This morning we were on the road again early. We stopped briefly at the Tambo Teddies shop to buy a gift before driving on to Charleville. At the Bilby Centre, located in the Charleville railway station, we saw bilbies running around a glass enclosure in semi darkness. Story boards and a video showed the efforts made to save these small, nocturnal marsupials from extinction due to the prevalence of wild dogs and cats. Bilbies have a long nose, a black band on the upper tail, then white fur hides a spur like tip. One way to save these creatures from extinction is instead of buying rabbits at Easter, buy a chocolate bilby from Cadbury or Darryl Lea instead – I am personally going to appeal for Lindt to make one too, from 70% cocoa of course!!

We did not stop at Charleville’s Cosmos Centre and Observatory as it was the middle of the day and we were keen to get to Bourke. I don’t like being on the road after 4pm as that is when the kangaroos leave the shade and loiter along the roadside trying to find some feed.

While waiting for a late lunch in Cunnamulla I looked up at a street flag and noticed the Fella Centre had an Artesian Time Tunnel. I ran across the road and asked to see it quickly. I was put in an old lift which rattled and shook. I didn’t think it was ever going to stop. When it did, I rushed out into a tunnel with story boards about the Great Artesian Basin and further along two people were watching a video. I didn’t have time to watch the video so after a brief look at the story boards I kept going out the tunnel exit where I found myself in the museum and on the same floor I had started on!!!!

Someone had asked us to look at a pub for sale at Barringun. The pub was built in 1884 and little has changed since then. The many rooms have very high ceilings lined with Cyprus pine. The original timber clad cold room still works. This pub, situated in NSW close to the border, has lots of history but it will be a labour of love to restore it.

After leaving the pub at 4.30pm we had to be on constant roo, emu and goat alert as there were many on the roadside. We arrived at Bourke around 5.30pm.