A Strawberry Fields Survival Guide

You may think you know the drill. You've been to countless festivals, have a checklist for all the essentials. You've got a strategy for crossing difficult terrain between stages and can identify and infiltrate the shortest drinks queue. Frankly MacGyver himself would struggle to find fault with your approach. But Strawberry Fields is not like every other festival you've been to. For starters, check the line-up: sets from Max Graef, Haitus Kayote, Stimming, Oisima, Trus' Me, Anti-Kirkis, and more underground dance leaders. So there's music like you've not heard, art like you've not seen, and a culture that evokes awe from all who witness it. That's right, expect the unexpected. To help you though, here's an expert briefing from some seasoned insiders. We give you Child's survival guide to Strawberry Fields:

GIMME SHELTER
The Tent
It's inconspicuous, it's humble and it is affordable. Whether you are after an intimate setting for you or ten of your closest (and best looking friends) there are many varieties of tents to suit all sorts of heights and occupancies. [Price = $100 - $500]

The RV
Although an RV will cost you a pretty penny and potentially alienate you from your fellow campers it is sure to make you feel very ritzy. The private toilet is an added bonus however these can be somewhat saddening to empty at the end of your fun filled weekend. I would recommend getting a Britz because they are like the Hermes of rental caravans. [Price = $800 - $1500]

The Budget Rental Van
Ah the economy option. If you only have the budget to rent a dinged up old van at least on the bright side you can impress people far away from your campsite by telling them you have somewhat of an RV (and it is only a white lie). These little road dingys do often come equipped with mini kitchenettes but unfortunately no on board WC. Price $400 - $600

The Swag
A good swag will cost as much if not more then a decent tent. The most obvious advantage is that you can sleep outside but there are way more benefits then this alone. You can set it up on top of your friends car. If you don't have any friends with you, make some at the festival and blend in seamlessly when they are looking the other way, let's face it, with a quick flick of the wrist your sleeping facilities are set up and it would be quite inhospitable and downright rude to ask you to drag your bed on to another patch of grass. Price = $100$ - $400

Nothing
Now we are talking. This is an option for everyone with real beards (not just the cute ironic ones). My view is that if you have nothing you will leave with more then you arrived with. I'll delve into other parts of this brilliant method of campery when talking about solutions to getting lost. Price = Comfort

MUSIC

I am personally very excited for some of the electronica and techno we are going to have this year. Every year the musical selection seems to broaden. I still remember the first Strawberry where we thought we were incredibly left field by having some deep house play by the river. Now I think we are even having some Ethiopian Jazz music.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Best place to unwind?
The Tea House is going to be seriously amazing this year. It is going to be the spot to take in some incredible sunsets, bands and have a late night oriental cuppa.

Things to do that aren't on the lineup?
We have a pretty massive selections of programming that takes place outside the musical line up but I would like to suggest a few things outside of even this. Here are some creative activities that are not listed that I think would be really fun. Have a friend making competition. Naked finger painting. See how fast you can shuffle. Learn to play the flute. Help us clean up the entire festival after everyone is gone. Drink beer with me. Naked toe painting. Bicycle decoration. Build a big house out of pillows and sticks.

What kind of art will be available?
We actually have such a cool arts programme this year. I was just looking through it this afternoon. Some really noteworthy artists include Kuuvesi and Kat Philimore but there are so many good young people that are going to be presenting their new works.

What happens if I get lost finding my tent?
Since I started coming to festivals I have always stuck with the theory it is best not to bring a tent. It means that you will be more likely to share a tent with a lovely lady or handsome man. If you already own a handsome man or lovely lady i would suggest teaching them to cooee.

What essentials should I bring?
Scarfs are good for dust protection and make a nice political statement in the current environment when worn over ones head.

What shouldn't I bring?
The reality is that you will probably lose most of the things you decide to pack anyway.

How much alcohol can I bring and will there be alcohol available onsite?
We have a limited amount of alcohol per head that can be brought on to the site. We have a seriously great bar. This is not a conventional shit Melbourne festival bar. We have the best Australian beer and cider on tap and fresh cocktails made in front of you. It is something that we take a lot of pride in. Also we charge human prices. Too many mortgages are being taken out to purchase a can of Smirnoff double black and we don't like that.

What food will be available?
There is a pretty massive range. Middle Eastern, pizza, old school toasties, vegetarian, variety of Asian cuisine, jacket potatoes and lots more.

What type of market stalls is there?
The market area grows each year and with its increase in size stocks more and more interesting knick knacks. There is a lot of clothes, arts, jewellry and other stuff.

For any other questions, visit Strawberry Fields' website here