We arrived here on Tuesday after a short overnight stop in Coonabarabran. Just being able to say the name is a wonderful achievement, let alone trying to spell it.
We arrived in Tamworth with the temperature being about 35C. On our arrival there was already a line up of 5 other vans at the Caravan Park trying to book in. Even though the festival doesn't start until Friday, everybody has to be in the park by Wednesday and has to book for at least 10 days. Not a bad lurk really, but if you want to go to the festival there is no other way. All parks are the same.
We got ourselves all nicely squeezed in between some trees and the bins and after getting everything set up we headed off down the street to familiarise ourselves with the town. We headed up to the BIG GOLDEN GUITAR, of course, and had a bit of a look around the Info centre. There are buses that will be running during the festival, with one of the bus stops being just outside our caravan park.
Had a bit of a stroll down the main street and got my customary mural photograph. All was quiet at the moment, with lots of setting up still happening.
Caught up with housekeeping on Wednesday and decided to go to the movies in the afternoon. It was about 39C so that was a good place to keep cool. We saw the 2nd movie in the Red Dog franchise. It wasn't too bad, but not up to the standard of my normal types of movies like The Godfather or Silence of the Lambs. Got a message from Park Management about 6.45 warning of storm activity. Yeah sure, its bloody 39C. Anyway we did a bit of a tidy up outside before Armageddon began. Thunder, lightning, pouring rain and wind. Just awesome. We were both standing under the awning, looking in amazement at the torrential downpour, when there was a loud cracking noise, and a huge branch snapped off a gum tree and landed partly on a car and van not 50 metres from us. Very thankful we didn't have that site.
Thursday and the park is well and truly full up now. All of the powered sites have been filled and they certainly pack them in. There is another area further down the back where the unpowered sites are, and that is also filling up now. Later Thursday night there was a sausage sizzle at the park, accompanied by a bush ballad performer. It wasn't a bad night really, with the temperature cooling down to about 28C.
Come Friday it was time to head up the street to check out the Festival. It was still fairly quiet, with probably about 20 buskers set up in different positions down the main street. Deb is quite distraught at the moment as there is an 8 block exclusion zone for Smoking. Its not very well publicised, we read it on one of the bins. We were surprised to see one of the buskers, Gavin Chatelier, singing up a storm as he was also at the Elvis Festival. He has a fantastic voice and no doubt we will be checking him out during the festival. Not a lot of activity up the street, but still about 35 C. We were planning on going to the opening concert later in the night at Toyota Park, starting at 7pm.
It was a bit ominous when we got another message from the Park Management at about 2pm warning of storm activity. After the last storm we took a bit more notice of that message and mid afternoon the heavens opened and it absolutely poured. There was plenty of thunder and lightning and it poured on and off for several hours. Come 6pm we were still considering going to the Opening Concert but, of course, it poured again at about 6.45. Cancel that idea.
After dinner we just walked up to the Oasis Hotel, that is next door to the park. It is a very rustic hotel, and wouldn't be out of place in an old Western movie. When we got inside there was a band called The Balladeers playing, and at various times, patrons were invited up to perform a couple of numbers. They were all obviously buskers, and they were quite good. 'Willie Nelson' put on a pretty good show. It was a good night.
Up Saturday morning and off to the Festival we go. We decided to drive, instead of the bus, and parked in Woolworths car park before strolling about 1 klm to the main street. It was a bit of music overload for me for the next 4 hours. I just couldn't believe the number of buskers. They all have their busking permits displayed and the highest number that I have seen is Busker No. 437.
It was amazing to me how close they all are. I took a photo to show you just how close they are, with 3 different sets of speakers all in the space of about 25 metres. You are meant to be looking at the speakers, not the girl that just happened into my photo!!!!
The aboriginal man playing the didgeridoo was really good, with the customary aboriginal paintings also on sale. We spent a while listening to 3 men called 'Free Fried Chicken'. They were great to listen to, with one on guitar, one on a banjo and the other on something unknown to me. A cross between a guitar and a banjo. Very entertaining.
Everywhere you look, their are young girls singing up a storm, with every other type of musician imaginable also doing their bit. The youngest girl that we saw was only 9 yrs old.
We spent a bit of time watching a young bloke called Mitch King. Just how talented is this bloke. He works his synthesiser with his right foot, constantly pushing keys and using the dials with his foot while he is singing, his left foot is for the tambourine, and if the song calls for it, he also plays a harmonica. A great voice as well. He spends his life travelling around in a motorhome, performing. He actually won the Buskers Award last year. Deserved every bit of it.
After 4 hours getting music overload, it was back to the van for a well deserved rest. Not sure what we are doing tonight, maybe just off to the Oasis again.
Keep safe and well
Till next time
Barry and Deb.
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