Big Red Bash Birdsville: Drag queen race and weddings at the world’s most remote music festival
Bedazzled cricket boxes, peroxide-pink frilly stockings and nipple tassels galore – it’s a desert drag race with a twist.
More than 800 men in cross-dressing trekked down the 40-foot Big Red sand dune on the edge of the Simpson Desert to the finish line in downtown “Bashville” — the makeshift town where 10,000 people attend the world’s most remote music festival in southwestern Queensland from July 4 – 6.
The scintillating spectacle, which raised more than $25,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, saw an army of men in wigs, flowers, tutus and feather boas compete for the “Queen of the Desert” award at the Big Red Bash.
More than 800 transvestite men took part in a charity race during day two of the Big Red Bash – the world’s most remote festival in southwest Queensland (pictured)
The grand prize went to Chris Hockley, aka ‘Baby Cakes’, a Perth lorry driver, with his ensemble of form-fitting psychedelic flares, fake eyelashes and a bizarre heart-shaped headpiece decorated with paper flowers that held four foam cans. create (photo)
Chris Hockley, a 53-year-old truck driver from Perth, Western Australia, received the coveted gong with his ensemble of form-fitting psychedelic flares, fake eyelashes and a bizarre heart-shaped headpiece adorned with paper flowers.
“I’m just easy to talk into things,” confessed “Baby Cakes,” Chris’ drag queen alter ego.
His incredible headpiece was created by a fellow volunteer named Kate, whom he befriended when he and wife Jill camped next to her at the Big Red Bash last year.
Kate used four cans of expanding foam on a piece of cork on top of a normal cap to create the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert inspired piece.
The gravity-defying costume was “a little wobbly” during the race down, but Baby Cakes managed to keep it up.
“You have to be on good behavior to wear it,” Kate joked.
“Yes, that’s a cricket box that’s enchanted,” said Brad, a 48-year-old Sunshine Coast handyman (pictured)
A team of synchronized swimmers was also present at the fun run for charity (photo)
Ben Miller, 38, from Koo Wee Rup in Victoria, finished on the cutting edge of the top 20.
“I started pretty far back and coming down the hill I almost ran into a Cropper a couple of times,” he said.
Mr Miller is at the festival with a group of 22 friends and family across six caravans.
“A couple of ladies work in an operating room and this is something the miss picked,” he said, explaining his sheer, sequined top-come miniskirt.
“I’m just easy to talk into things,” “Baby Cakes,” Brad’s drag queen alter ego, confessed to Daily Mail Australia
The event, in which an army of men wearing wigs, flowers, tutus and feather boas competed for the ‘Queen of the Desert’ award, raised more than $25,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service
“At the end of the day, it’s a good laugh that raises money for a good cause,” he added.
Brendan Reeves, 40, of the Gold Coast, donned a unicorn-inspired outfit for the crazy sprint.
“A few nipple tassels went missing on the way down,” he said, laughing. ‘I just wanted to get involved in raising money’
Elsewhere, Brad, a 48-year-old Sunshine Coast handyman who is traveling to celebrate a partner’s 50th birthday, explained the genesis of his crop-top and cod-piece combo.
“I was drinking beer at my friend’s house and we tracked down Priscilla Queen of the Desert and sent a picture to my wife Kristy. And she made this outfit without my permission,” he said.
“Yeah, that’s a cricket box that’s enchanted,” he added, pointing to his nether regions.
Christopher Paten (pictured), 29, waited nearly an hour for his bride Kaylah after a family member got lost on the 130-acre festival site, which has no Wi-Fi or phone signal
The happy couple were tied up at the top of the Big Red sand dune on the edge of the Simpson Desert in front of close family and friends
Festival-goers were treated to cloudless skies after days of rain caused road closures across much of the Outback, preventing some from reaching the extremely remote location.
Those lucky enough to get there would definitely make the most of the experience.
Kaylah Gaitskell, 24, became Kaylah Paten after marrying her fiancé Christopher, 29, a mechanic, at the top of the Big Red sand dune on Tuesday morning.
Rachel Simpson and Mark Turley (pictured), who have been together for 20 years, tied the knot in front of two of their five children
The couple, who share daughter Dannielle, 2, chose the unusual location because it was bang in the center of both their families: Kaylah is from Carnarvon in WA and Christopher drives from Bundaberg on Queensland’s east coast.
Kaylah left her groom waiting nearly 50 minutes after a family member went missing on the 130-acre festival site, which has no Wi-Fi or phone signal.
But Christopher stood imperturbably in the midday sun, his thumbs tucked into his jeans pockets and his helmet flapping in the wind.
“She tolerates me pretty well, so you can’t really ask for much more,” he said.
The happy couple were married by celebrant Janice Bradley of Luddenham, NSW, who has performed more than 350 ceremonies, including three at the Big Red Bash.
Another couple was hitchhiking at the same time about 100 yards away on a red ridge overlooking the arid desert.
Rachel Simpson and Mark Turley, who have been together for 20 years, tied the knot in front of two of their five children.
“I thought when we arrived we were getting married on top of Big Red or under an awning somewhere,” Rachel said.
Ben Miller, 38, from Koo Wee Rup in Victoria, finished in the top 20 at the sharp end of the field
Drone footage of the record-breaking stunt showed a moving sea of blue in the exact shape of the great Australian landmass, which had been meticulously mapped by GPS
Birdsville, a normally arid town of just 110 residents about 22 miles west of where the festival is held, was battered by nearly 6 inches (16 mm) of rain on Monday.
The usually scorched red landscape of the Simpson Desert was swamped by the flood, and dozens of drivers lined up in the drizzle to hose down their mud-spattered vehicles at Birdsville’s famed artesian springs.
On Tuesday, nearly 5,500 patriotic revelers dressed in electric blue wigs broke the world record for forming the largest human statue of a country deep in the Australian Outback on Tuesday morning.
The participants crushed the previous record holder Romania, who managed to drive 4,807 participants to their country’s form in 2018.
The achievement, which was reviewed by The Australian Book of Records, raised nearly $100,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, whose official color is blue.
On Wednesday, the lineup featured Australian rock, pop and country music stars including Jack Jones, The Chantoozies, Ross Wilson, Shane Howard, Kate Ceberano, The Angels and more.
The third and final day of the Big Red Bash on Thursday will see performances from festival headliner, pop group Human Nature, Pete Murray, Dragon, Chocolate Starfish and others.