What to expect on site

There are operational toilets and shower blocks located in various areas on site.

There are no clothes washing facilities. Please pack enough clothing to last you the entire duration of your stay.

Please see our What to Pack for Garma

Garma is a fully catered event with three main meals per day along with morning and afternoon tea. Please check notice boards for kitchen schedules. We also have a Garma Café on site which opens daily for guests to purchase a barista-made coffee, tea and other café-style beverages. Non-vegetarian and vegetarian meals will be on offer for all guests.

For guests that have specific dietary needs, we ask that you advise us of any food allergies and intolerances so we can inform our caterers. Please email your specific dietary requirement concern to admin@garmafestival.com.au

Note: Our Caterers will make every attempt to identify ingredients that may cause allergic reactions for those with food allergies. Every effort is made to instruct our food production staff on the severity of food allergies; however, there is always a risk of contamination. There is also a possibility that manufacturers of the commercial foods we use could change the formulation at any time, without notice. Customers concerned with food allergies need to be aware of this risk. The Yothu Yindi Foundation will not assume any liability for adverse reactions to foods consumed or items one may come in contact with while eating catered meals.

Gulkula is a dry community, and the Festival is strictly a drug and alcohol-free event.

There are heavy penalties for persons taking and consuming alcohol and/or illegal drugs at the festival, patrons caught will be immediately escorted off-site by the local Police. We have police sniffer dogs on regular patrol during the festival.

The Garma Festival is held in a remote bush location. Currently, we have limited facilities to cater for people with disabilities. We have one wheelchair-accessible toilet and shower facility on site. We are planning to better enable and accommodate guests in the future.

All children attending Garma must be registered with an accompanying adult. While the organisers will do everything in their power to make the site child-friendly, the responsibility for the care and wellbeing of children lies entirely with parent/s, carers or guardians, please ensure that you supervise your children at all times.

Mobile coverage is very limited, however, Telstra will be on-site with a SATCow– Satellite Cell on Wheels that provides connectivity for all guests. You may want to bring a Telstra SIM card if they are not your carrier.

The festival runs during the dry season months; therefore, days are usually dry and hot with top temperatures of around 30 degrees, however at nighttime, the temperate can drop dramatically to around 13-15 degrees. We recommend that you bring warm clothes for the evening and early mornings.

If you are not accustomed to this type of climate, we strongly advise keeping up a high fluid intake to avoid dehydration and wearing a broad-brimmed hat to guard against the harsh sun. Although quite rare at this time of year we have the odd occasional rain showers, we also experience heavy dew in the mornings, therefore we suggest that when you are not occupying your tent you keep it closed and zipped up to avoid your belongings getting wet.

Like most bushland in Australia, Gulkula has a healthy population of venomous snakes. If you see a snake, don’t panic, do not touch it or attempt to move it yourself. Please notify a Garma crew member immediately so we can have the ranger safely remove it away from the site.

Wear insect repellents and cover-up at dusk and dawn to avoid mosquitoes. You may wish to bring a mosquito net as individuals’ reactions to bites vary.

Crocodiles (baru) inhabit the waters of Arnhem Land. They are not a threat at the Gulkula site which is atop an escarpment 100 metres above sea level. However, we do advise that caution should always be considered if venturing near water.

Sea wasps (box jellyfish) and other stingers exist in the ocean. It is highly recommended that you only enter the sea under the company and supervision of local guides. Note that there is a public swimming pool in Nhulunbuy where you will not have to worry about baru (crocodile), jellyfish or stingers.

There is also a local population of wild buffalo. If seen, do not approach under any circumstances. Buffalo is known for their short tempers and is not appreciative of being interrupted. If you see a buffalo, retreat quietly. Please let Garma crew members know immediately if you spot a buffalo so that a qualified ranger can assist the buffalo in finding a safer place for it to go about its’ daily business.

Garma is a cashless event.

There will be EFTPOS machines stationed at the Garma Cafe, Merchandise Store for card purchases. Please note there are no ATMs available at the festival.

A first-aid service is available onsite for minor injuries or ailments. Any serious conditions will be taken to the Nhulunbuy Hospital. As the festival is in a remote location with no pharmacy close by, we recommend that you bring all your medications with you. We have a fridge located in the administration office to store medicines that require refrigeration.  Please advise the organisers via email to admin@garmafestival.com.au if you have special needs or conditions.