It’s become an annual tradition for a number of Cobar families to spend their September school holidays on the Bourke Police & Community Outback Trek.
The tag-a-long trek, which has been going for 31 years, has become a firm favourite with locals who are keen each year to meet up again with other members of their ‘Trek Family’.
For the past 22 years, the trek has been organised by Cobar police officer, Greg Martin, who said the Trek Family just keeps getting bigger.
“This year there’s eight families in the ‘Cobar Crew’ and 52 vehicles all up,” Greg said.
He said it was the camaraderie of the trek that kept families coming back year after year with a number of families who previously lived in Cobar still returning each year for the trek.
That camaraderie sentiment was also echoed by a number of the kids on the trek.
“We don’t see each other through the year and it’s great to catch up on the trek,” Abby Carswell said.
The Cobar Crew joined the rest of this year’s trekkers in Bourke on Saturday afternoon before heading off into the outback where they will cover 3,800km with Streaky Bay in South Australia their final destination.
Also travelling with the trek this year is a band, an ambulance and their own mechanic’s vehicle.
In addition to camping for 13 days, the trekkers have lots of activities planned including a pyjama party, a mad hat day and a rock’n’roll ball.
There will also be a special get together to celebrate the wedding anniversary of locals Margaret and Ian Settree, who were part of the trek family up until their tragic deaths last year.
For many years Margaret and Ian had celebrated their anniversary on the trek.
Greg said in addition to being a lot of fun, the Bourke Police & Outback Community Trek is also a fundraiser for a number of Bourke and outlying area charities including the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the Bourke PCYC and the Royal Far West.
“We also support the many small communities we visit,” he said.
“There’s our fuel, catering, accommodation and any spending which all benefits these communities.”
