard added to the caravan to protect the underbody.

Stone guard added to the Landcruiser.