About Birdsville
Birdsville is a small outback town on the banks of the Diamantina River, sitting between the rolling red dunes of the Simpson Desert and the stony gibber plains of the Sturt Stony Desert.
The region is steeped in history — from Aboriginal meeting places and strong cultural connections to Country, through to European settlement in the late 1870s and beyond.
Most of the year, Birdsville is home to around 100 residents.
But during the Big Red Bash, this quiet town becomes a buzzing outback hub, swelling to around 10,000 people as travellers arrive from all over Australia.
It’s one of the most unique festival settings on earth – and Birdsville is a big part of what makes the Bash so special.
The Simpson Desert
To the west of Birdsville lies the legendary Simpson Desert — a vast landscape of red sand dunes stretching across Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Covering approximately 176,500 km², the Simpson Desert is:
the fourth largest desert in Australia
the world’s largest sand dune desert
The Simpson is an erg — a huge “sand sea” made up of long, parallel dunes. These dunes run north to south and are held in place by vegetation.
Dune heights vary from:
around 3 metres in the west
up to 30 metres on the eastern side
The largest and most famous dune is Nappanerica, more commonly known as Big Red. Named by Simpson Desert traveller Dennis Bartell, Big Red stands around 40 metres high – and it’s the iconic backdrop to the Big Red Bash.
Climate and Weather
Birdsville has a generally arid climate with wide temperature ranges across the year.
Average rainfall totals around 160mm annually, mostly falling in summer. September is typically the driest month.
Summer temperatures (November to February) can reach extreme highs in the mid 40s°C, while winter nights can drop to around 4°C.
During the winter months, daytime temperatures are generally milder, typically ranging from around 15°C to 35°C.