Five top Aussie festivals around Australia

From country music events to spectacular Outback festivals, or food and wine extravaganzas to riverboats and jazz, there's something worth driving to just about anywhere in Australia all-year round. Here are five diverse festivals worth packing your bags for and hitting the road in a DriveNow campervan for a unique Australian cultural experience.

1. Riverboats, Jazz, Food & Wine Weekend - Echuca, Victoria. 15th - 17th February

Pick up your DriveNow Melbourne Rental Car and a leisurely three-hour drive along the Hume Freeway and Northern Highway will take you to the riverbanks of beautiful Echuca where this annual event creates a buzz in February every year. The region's finest food and wine are on show, jazz musos from far and wide strut their stuff and the paddle steamers from yesteryear chug along the mighty Murray River. It's a treat for the eyes, ears and taste buds!

2. Tamworth Country Music Festival - Tamworth, New South Wales. 18th - 27th January

This one's popular for lovers of Country music and is held every year in January. It's a five or six-hour journey predominantly spent on the Pacific and New England Highways from Sydney, but upon reaching the final destination you'll be re-energised by the festival spirit. Country artists including Troy Cassar Daley, Kasey Chambers, and hundreds more from all walks of life and ages, amateur or professional. It's all about great food, friends, tents, caravans and super music over 10 days.

3. Targa Tasmania - Tasmania, 29th April to 4th May

One for car lovers, this amazing international event has been running since 1992 and basically is a tarmac rally with competitive stages on closed roads for some of the best touring, sports and GT cars from throughout the world - a cavalcade of motoring history that is sure to delight as you discover the spoils of the Apple Isle.

4.  World's Greatest Pub Crawl - Maryborough, Queensland. 6th May This four-hour journey along the Bruce Highway from Brisbane will get you to Maryborough, but that's where you'll have to pop the keys away for a few days as the "world's greatest pub crawl" whets your appetite for a good time. More than 3000 pub crawlers hit the streets in a bid to knock off the Guinness World Record for the most pub crawlers in one spot each year. Loads of fun ... but don't forget to pack the panadol and sleep well before the long trip back!

5. The Meeka Outback Festival - Meekatharra, Western Australia. 21st - 23rd September

Last but not least, this marathon nine-hour drive from Perth along the Great Northern Highway will take you to this entertaining festival held every Queen's Birthday Weekend in June. Enjoy the region's unique culture as the festival ignites with fireworks, stalls and kids rides on the main oval on the Friday night. Then the colourful floats hit the town on the Saturday before the afternoon races encourage punters to have a tipple and a bet before you enjoy watching and listening to bands perform under the desert stars.

AUSTIN BONHAM

DriveNow Team

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