It’s Australia – but never as you’ve seen her before.
Almost 5,500 patriotic festivalgoers dressed in electric blue wigs broke the global record for forming largest human image of a country deep in the Australian Outback on Tuesday morning.
Attendees at the Big Red Bash – the world’s most remote music festival in deep south west Queensland – smashed the previous record holders Romania who in 2018 managed to herd 4,807 participants into the shape of their country.
Almost 5,500 patriotic festivalgoers dressed in electric blue wigs have broken the global record for forming largest human image of a country deep in the Australian Outback in an area mapped out by GPS (pictured)
Matt and Evie, a couple in their mid-20s from Wangaratta in north east Victoria, took a week to travel to Simpson Desert in their Hilux with a rooftop tent before donning a bikini-themed aprons with curly blue wigs for the charity event (pictured)
The feat, which was adjudicated by The Australian Book of Records, raised almost $100,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, whose official colour is blue.
‘It doesn’t get more Australian than this,’ said festival organiser Greg Donovan, as the masses of be-wigged revellers filed in patiently.
Drone shots of the record-breaking stunt showed a moving sea of blue in the exact shape of the great Australian land mass, which had been meticulously mapped out by GPS.
Country music legend John Williamson then serenaded the crowds with a performance of his iconic anthem ‘True Blue’.
Drone shots of the record-breaking stunt showed a moving sea of blue in the exact shape of the great Australian land mass, which had been meticulously mapped out by GPS
Sunset Lee and her partner Ben Chopping (pictured), turf farmers from Rockhampton in Central Queensland, travelled two long days in their Chevy towing a caravan to the festival, leaving their five children behind for a well-earned break
Retiree Belinda Coyne from Coffs Harbour in NSW, had extra motivation to take part in the record-breaking challenge, being a Type 1 diabetes sufferer herself.
Dressed in a fluffy blue dressing gown and with face painted like a character from Avatar, she refused to let the inclement weather affect her fun.
‘We’re enjoying despite the rain and the mud,’ she said.
Warren, Belinda’s husband, said they had one minor hiccup on the long 200km drive out to Birdsville – Australia’s most remote town.
‘We broke a water tank on the gravel road from Windorah to Birdsville so we will have to limit our showers now,’ said Warren.
Matt and Evie, a couple in their mid-20s from Wangaratta in north east Victoria, took a week to travel to Simpson Desert in their Hilux with a rooftop tent.
Evie, who along with Matt donned a bikini-themed apron with a curly blue wig, said the record attempt meant a lot to her.
Stephen Webley (pictured), 59, a semiretired coal miner from Hervey Bay in southern Queensland, has ticked off three bucket-list items: a curried camel pie, a beer in the Birdsville hotel and attending the Big Red Bash
‘As a remote nurse I see how Type 1 diabetes affects people so we are just happy to be part of it,’ she said.
Blue sky burst through for the first time during the record attempt after a couple of days of rare rainfall battered the region.
Birdsville, a normally arid town of just 110 people around 35km west of where the festival is held, was battered by almost 16mm of rain on Monday.
Jenni Denniss, 56, from Bandon Grove near Newcastle, took the blue charity theme very seriously, altering one of her daughter’s Avatar fancy dress outfits.
‘I thought I could fix her costume to make it work for an older lady,’ she laughed, explaining how she had added bits to a blue leotard.
Country music legend John Williamson serenaded the crowds with a performance of his iconic anthem ‘True Blue’
Akuila Dean is attending the festival with his wife Natalie and their young boy Stevie.
The family, from Ocean Shores in northern NSW, took three days to travel to the festival in their Toyota Land Cruiser, carrying several eskies and fridge full of food.
‘It looked very, very nice when I bought it but now it looks like a real car,’ laughed Akuila.
‘That’s what I got it for: to get dirty and go on adventures.’
There next hot shower will be on Friday when they travel on to Bedourie in south west Queensland for the camel races.
‘But we’re loving it – the rain and mud is part of the whole experience,’ he said.
Akuila, who works in construction, told of one unfortunate incident involving a snapped swag pole in the middle of the night.
‘We just MacGyvered it the next day and now it’s all right,’ Akuila laughed.
Retiree Belinda Coyne from Coffs Harbour in NSW, had extra motivation to take part in the world record challenge, being a Type 1 diabetes sufferer herself (pictured alongisde her husband Warren)
Sunset Lee and her partner Ben Chopping, turf farmers from Rockhampton in Central Queensland, travelled two long days in their Chevy towing a caravan.
‘We’ve left out five children at home – they didn’t get invited,’ said Ms Lee.
‘We’re farmers so it’s a well-deserved break for us. We’re normally work in the heat so we’re enjoying the cool – it’s a pleasant change.’
‘We were at Splendour in the Grass last year with all the kids and the mud and rain was far worse there.’
Stephen Webley, 59, a semiretired coal miner from Hervey Bay in southern Queensland, is undertaking a music tour of Queensland in a FWD with an awning and swag.
‘I had three bucket list items: to try a curried camel pie, to drink a beer in the Birdsville hotel and to attend the Big Red Bash,’ he said.
Mr Webley, who donned a blue wig and a suit covered in blue sky and clouds, who journeyed to the festival solo after his wife passed a few years ago,
‘I’m a child of the 80s so I love Australian rock,’ he said.
‘The festival has been incredible so far: you get to meet some real characters.’
Steve Donovan, operations manager for Outback Music Festival Group and type 1 diabetes sufferer, said: ‘There are currently more than 130,000 of us living with type 1 diabetes in Australia, so we just wanted to say a big thank you to all who took part.
‘JDRF Big Blue Day has not only raised awareness, but it’s raised desperately-needed funds for diabetes research.’
