It’s day four of the Variety Brydens Lawyers B to B Bash and we were hosted for breakfast this morning at Morgan Street Public School. we were treated to another wonderful Bash Brekky put on by the school and community before heading to Tilpa, known for its fishing and iconic outback pub, Tilpa is a rewarding stopover on the scenic Darling River Run. This peaceful and historic town on the western banks of the Darling River was once a busy port for the bustling paddle-steamer river trade. Established in 1894 to service the river boat trade, the Tilpa Hotel is one of the last remaining bush pubs in Australia. Built of corrugated iron and timber, it’s the place for a chat with the friendly locals while you tuck into a classic counter meal. It’s also been the landing spot for many of our Bash lunches over the years and this time we were catered for by the Tilpa Community Committee in the community hall across the street from the pub.

Driving north-east, Bourke is where we’ve bunkered down for the night. Located where the Kidman Way meets the Darling River, Bourke is a town firmly etched in Australian folklore and is the ideal access point for The Darling River Run. Bourke provides a true Outback experience to all who visit this iconic Bash favourite town, from where Dick Smith officially started the first B to B Bash 37 years ago. In the second half of the 1800s, the Port of Bourke was the focus of the world’s wool industry with up to 80 riverboats servicing the region and at one time it was one of the largest in the world. Today, while wool is still produced here, cotton has taken over as the major industry. Bourke also boasts a thriving horticultural industry, which produces an abundance of grapes, citrus, plums, apricots and melon as well as a variety of vegetable crops. Alternative native crops such as peanuts, jojoba and the unique Napunya honey are also produced in the area. 🐝