As a metaphor for a place far from anywhere, “back of Bourke” was coined for a reason. It took an hours flight from Sydney and a four hour drive just to get to Bourke. Then another two hours on mostly dirt
roads to get to the “back” of it. Which was Bush Heritage’s Naree Reserve. Such a trip rewards those determined enough to get there with a rich experience. And so it proved for Jord’s annual Bush Heritage weekend of R&R, team bonding and a chance to “do some good”.

The birdlife at Naree is astonishing. We saw loads of parrots, raptors, martins and swallows. There were pigeons and songbirds too, which we struggled to identify without Bush Heritage staff to help. We only saw a few roos, due to the drought. But plenty of feral goats and pigs. And that was where Jord comes in. We don’t know much botany or zoology at Jord, but we can construct and demolish things OK. So, armed with pliers & posts, drivers & wire strainers, we set about helping Reserve Manager Greg Carroll repair a dilapidated feral goat trap.

Our dozen intrepid travellers toiled hard in the searing heat to erect this feral goat trap. Their efforts were not in vain. The below image features an ecstatic Reserve Manager Greg Carroll, herding goats onto a truck with a few mates. They’re being rounded up 30 at a time, irrefutable proof that Jord’s bullet-proof trap works a treat!

Jord’s visit was at the back end of the worst drought in living memory. Since then, both rains and floodwaters have restored this parched earth. So its never been more important to keep the ferals off, to allow native bush regeneration to flourish.