It seemed an odd place for a full-strength contingent of NSW police to set up a sobriety checkpoint, this long, straight, lightly travelled strip of bitumen bisecting the saltbush monotony to the west of Deniliquin.

But there they were, several hours before noon on Good Friday, their fluorescent vests and breath-analysers prompting some panicked reckoning before coming to a halt: several beers the night before, plus a bottle of red and, because the Barmah pub is such a pleasant spot after a long day behind the wheel, two or three ports to polish the night with a tawny glow.