36th Variety Bash roars through Bourke

Variety Club Bashers at the new Bourke sign on the Mitchell Highway. Photo Noel Fisher

‘Bashful Bees’ Sonya Link and Mandy Parker. Photo Noel Fisher

Last week the famous Variety Bash wound its way through Bourke on its ten day and 4,465-kilometer journey toward Mackay in Queensland from its start in Western Sydney.

The 82 bash cars of all shapes and descriptions, along with 250 people to crew and support them, started hitting town at about 3pm last Wednesday, but many did not arrive until much later.

Running for thirty-six years, the Variety Bash is neither a rally nor a race, but a drive through the outback with a few mates raising funds for children.

All vehicles entered in the Bash must have been manufactured 30 years or more before the Bash and they must be roadworthy, registered and insured.

All vehicles must be conventional two-wheel drive vehicles with a maximum crew of four people.

This year organisers also permitted a small number of 4WD vehicles with very specific entry requirements, which included a doubling of the minimum fundraising entry fee to $17,000.

Before leaving Bourke on the way to Hungerford and Cunnamulla the 2022 Bashers gathered at the Bourke Public School for breakfast and donated over $8,000 worth of equipment to the school.

Relieving Principal at Bourke Public School, Margaret Gordon-Poole, said that the donation of equipment to the therapy room meant the school can now set up the room with lots of sensory toys.

“In addition to that they have given us lots of goodies from Lego to books for all of our children; they do great work.”

The ‘Bashers’ enjoyed a hearty breakfast prepared by school staff and Men’s Shed volunteers’ from about 4am.

Read more local news in the printed edition of The Western Herald.

To subscribe call (02) 6872 2333 today and receive The Western Herald in your letterbox next week!