A couple of weeks ago we detailed one of Australia’s best kept secrets in the music festival world via our guide to Boogie 8. This week we bring you another underrated gem that celebrates 10 years in 2014.
This music and arts event shares similar traits with Boogie. Also held at a farm, although in NSW’s picturesque Hunter Valley instead of Victoria, The Gum Ball knows how to provide the right setting for live bands to flourish and punters to thrive.
It took a few years for The Gum Ball and its forefather, “the artist formerly know as Gummy”, to get the event to this point though.
After a year long global trek Matt Johnston returned eagle eyed and inspired to start a festival on his family’s property (now known Dashville after his father Dash).
After a reasonable inaugural edition in 2005 with 200 or so punters in attendance a downscaled and private Friends of Gumball event was held in 2006 after a depletion of funds from the year prior.
Yet after a tip off to the local council – which would be the start of a difficult relationship with local government – Johnston found a savior and loophole in moving the event to the James Estate vineyard in a different council where it remained for the 2007 event as well.
With the festival forced to move in 2008 and renamed as the Wolombi Gum Ball after its new location local government again caused havoc and the festival was subsequently cancelled in favour for a secret function back at the original site in Belford.
It’s from 2009 that The Gum Ball festival finally grew into its own. Bigger crowds, market stalls, more delicious food and art exhibitions came together with even greater lineups as its reputation grew.
Acts such as Custard, The Vasco Era, CW Stoneking, Papa Vs Pretty, Lanie Lane, Jinja Safari and many more have played in the years since.
“For the last few years people have been telling me that The Gum Ball is the highlight on the calendar. The best festival. It’s that one event each year, at which life is based around. Wow, we say, that’s pretty big! A very humbling fact that tells us that we must be doing something right.”
So writes festival director Johnston over at the festival’s website and he has every right to feel proud. With Australian festivals toppling over left, right and centre in the past few years the fact that The Gum Ball persevered through those early years is no mean feat.
With pristine surroundings, a relaxing environment far from the hectic one-day festivals that regularly dominate headlines, quality music, food and art The Gum Ball seemed destined from the beginning to become another one of Australia’s great-underrated festival achievers.
Lineup
Hoodoo Gurus
Jinja Safari
Wolf & Cub
Ngaiire
Adrian Edmondson and The Bad Shepherds (UK)
Nicky Bomba All Stars
The Gin Club
Swamp Thing (NZ)
Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes
Lindi Ortega (CAN)
Jordan Rakei
Pow Wow
Where And When
The Gum Ball music festival is held at the ‘Dashville’ farm at Belford in the Hunter Valley on Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th of April.
How To Get There
Dashville is located about an hour drive from Newcastle Airport so interstaters had best book their flights as early as possible for cheaper prices.
The following are a list of approximate prices for one way flights to Newcastle with airlines such as Virgin Australia, Jet Star and Qantas available to fly you there.
Adelaide: Flights to Newcastle generally require a stopover in Brisbane and start from around $234.
Brisbane: Direct flights start from $75.
Melbourne: Direct flights start from $90.
Perth: One-stop flights with a stopover in Brisbane start from $400.
Sydney: One-stop flights with a stopover in Brisbane start from $185.
From Newcastle Airport there are shuttle services that the festival offers that you must book on The Gum Ball website closer to the date of the event.
Otherwise punters can catch a train from Sydney and hop off at the Braxton or Maitland stations with connecting shuttle services to the festival available at these points. To calculate fares and check times click here.
Depending on where you’re departing from you may need to catch a connecting bus service to get to the Hunter Valley. You can find more information about that here.
On the off chance that you’d rather go by bus from Sydney The Gum Ball recommends a few local tour operators which you can read up on here and here.
If public transport doesn’t do it for you then driving your own car probably will. Although it’s probably only a realistic option if you’re as close as Sydney. Driving from the NSW capitals will take you around two hours.
The festival website offers these handy directions:
“Get onto the New England Highway, the main highway running through the Hunter Valley. Belford is between Branxton (5mins) and Singleton (15mins) turn north into Kirkton rd, (which is within the location of the new highway construction) Take the windy bush road through Belford National Park, follow the signs about 4km in, your entry to Dashville will be on top of a steep hill, on your right… too easy!”
Make sure to also check out the festival’s ‘Share Your Ride’ forum for spare car seats and to help save the planet as well.
Where To Stay
While The Gum Ball is a camping festival it’s location allows punters to choose whether they’d like accommodation that’s a little more luxurious.
Not that they should have to. With camping included in the ticket price and the campsite providing hot showers, ATM facilities, phone reception and more than enough toilets this isn’t the hard life camping that some festivals offer.
If you’re worried that you might be sleeping on slopes the organisers attest to the sites flat bush land. While caravans are welcome there are no power spots and generators aren’t welcome either. Although night lighting is provided and all the essentials are within walking distance so it shouldn’t be necessary.
Still if you’ve got money to splurge there are plenty of options for accommodation in the Hunter Valley region.
How To Get Tickets
While the majority of punters will purchase their tickets online, you can purchase tickets in store at Maitland’s The Grand Junction Hotel (88 Church St.)
There are three ticket options and all are age sensitive. If you’ve got kids under six years old the good news is that it’s free for them.
However for adults aged 18-59 passes are valued at $215 for the full weekend, $185 for Friday and Saturday and $130 for just Sunday.
For seniors over the age of 60 passes are valued at $195 for the full weekend, $165 for Friday and Saturday and $110 for just Sunday.
For teenagers aged 13-17 passes are valued at $90 for the full weekend, $80 for Friday and Saturday and $60 for just Sunday.
And for children aged 7-12 passes are valued at $45 for the full weekend, $40 for Friday and Saturday and $30 for just Sunday.
Expect booking fees on top of all those prices.
Get you tickets here.
Insider Tips & Tricks/Things You Shouldn’t Miss
The Gum Ball are partners with The Black Dog Institute, which specializes in improving the lives of those affected by mood disorders and each year one of the many fundraisers the festival undertakes is a raffle of highly valued goodies. Last year a custom made surfboard, acoustic guitar and other items helped raise over $3000 for this worthy cause. There is also heaps of other giveaways and games held throughout the weekend.
The Gum Ball is BYO, but be aware that it’s limited to about a carton per person and no glass is allowed inside the event.
If you forget to bring your own alcohol don’t fret as The Gum Ball have their own incredible bar that offers the area’s own wine, tap bears and cocktails. You can also purchase ice from this area as well.
This event is extremely family friendly and if you don’t believe just wait until you see the festival’s “mega” playground that will entertain your kids for hours.
There are also plenty of fires to keep you warm (although none are allowed in the camping area) so there’s little need to worry about freezing at night.
While you’ll more than likely bring most of your own food to save on costs The Gum Ball specializes in exceptional food stalls. So make sure you splash out at least once on the food.
Same goes for the markets. Give it a browse and you never know what crafts and goodies you’ll find.
For more details head to The Gum Ball’s official website.
