We’re going to the Tip! The tip of Australia, that is!

Here’s where we’re going each day, on the 2012 NSW Variety Bash. The distances are as listed in the Bash Bugle, and times are as calculated by Google Maps, based on the shortest distance between each place. We know that the Bash rarely goes on main roads or directly from place to place, so the times wil be considerably longer. See a map of the Bash route below.

See the Weather page for more detailed forecasts for places along the way.

Day	From – Via – To	Est Kms (Est Hrs)	What’s Happening	Current Temps
Day 1, Aug 19, Sun	Balmain, NSW – Merriwa – Narrabri	638 (7)	Starting the Bash in the main street of Balmain, Darling Street. Balmain was the location of the first Variety Australia office, 38 years ago. Lunch at Merriwa. Washer toss at night before dinner in Narrabri. Winner is first out the next day.	Click for weather forecast Click for weather forecast
Day 2, Aug 20, Mon	Narrabri – Mungindi, NSW – Goondiwindi, Qld	413 (3)	Yellow day. Breakfast at St Francis Xavier’s Primary School in Narrabri. Triples cars “Olympics”-themed fun stop, in the morning, at a property called “Bonny Rigg”. Lunch at Mungindi, at the Mungundi Central School. Half of Mungindi is in NSW and half is in Qld. “Willie Nelson” and “Roy Orbison” will be singing for us at dinner in Goondiwindi.	Click for weather forecast
Day 3, Aug 21, Tue	Goondiwindi – Surat – Roma	492 (4)	Breakfast at Goondiwindi State School. Lunch at Surat State School. Great Offshore Power Boat Race somewhere along the way. Dinner at the Roma Gun Club: theme is “Underbelly: the Bikie Wars”. We’ll be shooting at clay pigeons at the Club. Five-year certificates will be awarded during dinner.	Click for weather forecast
Day 4, Aug 22, Wed	Roma – Arcadia Valley – Emerald	497 (5)	Breakfast at the junior campus of the Roma State College (Primary School). Back to School Day: dress up school clothes, or as a Teacher or even a Parent! Stop off at Arcadia Valley School, Arcadia Valley Night at Emerald. Dinner at the Emerald Civic Centre, with Italian food, provided by the local Lions Club. Theme is “Captain James Cook”. It’s a Seafaring-themed night, with performances by “Simon and Garfunkel”. It’s also 10-Year Certificate night.	Click for weather forecast
Day 5, Aug 23, Thu	Emerald – Charters Towers	564 (6)	Breakfast at Emerald North Public School. Drive to property “Walthum”. Pick up packed lunch there (prepared by Emerald North Public School P & C). It’s a 68,000 acre property with 6,000 head of cattle on it, owned by David and Lydia Dennis. It has been in the same family for 112 years and is named after Waltham Abbey in England where David’s Great, Great Grandfather came from. We run through three properties all owned by a Dennis. Night at Charters Towers. The Lions Club is preparing dinner for at at the historic Titley Centre.	Click for weather forecast
Day 6, Aug 24, Fri	Charters Towers – Cairns	594 (6)	Breakfast at the Charters Towers Central State School. Packed lunch day, prepared by the Charters Towers Central State School’s P & C. One of the more challenging days on the Bash. Crossing the Burdekin River, in four short crossings. Free night in Cairns.	Click for weather forecast
Day 7, Aug 25, Sat	Cairns – Kuranda – Cairns	26	Caravonica State School for breakfast, but as it’s Saturday we probably won’t see many kids. Coach to Freshwater Station for the ride up the Kuranda Scenic Railway. Free time for lunch in Kuranda. Skyrail Rainforest Cableway trip back down to Cairns, a trip of 7.5km across the rainforest canopy. Bash Idol night, Black Tie Night, Karaoke, at the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal. 20-year certificate night.
Day 8, Aug 26, Sun	Cairns – Laura – Archer River Roadhouse	624 (6)	Breakfast provided by the Regional Cairns Lions Clubs with assistance by the P & F of the nearby St Joseph’s School, at the Munro Martin Park. Parade through town as we depart Cairns Packed lunch provided by “the local watering hole” in Laura. Greek night. Stuart’s Sunset Soiree and the WOW Girls Games, on the banks of the Archer River. Big Night Out Band is playing. Camping out, at the Archer River Roadhouse, 66km north of Coen on the Peninsula Development Road.	Click for weather forecast Click for weather forecast
Day 9, Aug 27, Mon	Archer River Roadhouse – Bramwell Station – Bamaga	376 (7)	Breakfast at the Archer River Roadhouse. Pick up a packed lunch at Bramwell Station. Parade through town on arrival in Bamaga through to the Seisia football ground, which will be the location for our Community Night including fireworks that will be ignited by Crackers and his Shoalhaven Bashers Team mates. Dinner will be alongside at the Fisherman’s Club. John Williamson, John Paul Young and the Bash band will be performing for us.	Click for weather forecast
Day 10, Aug 28, Tue	Bamaga – Thursday Island – Bamaga	80 nautical miles	Breakfast with the Northern Peninsula Area (Junior) College in Bamaga. Off to Thursday Island by ferry on a sightseeing tour and lunch at the Tagai State College where the Special Education unit will host us. Dinner again at the Fisherman’s Club where the dress will be Melanesian Theme! This is the night the 25 Year certificate(s) will be presented.

Although the Bash is officially over on August 29, we will be going to the tip of Cape York for a group photo.

And then we’ll be winding our way back over to Cairns, then on back to Sydney.

Here’s a map of the overall route for the 2012 NSW Variety Bash:

Here are all of the 2012 Bash pages:

• Bash Route 2012
• Weather for the Bash Route
• Bash Calendar
• Video Clips of Places on the 2012 Bash

Help us help the dear kids who need that little bit extra. All donations, big or small, make a difference.