If the idea of live bands and camping in the outback sounds like a match made in heaven, then you will love the Undara Rock and Blues Festival. Three days of rock and blues tunes out in the middle of the bush make this an experience to remember.
We love the easy vibe of music festivals and Undara really is an awesome venue to host live music.
Over the last few years Undara has started to make a name for itself with its various annual music festivals including the popular and well-known Opera in the Outback. This unique three day event in October features opera performed on a hard dirt floor stage with a grand piano and bush surrounds.
But if opera isn’t your thing then April’s rock and blues festival is definitely worth a visit.
UNDARA’S rock and blues festival
The rock and blues festival attracts music lovers from all over Queensland, including tourists who enjoy the festival circuit.
Cowboys, drovers, blues lovers, old rockers and families all mingle at this bush event.
The musicians this year were a great combination of local Queensland bands and a few interstate crooners.
The Montgomery Brothers from Cairns have a huge following and were a big crowd puller with their jazz and blues tunes, with many travellers driving miles just to hear this band play live. And I can vouch they are pretty incredible.
Country folk and blues band Watkinville was another great local band at the festival, as well as Dr Elephant, whose rock party anthems have made them a favourite within the Cairns’ pub rock scene and definitely had everyone up on the dance floor at Undara.
The interstate bands were a blues trio from Melbourne called The Three Kings and a honky tonks rock and blues band from Perth called Shotdown from Sugartow. It was a real mix but all great bands.
All the musicians played on the undercover Iron Bistro stage on Friday and Saturday night and then joined in for a day-long jam session on the Sunday of the festival, known as the Sunday Recovery Session.
The atmosphere is very laid back and there’s plenty of opportunities to chat with the muso’s over the weekend of the festival.
Accommodation
You get a free campsite as part of your festival ticket, otherwise there is plenty of other accommodation available.
If you prefer something more than a swag under the stars the Swags Tent Village has a little more comfort with double beds and bunk beds. There are also the pioneer Huts or the recently restored railway carriages.
There are plenty of amenities with clean showers and toilets, laundry facilities, a large camp kitchen and a swimming pool.
Things to do at Undara
When you’re not toe-tapping to the tunes on stage, there are plenty of walking tracks (and mountain bike trails) as well as the famous Undara Lava Tubes.
We always enjoy the awesome bush breakfast at Ringers Camp each morning.
And wildlife lovers will enjoy spotting plenty of kangaroos, wallabies and birds.
Travel NQ Fast FACTS:
- Undara is approx. 4 hours drive from Cairns or Townsville
- Performances at the Undara Outback Rock and Blues Festival run in the evenings on the Friday and Saturday followed by the Recovery Session on Sunday morning
- For more information go to www.undara.com.au
