Burning Man festivalgoers are speaking out about their experiences at this year's event after rare rain turned the desert where it's based into a mud bath.
Today, attendees were able to start leaving the week-long event, which finished days later than expected as organisers told people to stay put and conserve food and water.
The location, Black Rock City, which is in the middle of Black Rock Desert, is incredibly remote — it's about a 196km drive to the nearest city, Reno.
Among those who were able to leave by airplane from the airfield at the camp were seasoned "burners" Kim Standley and Lisa Labat.
Both have attended the event several times.
"We were lucky to get out on an airplane... the crew was amazing," Labat told 1News from Reno airport.
When the pair flew over the desert they saw incredibly long lines of cars — the lines were so long satellites from space were able to clearly photograph it.
"The exodus was a little rough, but we got a ride out we were OK," Standley said.
Of the event itself, they said they "had a good time", even if this year's Burning Man had challenges with the mud.
"We were there for a few days before the rain started so we went out to experience the playa, go out to see the camps," Labat said.
"When the rain started it was wet and muddy, and people got creative about their footwear — we tried out lots of different bags on our feet, walked around in trash bags," she said.
"I ended up putting plastic bags inside my shoes so my feet didn't get waterlogged."
The pair said they "hunkered down" with others in their camp during the bad weather.
Angela Peacock, who is stuck at the festival, said it was hoped everyone would be able to leave in the next 24 to 48 hours. (Source: Breakfast)
"You were just in your smaller group," Labat said.
"For us, we got a whole lot of quality time... We made our own party."
"We shared water, we shared food, everybody was making things and bringing it out to different areas.
"We were really well prepared in our area — we were not in a situation where we had to use those port-a-potties," Labat said.
Many of the now infamous port-a-loos at Burning Man quickly began overflowing as trucks couldn't come in to empty them.
"We heard stories about these — It was just too much!"
Their camp also decided they wouldn't follow those who were ignoring official advice by trying to make their own way out of the desert through about 8km of thick, "concrete-like" mud.
"Lots of people went rouge, some of them walked out, trying to go off-roading where it marked that you should not go, and they got stuck," Labat said.
Many got stuck in "weird places", she said.
When 1News asked if the experience put them off coming again next year, they both responded with an instant "no".
"We are sad we have to wait a year," Standley said.
"The whole place is pretty magical, it is such a good experience to be there — it's like you are with 70,000 of your friends and when I'm there I'm like 'how do I even explain this to anyone?'. You go out on the playa and there are art cars and double-decker buses, and everything is lit up. Nobody is on their phone.
"It's like walking into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. It's a world of pure imagination."
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