https://2009.mmf.com.au

The Pocket Companion is a downloadable booklet which contains all the info you need to Make Your Meredith. Maps, directions, campground layout, playing times, rules, hours of operation, handy hints and an illistrated history of the outboard motor and a Redbook-style price guide to second hand militaria.

The festival is located at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, on Mt. Mercer Road, near a town called Meredith, in Victoria, Australia. Meredith the town is halfway between Geelong and Ballarat on the Midland Highway (A300), about 90kms due West of Melbourne. By car from Melbourne CBD it is usually a 110 minute drive, however you should allow 2-and-a-half to 3 hours on the Friday of the festival. Melway Map: 611 C4. The festival can also be reached by public transport.

The venue is the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, on Mt. Mercer Road, near a town called Meredith, in Victoria, Australia. Meredith the town is halfway between Geelong and Ballarat on the Midland Highway (A300), about 90kms due West of Melbourne. By car from Melbourne CBD it is a 110 minute drive, however you should allow up to 3 hours on the Friday of the festival. Melway Map: 611 C4. The festival can also be reached by public transport.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS
From Melbourne, take the Princes Fwy to Geelong. Just before you get to the Geelong CBD veer right onto the new Geelong Bypass (M1) following the signs to Colac. Take the Midland Highway (A300) exit (it's a left hand exit ramp). Turn right onto the A300 and head towards Ballarat for about 40klms. At Meredith, turn left at the Royal Hotel, this is Mt. Mercer Rd. The Meredith Music Festival is a 13klm drive along this road; on the Friday of the Festival this might take up to 60 minutes as there are holding bays to ensure safe and steady traffic flow.

Click here for a printable PDF of the Site Map.

No matter what the forecast is – BRING WARM AND WATERPROOF CLOTHES as well as the slip slop slap stuff. For a guide forecast to Meredith’s weather, click here. (http://www.eldersweather.com.au/vic/central/meredith) . If the forecast shows the possibility of any rain at all, good quality raincoats, boots, jumpers and spare clothes will all be good essentials. Please wear sensible shoes – the #1 treated injury on the St Johns Ambulance Hit Parade is cut feet.

It can get very cold at night - even if it's sunny and hot during the day. Always pack extra blankets and doonas and even thermals are a good idea.

Bring These Things

* DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO GET THERE.

* YOUR TICKET (wristband). Double-check you have it now. Put it on as you leave to go to the festival.

* SOMETHING TO SLEEP IN eg a tent. Don't forget the tent pegs. If you drive, you can park the car next to your tent. Caravans and motorhomes are welcome.

* A SLEEPING BAG/doona/extra blankets.

* BRING REALLY WARM CLOTHES. We cant stress this enough - BRING REALLY WARM CLOTHES AND WATERPROOF CLOTHES EVEN IF ITS HOT AND SUNNY WHEN YOU LEAVE HOME. It can get very cold at night.

* SUNGLASSES, HAT, SUNSCREENS, LONGSLEEVE SHIRT etc.

* PHOTO ID - If you are over 18 and wish to gain access, BRING PHOTO ID. EVEN IF YOU ARE 55 YOU WILL STILL NEED PHOTO ID.

* A GOOD STASH OF CASH. There is a cash-out facility on site, at The Gift Shoppe, which is open until 10pm each night. But best to bring with you.

* MOBILE PHONE AND SPARE CHARGED BATTERY if you have one. There are no landline public phones on site. There are more public phones in the town of Meredith, 10 minutes drive from the site, but if you have a mobile, bring it. Coverage on the farm is improving all the time; you may have to go to the highest part of the site to get a signal.

* ANY MEDICATION YOU NEED - there is no pharmacy on site.

* DRINKING WATER FOR THE CAMPSITE - there is freed rinking water available onsite but we highly recomend getting a bulk water container from the supermarket - a 10litre would be ideal. Apart from just drinking it, it will be very handy for washing, cleaning, brushing your teeth and keeping your tongue wet for licking stamps if you decide to do all your wedding invitations whilst at the festival. There are of course plenty of hot and cold showers and sinks and water outlets available on site, but nothing beats the convenience of having at your camp.

* A VEHICLE OR ORGANISE YOURSELF A LIFT HOME. Taxis are at an absolute premium out there; a small number are available but book well in advance (like weeks) and make clear plans with the driver.

* TENT MARKER - they really do all look the same. A flag for the car aerial…etc…

* Good sensible SHOES for your feet.

* Bring BULK fresh drinking WATER for your campsite - most supermarkets sell bulk water in small drums with an easy valve. This is great for drinking, but also washing, cleaning your teeth, face, hands etc.

* If the weather looks like being wet bring gumboots.

Basically everyone camps on site. You can bring a tent, a marquee, sleep in the car, bring a caravan, campervan, motorhome, old bus, make a loungeroom in the back of a truck, get a chartered bus and driver, hire a Yurt, build The Tarp Mahal, do almost anything you like to make your temporary home as comfortable and well-appointed as it can be. But no generators, gas bottles or BBQs are permitted.

You can camp with your friends as long as YOU ARRIVE TOGETHER IN CONVOY. If you don't you won't be able to drive around looking for them. You can park your vehicles in a circle and pitch tents and communal tarps in the middle to create your own compound. But you can't reserve campsites - your friends must arrive at the same time as you if you want to camp together.

If you need to leave before everyone else we recommend parking in the Public Carpark which is just passed Reception, and walking your tent and gear into the Campgrounds - its a few hundred metres and it wont be hard to find a spot.

Before you come to the festival, make sure you check that your tent is in good working order and has all the pegs and ties. Bringing extra tarps for shelter or as flooring is fine but these will need heavy-duty fixing down in case of wind. Don't bother with those cheapo "gazebos" from camping or department stores, they will blow away if too many people breath out at once. They're no good in The Great Outdoors.

We recommend a tent marker and torch or battery-powered camp lantern. Battery-powered flashing tent markers are available from camping stores, put them on a pole or bike flag, they will be a very welcome beacon come the wee small hours.

There are three main camping grounds.

Bush Camp
Bush Camping is located North of the stage area, and is a secluded and unbelievably pretty camping ground. Gum trees, she-oaks, ferns and other indigenous flora have existed untouched for as long as anyone can remember, and we have carefully laid down a track through this land, with minimum disruption to the eco-structure. This will be quiet, sheltered camping. You are basically in the bush. It will be hard for large groups to stake out large sites in this area due to the vegetation and the single ring-road. The two roads that go through Bush Camp are called The Ring Road, and The Ring-a-Ding-Ding Road. This area is also a fair distance from the Amphitheatre, although it is fairly close to both the Food area, Pink Flamingo and of course toilets, First Aid and other services. Around 30% of Meredith-goers will be able to camp in The Bush before it is full, so it is likely to be popular with the early arrivals.

Top Camp
Top Camp is the camping ground closest to the action; closest to the amphitheatre and stage, closest to the food area, toilets, Pink Flamingo and The Meredith Eye. Top Camp is also the largest camping ground on the site; it is a massive green field with gentle dips and hills; a few rock piles, trees, ring roads, native planting areas, and is governed by a Blue Gum crop to the East and Cypress rows to the South. Top Camp is so big you should be able to camp well away from your neighbours (if you choose to). It is divided into suburbs - Ringwood, Eltham, Hong Kong etc - so you can find your tent easily enough. The native plantings - gums, acacias, she-oaks - have thrived since they were put in a year ago and as such there's more greenery and windbreaks up there.

Over time Top Camp will be ‘planted out' to become like a vast Bush Camp - with groves of SheOaks, stands of gums, maybe the odd circle of blackwoods and a corridor or two of Acacia.

The Pines (North Pines, South Pines)
The Pines are on the South boundary of Top Camp. They are two perpendicular rows of Pine Trees which intersect to form a giant "T", thus creating two pockets of sheltered camping. The North pocket (North Pines) has been open for many years, whereas the South pocket (South Pines) is only a few years old. These campsites are the furthest away from the action and will be pretty quiet and peaceful. Both are protected on two sides by thick rows of Cypress Pines, so they provide excellent shelter, depending on the direction of the wind. The coldest wind is the southwester, North Pines and South Pines provide good shelter from it.

The other aspect of Pine Tree Corner that many will find appealing is the panoramic vista. Man! From the other side of the trees, you sit high on a ridge, looking West to wide open plains that extend for miles and miles, a huge pine plantation, a disused gold mine, and stunning sunsets. It's a great spot, and those Meredith-goers who liked sitting in a quiet field watching the sunset are in for a total treat.

The campgrounds are populated similarly to any city; the inner city is the most densely populated, with most campsites being smaller. The further away you go, the more land you have, and the closer to the wide open spaces of the countryside you get. South Pines, for instance, seems like its furthest from the action, but like so many outer suburbs, its got a direct arterial road and footpath to the inner city, and as such its easy to get to. And the blocks are bigger. And the views are amazing. And as we all know, the suburbs ain't any straighter than the inner city.

Yurts
The Yurt Village will return and the Yurts will be available for hire. For details go to Yurts.

These items are banned at the festival:

Glass bottles of any kind
Gas bottles or hot cooking equipment eg triangas
BBQs
Generators
Campfires
Bean bags
Flares or fireworks
Dickheads
Weapons of any kind (we don't actually need to list that do we?)
Dogs or animals of any kind
Stereos in campsites that go above "quiet personal listening" level
Bongos
Market stalls
Commercial signage

GATES OPEN AT 8AM ON FRIDAY - please don't come earlier.

TOTAL FIRE BAN SITE day and night. No gas bottles, gas or fuel-burning cookers of any type, BBQs, generators, firesticks or fireworks.

NO GLASS – if you are bringing your own, bring cans or plastic bottles.

EVERYONE THAT GOES HAS TO HAVE A TICKET so don't turn up with out a valid wristband

FESTIVAL TICKETS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES around the wrist of the Festival ticket-holder when at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre. Only remove it when you are on your way home.

DO NOT TRESPASS OR ASSIST ANYONE ATTEMPTING TO TRESPASS.

NO RESERVED CAMPING OR PARKING, please travel in convoy if you would like to camp together.

BRING PHOTO ID if you wish to drink alcohol. Even if you are 55, bring photo ID.

DO NOT ARRIVE OR LEAVE OVER .05 – monitor your alcohol intake or you may face heavy penalties and/ or loss of license.

DO NOT CROSS FESTIVAL BOUNDARIES AT ANY TIME or you will be ejected from the festival and/or charged with trespass. There is only one official entry and exit located at the corner of Mount Mercer Road and Nolan Road. Access via any other point will be considered as trespass.

NO DICKHEADS – that includes no stage diving, crowd surfing, moshing or aggressive behaviour.

NO DOGS – OR ANIMALS of any kind.

KEEP ROADS CLEAR - no parking any part of your vehicle on roads.

WEAR SENSIBLE SHOES.

20KMH SPEED LIMIT – walking pace for all vehicles at all times on site.

DO NOT WALK DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. Use pedestrian shoots.

NO SWIMMING IN THE DAMS.

TAKE CARE UNDER TREES branches can drop and please don’t climb them.

NO BEAN BAGS - those little foam beads don't mix well with the natural environment when the bean bag breaks.

If you plan to drive home, MONITOR ANY ALCOHOL INTAKE on the night before - you may be over the legal limit the next day and face heavy penalties and/or loss of license.

Smokers - don't butt out on the ground - USE PORTABLE ASHTRAYS provided on site.

Follow all directions of Emergency Management Staff.

PLEASE CLEAN UP YOUR CAMPSITE the site is a farm. Meredith has a recycling program, please be part of it.

NO CAMPING SUNDAY NIGHT, gates close at 4.30pm

NO LOUD or OFFENSIVE MUSIC that annoys your neighbours at anytime in campsites.

NO ELEVATED or RAISED COUCHES, chairs or platforms of any kind in the Amphitheatre. No couches on stilts, no stools, nothing above normal sitting chair or couch height.

There is a Zero Tolerance Policy in place for anyone trying to gain entry without a valid ticket, by foot or vehicle. Such persons are trespassers and are therefore breaking the law. The maximum penalty for trespassing is approximately $2750 or 6 months imprisonment. Anyone assisting trespassers will be refused entry or ejected from the festival, and banned from future festivals at the site. If a vehicle is found to be carrying a trespasser, all occupants of the vehicle will be refused entry.

SO PLEASE DO NOT:

* attempt entry in any manner without a valid wristband, or
* trespass on private property, or
* approach or enter/exit the site by other than the authorised entry/exit located at the corner of Mount Mercer and Nolan Road, or
* assist anyone with any of the above

This year tickets will again be in the form of wristbands. The ticket is a wristband, the wristband is a ticket.

Your wristband is your passport in, around and out of the festival. When you purchase a "ticket" from any outlet or online you will actually receive a wristband.

Each wristband will have a unique code on it, and each person's wristband will be electronically scanned on entry and inside the festival at various points to ensure it is valid. Once you are in the festival, you need to keep your wristband on for the duration of the event. The wristband is made of a durable yet soft, waterproof material that won't irritate.

When you receive your wristband, do not put it on until the day of the festival. When that day does arrive, our suggestion is to put it on before you depart for the festival, so you know it's on your wrist and you definitely packed it! Don't leave home without it (on your wrist).

No sponsorship or advertising messages will be printed on the wristbands, we are very mindful of the wristband being on your person for a day or three.

The benefits of the wristband include:

Speeding up the entry process at the festival gates
Canceling stolen or scalped tickets
Keeping the number of people at the festival as low as it should be, by visually identifying anyone at the festival who does not have a legitimate ticket (wristband) and politely handing them over to the Police with a view to them being charged on summons with Trespass, facing fines of up to $2750.

Gates are open Friday from 8am through to 1am Saturday morning. They re-open again on Saturday at 8am. Gates close 4:30pm Sunday - there is no camping Sunday night. Roadbloacks are in place Thursday night through so it's not possible to camp on the side of the road.

The Supernatural Amphitheatre is about 100 minutes drive from Melbourne CBD in light traffic. On the Friday of the festival you can expect steady traffic with some delays - here is a guide to travel times to your campsite on that day.

Melbourne CBD to campsite - 3 hours
Melbourne airport to campsite - 3 hours
Avalon airport to campsite - 2 hours
Geelong to campsite - 1.5 hours
Ballarat to campsite - 1.5 hours

Reserving Campsites is not permitted. You MUST arrive in convoy with your friends if you wish to camp together.

Campervans, motorhomes, caravans, converted buses and the like are all welcome at no extra charge. However, if you arrive in a vehicle such as one of these you may not have the freedom to park and camp wherever you choose. The Camping Marshalls may require you to park and camp on certain parts of the site, especially if the weather has been wet or the campsites are already nearing capacity. So, again, if you wish to camp with friends, arrive in convoy. Lastly, gas cooking is not permitted at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre so gas bottles will not be permitted onto the site.

Please note these vehicles will be subjected to rigorous searches upon entry. Power and running water (with the exception of free drinking water locations) are not provided at the site.

Chartered Buses and Drivers are welcome and encouraged at the festival. This is a great option as it means less traffic and a guaranteed responsible and alert driver to and from your campsite. However there are some protocols and tips you will need to observe to make this happen smoothly.

It's easy, cheap and quick to get to and from the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre by Public Transport.

Basically, there are trains from Spencer Street Melbourne to Geelong station (approx. 60 mins), then there are buses from Geelong Station to Meredith town (approx. 30mins), then the Meredith Festival Shuttle Bus will take you from Meredith town to the Festival site (approx. 10mins).

MOST IMPORTANTLY: if you wish to get the bus HOME from the festival (whether or not you arrived by bus) YOU MUST REGISTER AT THE INFO TENT AT THE FESTIVAL by 9pm on the Saturday Nite. The Info Centre is near The Gift Shoppe on the site, the trip is $5 p/p.

Getting to the festival by train
All bus and train services you need to use are run by V/Line (www.vlinepassenger.com.au)

FROM MELBOURNE
To get to the festival, take train from Southern Cross station to Geelong station (approx. 1 hour ride) and at Geelong, catch connecting Ballarat bus to Meredith (approx. 40 min ride). From Meredith town, a shuttle bus will run to the festival site (10 min ride) to coincide with all V-Line arrivals on Friday in Meredith Town (10 min ride) which will cost you $5 p/p.

FROM BALLARAT
To get to the festival, catch the bus from Ballarat Rail Station to Meredith (approx. 40 min ride). From Meredith town, a shuttle bus will run to the festival site (10 min ride) which will cost you $5 p/p.

Getting home
Catch shuttle bus - which coincides with all V-Line departures from Meredith Town on Sunday from Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre Bus Stop to Meredith town (10 mins). You must register for the Sunday bus trips back at the Info Centre by 9pm Saturday nite; trip is $5 p/p

TO MELBOURNE
Note: shuttle bus from Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre Bus Stop.

Catch the Geelong bus from Meredith to Geelong station (approx. 40 mins) and at the station jump on a train to Southern Cross station (approx. 1 hour ride).

TO BALLARAT
Note: Shuttle bus from Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre Bus Stop leaves at a time to be advised, this will be the only Shuttle Bus provided for the Ballarat timetable

Catch the Ballarat bus from Meredith to Ballarat station (approx. 40 mins).

COMING FROM ADELAIDE
There are many ways to get transport from Adelaide. For details try some fo these websites:

www.mccaffertys.com.au
www.vline.com.au/network.html
www.gsr.com.au/fares/overland.htm
www.jetstar.com.au/flightInfo/schedules
www.virginblue.com.au
AVALON AIRPORT JETSTAR PASSENGERS

Services between Geelong and Avalon:

* Services between Avalon airport and Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road are operated by Avalon Airport Shuttle.

* One-way trips cost $12 per adult to Geelong Bus Port.

* Door to Door service is available throughout Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road.

For prices phone (03) 52 788 788.

Bus Services from Geelong are timed to coincide with the Jetstar schedule. Passengers using the Avalon Airport Shuttle service to the airport should remember to check departure times on (03) 52 788 788.

There is a shuttle bus from the site to Meredith Town but its main purpose is to link with public transport options, not to provide a round trip to Meredith Town for non-PT users. The shuttle runs are timed to meet bus services through Meredith Town, go to Public Transport link from INFO page for more details.

Every year for more than a decade there has been a Booze Bus operating on the road either to or from the festival, and sometimes both. In recent years these buses have also been testing for drugs. In 2008 Victoria Police mounted a large roadside operation for traffic going in to the festival on the Friday. We anticpate that this will happen again for 2009. The Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre festival organisers do not condone the use of illicit drugs, and we abhor the practice of driving over the legal limit. So please be warned and take great care in driving to and from the festival.

At the festival each year, the TAC set up a fantastic bus named Vanessa who is equipped with many breath-testing stations and friendly staff who enable to festival-goers to check their blood alcohol content before making a decision about driving a vehicle. What an absolutely terrific idea. We love Vanessa, she's a ripper. Check the festival program booklet or Info Centre at the festival for details of where Vanessa and her staff will be located for the exit.

Please download a document we have prepared (borrowing heavily from the Fitzroy Legal Service, thankyou) which details your rights in the event of being approached by Police regarding a drug or alcohol test, or if the PAD "sniffer" dogs approach you or your vehicle. We appreciate and respect the efforts of Victoria Police and support their work around and at the festival. Please take the time to read this, as being informed about the subject will be invaluable to you, should you find yourself in this kind of situation.

There are traffic holding bays on the roads approaching the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre. This means you will almost certainly be stopped several kilometres from the entrance. Don't be alarmed, this doesn't mean the queue stretches all the way to the gate. The holding bays are in place to slow traffic down to a safe speed, to reduce the instance of traffic banking up on dangerous bends or hills, and to check everyone has valid wristbands well before they arrive at the festival.

Please note that at times there will be two lanes of traffic flowing in the same direction. Festival-goers should stay in the left lane, as the right lane is reserved for emergency services, staff, artists and crew - all of whom have official vehicle passes. There will be no pushing in or rorting thankyou very much young man. Anyone trying to drive along the right hand lane without correct car passes will be refused entry and escorted to the very back of the queue.

Reception is the complex near the festival entrance where you and your vehicle are checked in for your stay with us. Reception is open 24 hours, but note that on the Friday you can only enter the festival between 8am and 1am Saturday morning. Between 1am and 8am Saturday gates are closed, re-opening for the day at 8am Saturday.

At Reception your wristband's barcode will be electronically scanned to ensure it is valid. Your vehicle will be searched for glass and other banned items like people who don't have a wristband, who are treated as Trespassers and handed over to the Police. Any vehicle found harbouring or assisting a Trespasser will have ALL occupants banned from enterting the festival, whether they have valid wristbands or not. Don't help a Trespasser or you'll be having a boring weekend at home.

Anyways! On the brighter side, our wonderful festival volunteers and concierge will be on hand at Reception to greet you, hand you a free 'Owner's Manual' festival program booklet with site map etc, some garbage bags for your campsite and Get You On Your Way.

Please don't rely on Reception staff to answer your questions on arrival - the Pocket Companion and this this website will have every piece of info you'll need to know, then once You're In the Info Centre will help with any further enquiries. Get thru Recetion as quickly and smoothly as you can - have your wristbands on, be prepared to pop the boot and open any eskies etc. God love you and thanks for coming.

Passouts are available at Reception from 10pm Friday night onwards. DO NOT REMOVE your wristband whilst you are off-site or it will not be valid for re-entry.

Contact Aunty for the best info about dropping off and picking up your friends/kids/parents at the festival.

Festivals at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre are all age events, however anyone 16 years old or under must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The parent or legal guardian must also have a valid wristband to enter the festival.

The festivals are not set up or designed with people under 18 in mind.

Kids under 10 are free, kids 10 and over need a (full price) valid wristband. Kids under 10 are given a wristband on entry and parent's mobile phone numbers are written on them in case of emergency eg in case if the kid gets lost. Whilst we welcome parents bringing their kids to the festivals, again we dont set up or design the festivals with kids in mind; there are no dedicated kids activities and no childminding or creche-type facilities. So please think carefully before bringing kids to the festival, it's a big crowd and they'll essentially be outdoors in the Victoria summer weather for three days. You are waaaay better off leaving the kids with their grandparents if you can and coming on down for some kid-like fun of your own. But you know, that's up to you.

Festivals at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre are all age events, however anyone 16 years old or under must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The parent or legal guardian must also have a valid wristband to enter the festival.

The festivals are not set up or designed with people under 18 in mind.

Kids under 10 are free, kids 10 and over need a (full price) valid wristband. Kids under 10 are given a wristband on entry and parent's mobile phone numbers are written on them in case of emergency eg in case if the kid gets lost. Whilst we welcome parents bringing their kids to the festivals, again we dont set up or design the festivals with kids in mind; there are no dedicated kids activities and no childminding or creche-type facilities. So please think carefully before bringing kids to the festival, it's a big crowd and they'll essentially be outdoors in the Victoria summer weather for three days. You are waaaay better off leaving the kids with their grandparents if you can and coming on down for some kid-like fun of your own. But you know, that's up to you.

The Supernatural Amphitheatre is about 100 minutes drive from Melbourne International and Domestic Airport (Tullamarine) in average traffic.

Avalon Airport is much closer, located just East of Geelong. Avalon has very few international flights, but the domestic airline
Jetstar has several flights from many Australian destinations around festival time.

On the Friday of the festival you can expect heavier traffic with some delays - here is a guide to travel times to the festival site on Friday.

Melbourne CBD to festival - 3 hours
Melbourne airport to festival - 3 hours
Avalon airport to festival - 2 hours