They never imagined Paul would find out he had cancer just four days before they arrived to take up a 25-year lease on the Kinross Woolshed Hotel in October, 2017.

The pair had travelled the length and breadth of NSW, looking over 10 pubs before deciding on the iconic Thurgoona watering hole.

“We fell for the nostalgia and the place had such a great feel to it,” Paul said.

“We both felt at home here but we still came back six times just to see it on different days, check out the clientele and how it was run.”

The long-time friends originally hail from Sydney – Paul in charge of TABs and bottle shops, while Norm ran bars in the city before spending seven years running a bar in the Czech Republic.

They kept in touch when Paul moved to Port Macquarie and Norm to nearby Nambucca Heads.

Somehow they’ve found themselves in inland NSW running a quintessential country pub and wondering at times what on earth they’ve got themselves into.

The challenge of long hours and getting into the swing of managing a busy hotel and entertainnment venue has been amplified by Paul’s cancer diagnosis.

“The professor in Port Macquarie said, ‘You’ll be right, it will keep your mind off things’,” Paul laughed.

“Norm’s supportive; he’s taken more on board and tried to keep me away from the stress.

“There’s one of us at the pub at all times; Norm handles the bar and I’ve gone into the kitchen to get that running smoothly again.”

Now in his ninth week of radiation treatment for prostate and bladder cancer, Paul is battling tiredness and the effects of strong medication.

It hasn’t stopped the passionate publicans enacting plans to make the Kinross a family-friendly venue and build its food reputation.

They have big dreams to reinstate the Kinross country muster while continuing to attract good live bands and have developed a great partnership with nearby CSU.

And, given his journey at the moment, Paul said the pub was more than willing to support a good cause.