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Splendour in the Grass: Road trip essentials

July 7, 2016, chris Events, Gold Coast, Tips

 

It’s finally here! Splendour in the Grass is only a few short weeks away and for Australian’s across the country, the time is fast approaching to pack those bags and head to the east coast for three days of fun, sun and great music. The festival draws huge crowds from all corners of the nation (and plenty of international attendees too). This year promises to be a particularly great instalment with one of the best lineups in the festival’s history.

You may travelling by plane, motorcycle or even by sea if coming from down the coast, but for out money there’s only one way to get to Splendour, and that’s via the open road. That could be from the nearby Gold Coast as part of a larger holiday, or further afield from a big city like Sydney where the journey will take about 9 hours. Either way, there’s nothing quite like a road trip with your mates, as long as you don’t forget a few simple rules. Read on for our three top tips for your journey by car to Australia’s biggest contemporary performing arts festival.

1. Rent a big enough vehicle This is especially important if you’ve got a long drive, and especially if you’ll be having an overnight stop along the way. Nothing’s worse than spending hour after hour cramped up without enough space. To avoid this, rent something that will comfortably fit you, your friends and all the luggage. If you’re planning on camping, hire something with a big boot where you can store tents, blankets and sleeping bags without them taking up valuable seat space. Overcrowding or overloading is potentially hazardous, so if you have too many people it’s a far better idea to simply take two cars. For more information on the options from East Coast Car Rentals, check out this list of our vehicle types.

If possible, head to Byron Bay a day early, and soak up the famous beach culture.

2. Know where you’re going One of the great things about a huge festival like Splendour in the Grass is that great bands will be playing at all hours of the day. From the moment the gates open to the dying moments of The Strokes’ final encore, you’ll want to be in a prime position to get the best view. What you don’t want, is to get lost on the way and end up missing half of Friday’s acts. If possible, head to Byron Bay a day early, and soak up the famous beach culture before heading over to the North Byron Parklands. Not only will you be guaranteed of getting a great spots at the front of the stage, but you’ll also be able to grab a slice of primo real estate right near the campsite amenities. A smart idea is to print a physical copy of the map – smartphones may be handy, but they’re not immune to dead batteries or signal loss.

3. Prepare a banging playlist

Who are you looking forward to seeing the most? Even if you’re wrong and said any band other than The Cure, make sure to grab a handful of your favourite act’s CDs or create an iPod playlist so that you can get pumped for their set and debate what they will and won’t play.

Of course, the journey is also an opportunity to get familiar with and groups that you don’t know. You might discover something that you really like, and you can plan your days accordingly so that nothing is left out or missed. If you’re driving, leave the music selection to your passengers and keep your eyes on the road. It may be tempting to take control of the speakers and blast your favourite tunes, but it’s more important to get there safe so you can enjoy it in person.

For more information on hiring a car before Splendour in the Grass, get in touch with East Coast Rentals today.