NSW Outback Explorer Broken Hill return via Silo Art Corner Country Mungo Darling River Bourke 12 days

Explore the Far West of NSW with Silo Art, Corner Country,  Mungo National Park, Broken Hill, Darling River Run from Wilcannia to Bourke with a visit to White Cliffs opals fields & miners stores, Bourke, Brewarrina Start and Return Broken Hill  12 days or join from Sydney option

Highlights

• Broken Hill to Broken hill and return
• Mootwingee National Park - rock art and Aboriginal guided history
• Broken Hill & Silverton - Pro Hart Gallery, mine tour option, history, Mining & railway museums
• Packsaddle & Milparinka historic sites
• Depot Glen & Pooles Grave
• Tibooburra granites, pastoral, art and mining history
• Dog Fence & NSW State border
• White Cliffs Opal fields (sleep underground)
• Darling River Run via Pooncarie, Menindee Lakes, Wilcannia Tilpa & Louth
• Gundabooka National Park & Aboriginal rock art
• Bourke - river cruise and Back O'Bourke centre / history
• Brewarrinna - ancient Aboriginal fish traps 40,000 years old
• Macquarie Marshes - great bird spotting
• Warrmbungles Ranges - with bushwalk
• Siding Springs Observatory
• Gulgong - $10 note, Gold and pioneer history, Holtermann Photographic Museum 
• Mudgee wine tasting
• Portland Silo Art
• Parkes Radio Telescope  – The Dish
• Canowindra – Age of Fishes Fossil Museum
• Grenfell Silo Art
• Weethalle Silo Art
• Hay – Shear Outback Centre
• Wentworth – Junction of the Darling & Murray Rivers + Megafauna Museum
• Mungo National Park & China Walls tour
• Menindee – Lakes & Burke & Wills Camp

Our tours are small group adventures for people who love to connect with regional Australia and particularly regional and outback New South Wales. Our small group tours travel in Land Cruiser vehicles

This tour takes us via some of the NSW Silo Art Trail through lovely country towns and regional areas. The Silo At Trail is transforming Australian regional towns. Join us on an adventure through rural Australia to witness these great masterpieces and the local hospitality.

Itinerary

Day 1  - An early start (730 departure) today for a day tour to explore Mutawintji National Park for an exceptional rock art and cave art experience rich in Aboriginal history, with local Aboriginal guide when available. Meals:LD 

Day 2  - Explore Broken Hill highlights (your choice) including Pro Hart Gallery, The Line of Lode Lookout and Miners Memorial plus Desert Sculptures or extra cost for Mutawintji National Park for exceptional rock art rich in Aboriginal history with local Aboriginal guide.. Dinner at the famous & delicious Mario’s Palace Hotel (full of murals from Priscilla Queen of the Desert fame) Meals:BLD

Day 3 - Depart Broken Hill through the Barrier Range on the Silver City Highway via Packsaddle for Milparinka and Depot Glen, where explorer Charles Sturt spent 6 months in 1845 with a team of men, waiting for rain and cooler conditions. This area has been extensively mined for tin, lead and gold and operated large sheep stations. Appreciate this once thriving gold mining town at the restored Milparinka Heritage Precinct.

After refuelling at Tibooburra, we are heading into the Sturt Desert & Sturt National Park, towards Cameron Corner,  crossing the Grey Range with a stop at Fort Grey. The park protects an enormous arid landscape of space and solitude. The rolling red sand dunes of the Strzelecki desert ripple through the western section, graduating past surprising wetlands surrounded by white sands. After some great opportunities for photos, we pass through the Dog Fence and arrive at Cameron Corner on the 3 states corner (NSW, SA & QLD) for a thirst quencher and souvenirs, and check out the "Corner Store".  We return this evening to check out the Tibooburra pubs and considerable town and mining history before overnight here at Family Hotel or Granites Motel  Meals BLD

Day 4 - Time to explore Tibooburra, and the Outdoor Pastoral Museum.  Flat-topped mesas and fantastic views characterise the central Jump-Up country. Remnant gidgee woodland, the catchment system of the ephemeral Twelve-Mile Creek and gibber and grass-covered plains dominate the east, while 450 million-year-old granite tors surrounding Tibooburra form part of the southern boundary of the park.

Travel to White Cliffs and explore the opal mines history, and maybe find some local opal bargains. Then to our overnight accommodation in the Underground Motel- Meals BLD

Day 5 - Now to the Darling River Run via Wilcannia, once a bustling port for the wool laden paddle steamers, now with its beautiful and historic sandstone public architecture. On up the Darling River Run to river towns of Louth & Tilpa - with a cuppa and tour at the famous Dunlop Station. Dunlop Station is an historic sheep station property located on the Darling River. Once a million acres it has a 45 stand shearing shed which was the first shed to have mechanical shears. with the check out the paddle boat and big wool and sheep station history of this region. Gundabooka National Park surrounds Mt Gundabooka and has unique Aboriginal Rock art to explore, including a pleasant and easy walk through this isolated National Park.  Overnight Bourke BLD

Day 6 - BOURKE - The impressive ‘Back O’Bourke’ centre showcases the early days of Bourke and beyond. Discover the ‘Outback’ life of Henry Lawson, the search for an inland sea. Marvel at the stories of the ‘women of the west’ including Nancy Bird Walton, who flew an air ambulance here in the 1930’s. Stop by the 110 year old Morrall’s bakery for a pie or pastry, follow the Heritage Trail through town, or visit the grave of Fred Hollows. Cruise along the Darling on the Jandra, an historic paddle boat to recall the river boat history. In recent years Bourke has undergone a remarkable revitalisation and is now a shining light in positive indigenous opportunities. Take a cultural walk to learn about the history of Aboriginal people in Bourke and the personal connection formed with the land and it’s richness. Tonight we’ll join a campfire dinner under a coolabah tree, (if available) under a starlit sky, with plenty of music, poetry, and storytelling all about outback of Australia. Overnight Bourke. Meals: BL

Day 7 - We head for Brewarrina on the Barwon River, and the 40,000-year-old Aboriginal Fish Traps - still working. The Brewarrina fish traps are one of the oldest man-made structures on earth. This elaborate network of rock weirs and pools stretches for around half a kilometre along the riverbed and was built by ancient tribes, to catch fish as they swam upstream. Heading south to Macquarie Marshes a UNESCO registered site of outstanding value as one of the most important wetland areas in the world. It is one of the most crucial breeding sites for waterbirds in Australia, with 77 species, along with over 150 other birds, as well as fish, turtles, frogs, snakes and mammals. We travel on to our final art silo in Coonamble then take the scenic road to the beautiful Warrumbungles for a delightful bush walk with wonderful views of The Breadknife. We have a tour of Siding Springs Observatory, home to Australia’s largest telescope. The Warrumbungles is Australia’s only Dark Sky Park, meaning it is our only Internationally recognised park with an exceptional quality of starry nights and an environment specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and public enjoyment. Overnight. Coonabarabran Meals: BLD

Day 8 - GULGONG, MUDGEE, PARKES 

Drive through Dunedoo, known for its poetry, hospitality, and name (meaning black swan), on the way to Gulgong - the town that was on the way to Gulgong - the town that was on the $10 note. This small village from the gold rush days is a delight to take in the regional history and historic buildings. We are now a short drive to Mudgee where we’ll taste some local wines and have lunch in a vineyard.Now we visit the Portland silos at the old Cement Factory – beautiful artwork there on the cement works and symbolic of the restoration of the community in Portland exemplified by their site work and the wonderful annual art exhibition.

Moving on via Bathurst and the fascinating history of the gold rush and Cobb & Co coaches, then The Dish Exhibition centre at the giant CSIRO operated radiotelescope that brought the 1st moon landing images to Earth. Back in Parkes, and less famous is the King's Castle, Australia's very own Elvis Presley museum created by the original yellow Wiggle Greg Page. Overnight Parkes Meals: BLD

Day 9 – We visit  Canowindra, ballooning capital of Australia and the Museum of Fishes – viewing ancient fish fossils from this area that was once an inland sea. Then Cowra (and railway roundhouse for the keen). Onwards we travel via Weddin Mountains National Park, visiting the popular Grenfell Wheat silos completed in 2019 and then through West Wyalong to the well-known Weethalle Silos. Driving West via Rankin Springs the country spreads and the sky seems to get bigger we know the perfect place to see our first Big Sky sunset with the full spectrum of colours as the sun sets over the Hay Plains. Overnight Hay Meals: BLD

Day 10 – SHEAR OUTBACK, WENTWORTH

Hay was one of Australia’s major wool growing areas, and a visit to the Shear Outback centre takes to you into the rich life in the wool industry in early NSW. We’ll take the backroad through seemingly endless saltbush plains, that are home to over 50 farming families. Tiny villages are the social hub for many of the large outback stations, where life can often be lonely. Follow the Murray River to Trentham Estate, a family-owned winery on the banks of the Murray River. Enjoy an afternoon wine tasting by the river before we head to Wentworth. In the late 1800’s Wentworth was the largest river port in Australia with over 400 boats plying the Murray and the Darling Rivers, which meet here. Overnight Wentworth Meals: BL

Day 11 – Wentworth visit the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers, Australia’s biggest river system and also visit Wentworth Pioneer Museum with life-size megafauna replicas from the local area including the cuddly 2-metre high Diprotodons. Into the desert and Mungo National Park to explore this ancient lake bed environment. Hear the stories of the region from a local guide, and learn of the oldest known ritual burial in the world. Discover the Walls of China and megafauna history of the area, explore the ancient Willandra Lakes and the historic sheep station and large and impressive shearing shed that served the area for around 100 years. Overnight Mungo Lodge, Mungo National Park.  Meals: BLD

Day 12 – Travel the Darling River via Pooncarie, Menindee and Kinchega National Park. Explore the memorial to Burke & Wills camp on the lakeshore, and a haven for wetland birds. Into Broken Hill and dinner at local restaurant. Tour completes in Broken Hill Accommodation own arrangements or add extra night from extras when booking. Meals: BL Dinner own purchase at local restaurant to celebrate tour end.

We recommend to stay another day to explore much more of Broken Hill

All tours require a minimum of 2 passengers for departure. If you require a booking for 1 person please call us direct to confirm minimum numbers have been met prior to booking online.

Inclusions –

• 11 nights Hotel Motel Accommodation - twin share or single supplement available - see booking link
• Genuine small group tour vehicle - usually 4WD GXL Landcruisers
• Professional Driver Guide
• 11 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 7 x 2 course dinners
• Paddleboat cruise at Bourke
• Wild wildlife!!
• National Parks entry fees.
• Tour price supports Outback Kids & Nature Care projects.