When the Drover’s Run passed through town on Monday, there was singing and a few games on the agenda.

“We’re pretty focussed on working together as a team, because we are so isolated out here,” the school’s principal, Dianne Lakin, said.

“We’re the most isolated school in NSW so for anyone to take on the Wanaaring road and come out and visit us, we say a thank you and we’re grateful. It is a long way and the road is not the easiest to travel along.”

Wanaaring is about 190 kilometres west of Bourke, and “about 140 kilometres of that (the road) is bull dust”.

The mail is delivered twice a week and don’t bother buying a mobile phone –  there is no service.

The kids, who range in age from 5 to 11 years, were keen to entertain the group, performing a couple of songs they’d been learning “for a few weeks now”.  The titles fitted the occasion – True Colours and Count on Me – given the rally is in support of the lifesaving Westpac chopper service.

The children were “nervous, but excited” to stand in front of the crowd and one of the rally participants, Emma Dykes from Inverell, returned the favour and also put on a bit of a show.

It’s not just an experience for the kids either, the whole town gets involved when the rally rolls in. The local pub helped to put on lunch.

For the rally participants, this is just one of the stops along the way. It’s 13 nights and 14 days of “doing it tough” for a worthy cause. They will wind their way through some of the most rugged and beautiful country we have before ending up back in Tamworth on August 11.