The festival experience, a 'how to' guide!
Good preparation enhances the anticipation and guarantees a perfect party weekend. Often it’s the small things, which make life much easier.
As you'll be staying outdoors, it will be smart to have the following gear at hand:
- Tent and camping gear
- Sleeping bag, blankets, chairs, and ground mats.
- Torches and batteries – Head torches are invaluable for night time navigation!
- Warm clothes for the nights, it still gets cold in Canberra this time of year (especially for you out of towners)
- Water and water containers (there will be free water onsite, but no free water containers!)
- Sun block SPF 30+
- Spare toilet paper
- Baby wipes – the shower in a box
- First aid kit
- Any Prescription medication you may require
- If you can take a spare set of car keys do it – give one to a friend for safe keeping.
It may sound blindingly obvious, but check your tent before you leave - is it in good condition? Does it have a ground sheet? Is it waterproof? Have you got enough poles and tent pegs? Do you know how to put it up? Do you have a camping mat and a sleeping bag? It can get very cold at nights so these items are essential and will make a significant difference, a camping mat under you will prevent a lot of heat loss. Don't forget a can opener if you're planning on eating that can of baked beans you packed.
Please remember to leave all unnecessary, precious items at home, which you won't need anyway at the festival. Come with less luggage to keep yourself free to party, to dance, and enjoy the activities. The less you bring, the less you have to look after and the less you have to take home again! Let's not forget we all have to keep this beautiful space in its shape. Please always remember to treat this unique piece of earth with respect! Bring yourself and your talents, costumes, musical instruments and share freely with everyone. Attend workshops, and actively explore the opportunities available.
Alcohol
There will be no alcohol for sale at Dragon Dreaming 2011. You are permitted to BYO but please take the following into consideration:
- Consider taking cans in place of bottles. Apart from the health and safety issues surrounding broken glass and camping, cans can be crushed before binning to minimise the amount of waste generated at the event which can only be a good thing!
- Anti social behaviour will not be tolerated at the event, please drink in moderation and look out for your mates!
Site Access
The site opens at 12pm Friday 30th September and will close at 9pm Monday 3rd October.
Parking Arrangements
Please always follow the instructions of the parking crew, it is essential we keep all access roads clear AT ALL TIMES for emergency vehicles. Please keep this in mind when you arrive and use your common sense!
First Aid
There will be St John's Fist Aid officers on duty 24/7 during the festival, however they will not dispense medication. Please refer to the festival layout guide upon arrival for the location of the first aid tent.
If you take medication for any illnesses make sure you have enough to cover you for the duration that you will be away from home (and take it in its original packaging as proof it's for you - just in case) If you have a medical condition that might cause severe problems make sure you and your mates know what to do in an emergency.
Pack basic first aid items that you just might need in a camping scenario e.g. paracetamol, immodium, tampons, insect repellent and antiseptic - just the basics but they can be indispensable in your hour of need!
Take enough money to get you through
There will be no access to an ATM at Dragon Dreaming. The festival will be brimming with market stalls selling everything from awesome clothing to tasty food and chai, home made jewellery and homeopathic remedies – you wouldn’t want to miss out, would you??
No Animals
As with previous events, it is a condition of our use of the land that NO ANIMALS are permitted on site, there will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. Last year we had to turn people away at the gate and it would be a real bummer to have that happen again. To ensure you make it into the festival, please respect the conditions we have been set and leave your pets at home.
Lets do the time warp again...
As with last year, daylight savings will come into effect over the long weekend – and to avoid any confusion we are again running on Dragon Dreaming Standard Time!
As you enter the festival, you will be projected forward in time by 1 hour – make sure you change your clocks so you don’t miss anything! If you’re in doubt, check your clock with the one at the information tent!
Absolutely no campfires permitted!
October is the start of the ACT fire season and as a condition of our use of the site there will be no fires permitted in camping areas
Gas cooking stoves are permitted but need to be raised off the ground and the ground needs to be cleared of debris for 50cms around the cooking stove
There will be communal camp fires scattered around the site to keep warm by so fear not - BYO marshmallows!
Passouts
You may leave and enter Dragon Dreaming as you please. However, you must insure that your wristband stays intact. If your wrist band has broken, go to the information tent or the gate for a replacement, before you leave the site.
Leave nothing but footprints…
We all know it is important to be comfortable during your dragon flavoured dream however we need to ask for your help with a couple of things to ensure we can continue to hold the festival each year. Please ensure that if you bring something to dragon dreaming then you take it home. This goes for tents, couches, bean bags, hammocks, house mates, car mates, girlfriends, boyfriends, small children and anything else you deem worthy of bringing along.
Alongside this is the need to keep your camp site clean. There will be a number of bins provided in and around the festival and camping areas so if you create rubbish then please make sure it finds a good home in one of the bins. This will help us at the end of the festival as it minimises the work we have to do in the days after everyone has gone home.