Four outback road trips to make your Broken Hill getaway a real adventure
Kimo Estate, near Gundagai in the Riverina
Broken Hill’s heritage, landscape and art scene lure travellers into NSW’s outback. Make the journey as fun as the destination with these four road trips from Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide, promising culture and nature experiences en route.
- 4 min read
Enjoy a cultural drive from Sydney
In a nutshell:
- Key stops: Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo
- Highlights: Taronga Western Plains Zoo, the Big Bogan, opal mines and Paroo-Darling National Park
- Length: 1,300kms, 14 hours
Leaving Sydney, cruise through the Blue Mountains’ misty forests before exiting the Great Western Highway at Bathurst. Explore Australia’s oldest inland European settlement that’s rich with gold rush history, charged with motor sports prestige and set against the backdrop of Mount Panorama. While here, take a tour of the grand Abercrombie House and stop by celebrity chef Matt Moran’s The Rockley Pub for a fortifying meal.
Mount Panorama/Wahluu Track, Bathurst
Moving further west, gourmands will enjoy eating their way through Orange, a charming country hub with cool climate wineries. Sip and dine at the likes of The Union Bank and Printhie Dining, or take a Country Food Trails tour to enjoy private and exclusive experiences off the well-worn tourist track.
Next up is Dubbo, where a visit to the acclaimed, open-plains Taronga Western Plains Zoo feels like driving through a savannah. You can even bed down amid the calls of the wild at the onsite Zoofari Lodge.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo - Credit: Rick Stevens | Western Plains Zoo
No road trip along the Great Western Highway can be considered complete without a selfie with the Big Bogan at Nyngan, a statue that looks exactly how it sounds. Then continue on to Wilcannia and take a detour to White Cliffs to join the Red Earth Opal Mine Tour or look for emus at Paroo-Darling National Park. From here enjoy a two-hour drive to the Silver City, Broken Hill.
Red Earth Opal Mine Tour, White Cliffs
Wine and dine your way from Canberra
In a nutshell:
- Key stops: Murrumbateman, Jugiong, Wagga Wagga, Narrandera, Wilcannia
- Highlights: wineries, foodie trails, water tower art trail and Aboriginal culture
- Length: 1,100kms, 11 hours
A road trip to Broken Hill from Canberra offers plenty of delights for food-lovers. The route is blessed with fertile wine country and charming country towns that are well-known as food destinations.
Just 30 minutes from Canberra, Murrumbateman is a picturesque agrarian region populated with boutique, cool climate wineries. Meet the makers at iconic vineyards like Clonakilla and Helm. Stock up on road-trip snacks at Murrumbateman Chocolate Co and stay the night in the stylish Abode.
Clonakilla Wines, Murrumbateman
From there take the road to Gundagai, making sure to stop at Jugiong’s The Sir George for a produce-driven meal, fresh baked goods and excellent wine. If you indulge a little too robustly in the latter, stay the night at the chic accommodation, otherwise, carry on to the spa at the hilltop EcoCabin at Kimo Estate.
Kimo Estate, Gundagai - Credit: Matt Beaver
The next day, head to Wagga Wagga, where you can learn about 60,000 years of Wiradjuri culture on a half-day tour with Bundyi Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge. Dive deeper into traditional bush tucker, language, cultural tools and significant sites with their knowledgeable guides.
On the road again, pause at Narrandera to admire the large masterpieces on the Water Tower Art Trail, before camping in the bush at Wilcannia’s picturesque Warrawong on the Darling ahead of your next-day arrival to Broken Hill.
Bundyi Cultural Tours, Wagga Wagga
A country escape from Melbourne and Adelaide
In a nutshell:
- Key stops: Wentworth, Mourquong, Menindee
- Highlights: Orange World,Perry Sandhills, Australian Inland Botanic Gardens, Mungo National Park, Darling River
- Length from Melbourne: 1100kms, 12 hours
Length from Adelaide: 900km, 10 hours
If you’re travelling up from Adelaide or Melbourne, your route to Broken Hill will travel through vast plains and outback landscapes with lots of country gems along the way. Cross into NSW at the riverside town of Wentworth, where you can make a juicy stop at Mourquong’s Orange World for a fruitful tour and refreshment at this citrus farm.
Glamp for the night in one of the luxe safari tents at Outback Almonds before spending the next day touring shifting sands at Perry Sandhills and admiring outback flora at the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens.
Perry Sandhills, Wentworth - Credit: Tyson Mayr
The next day, if you’ve got a 4WD and are keen to tackle dirt roads, check out the otherworldly rock formations of Mungo National Park. Revel in the magnificence of this incredible part of Australia, where you can camp, hike, take a self-drive tour and explore the Walls of China.
Your next stop is Menindee, the first-established town on the Darling River. Here you can see thousands of waterbirds around Minindee Lakes, explore Old Kinchega Homestead, and follow in the footsteps of explorers Burke and Wills. Enjoy an ice-cold beer at Historical Maidens Hotel before retreating to a nearby campsite to gaze up at the night sky as you prepare for your arrival to Broken Hill.
Menindee Lakes, Kinchega National Park
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