Visit the local villages of Louth and Tilpa –

LOUTH - Central to many country peoples social lives are the little villages closest to them.  On the eastern bank of the Darling 99km from Bourke, is the once thriving river port of Louth, now boasting a (slightly) fluctuating population of around 30. There’s a small one-teacher primary school of 10 students (as at 2005). Some of the students travel 50km each day to get to school.  The local hub of almost all things is the Pub, Shindy’s Inn, and across the road is a little park and tennis courts.  A remarkable monument stands at the Louth Cemetery, erected in memory of Mary Devine, wife of the founder of Louth, T.A. Matthews.  At sunset the sun hits the Celtic cross atop the monument and shines into the village. On the anniversary of her death it shines to the point where the front door of their house once stood. There are pegs marking the area in which to stand to see the phenomenon each evening.

Golf fanatics will be pleased to know Louth has a little 9 hole Bush Golf Course.  A must-see for golf enthusiasts to understand how desperate their fellow outback golf enthusiasts are to play golf! 

Louth Races - In August the little village of Louth swells to thousands on its annual Louth Turf Club Race Day - A day of thoroughbred horse racing in the outback.  Many folks arrive earlier in the week before, and camp on the racecourse grounds, which have good camping facilities.  Through the week there are various fundraisers, by way of competitions and catering, for local clubs and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.  Things such as camp-oven comps, damper comps, fishing comps, golf challenge… all manner of fun, and all judged at the hub of Louth – Shindy’s Inn.

TILPA - The village of Tilpa is a tiny place, almost another 100km downstream of Louth, on the western riverbank.  It has a population of less than 10.  The Tilpa Royal Hotel is a Pub of original outback character. It’s smack at the top of the riverbank.  Any closer and it’d be in it! A description can’t do this pub justice – it’s a “need-to-see-it” thing!  There’s a little general store, which used to be the Tilpa Post Office, and there you can buy a selection of grocery items and ice-cream treats.  In June Tilpa holds an annual shearing competition called the Tilpa Quickshear.  Shearers and rouseabouts compete against each other in various events.

The Gundabooka National Park is very “do-able” in a day trip from Idalia. Approx 130km from us, it has local Aboriginal rock art for viewing and a 4.8km bushwalk to the top of Little Mountain from which the entire northern escarpment of the Gundabooka Range can be seen.