A new tourist trail for devoted pub goers has been created to regale the wonders of watering holes in the far north-west of New South Wales.
Called The Pub Route, it consists of eight different trails, all featuring stops that were originally bars, pubs and stables created for cattle and sheep drovers across Bourke, Cobar, Walgett and occasionally into neighbouring shires.
The outback discovery tour idea began six years ago through a meeting of the Far North West Joint Organisation, when they were working on a tourism strategy to entice visitors to the region.
BushMedia owner Andrew Drane, journalist Jono Roe and artist Andrew Hull joined forces to decide how to tell the story of the local pubs.
In western NSW, pubs have always served as central social hubs, offering a unique lens through which local stories can be told and history preserved, so the group began by mapping every historic pub that was once in the region.
“The story of the bush isn’t written down, it’s told face-to-face by the people who live there, and it’s experienced one-to-one by the people who visit,” say the organisers.
“Most of all, it’s celebrated in places that curate, relate, and create the story of the bush, the pubs,” according to The Pub Route’s website.
The group looked to local knowledge for the history, unearthing stories of bush rangers, cameleers, pioneers and women of the bush.
The Pub Route team has erected historical markers where important sites once sat, such as old pubs, which are now mostly on private property.
QR codes have been included on these signs with the aim of connecting travellers to the stories of the forgotten pub spots that shaped the region.
The group then looked to the current pubs, many without any significant social media presence. Accordingly, they created a strong online presence, supporting each of these businesses as part of the trail.
While The Pub Route has not yet been officially launched, interest has already been high, with both car clubs and individual travellers already exploring the trail maps.
Hull says the feedback has been overwhelming.
“The pubs themselves are highly engaged with the project. They all love it,” he said.
The Pub Route hopes to expand to surrounding areas in the future.
