Mungo National Park Darling River Run Broken Hill Taronga Western Zoo Private Tour 6 days

Mungo National Park Tour — Sydney to Broken Hill Return via Outback NSW 

Spirit Safaris Outback & Wilderness ToursOperating since 1993

The Journey

There is a place in outback New South Wales where the land remembers things humans have long forgotten.

Mungo National Park holds the oldest evidence of human life in Australia — 42,000 years of continuous culture, written in ancient lake beds and wind-sculpted lunettes of ochre and cream. Beyond Mungo, the road leads to Broken Hill — a city that has inspired artists, shaped the Australian character, and sits at the edge of a vast, luminous desert.

This is not a bus tour. This is a small-group 4WD journey through one of the most extraordinary landscapes on the planet, guided by someone who genuinely loves this country and wants you to understand what makes it unlike anywhere else on earth.

Over six days from Sydney, you will cross the Southern Tablelands, follow the Darling River into red-dirt outback, sleep under skies full of stars, and return home through Dubbo with a visit to Taronga Western Plains Zoo — one of the finest open-range wildlife parks in the world.

What Makes This Tour Different

Spirit Safaris has been running small-group outback adventures since 1993. Small vehicles. Real roads. Proper time in the places that matter.

You will not be herded off a coach for a 20-minute photo stop. You will stand at the edge of the Walls of China as the light changes colour. You will walk on country that was ancient before any European ever set foot in the Southern Hemisphere. You will sit with a cold drink in a Broken Hill pub and understand, just a little, why Australians are the way they are.

Tour Highlights

• Walk the ancient Walls of China — the World Heritage listed lunettes of Mungo National Park
• Guided cultural interpretation of one of the world's most significant archaeological sites
• Follow the Darling River through Menindee Lakes — a critical wetland in the heart of the outback
• Explore Broken Hill — the city that gave birth to BHP, the Flying Doctor Service, and the Australian art movement known as the Brushmen of the Bush
• Optional full-day excursion to Mutawintji National Park — ancient gorges, rock art, and one of the most remote and beautiful places in NSW
• Return via Dubbo Taronga Western Plains Zoo — face-to-face with rhinoceros, giraffes, lions, and native Australian wildlife in an open-range setting
• Small group (maximum 7 guests) in a comfortable, air-conditioned 4WD vehicle
• Every night in quality motel accommodation — comfortable beds, hot showers, proper rest

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 — Sydney to Hay

We depart Sydney in the morning, heading south-west through the Southern Highlands and across the Riverina plains. The landscape shifts gradually from green farmland to wide, flat grassland — the beginning of something bigger. We arrive in the historic town of Hay, once a critical stock route crossing on the Murrumbidgee River. Overnight in Hay.

Day 2 — Hay to Mungo National Park

The road west takes us deeper into the outback. We cross into Mungo National Park — a dried lakebed that held water for thousands of years and the people who depended on it. Your guide will take you to the Walls of China, the remarkable lunette of sand and clay that has been eroding for millennia, revealing ancient fireplaces, middens, and the bones of animals that no longer exist. You will have proper time here — time to walk, to look, to listen. Overnight in Mungo Lodge, Mungo National Park .

Day 3 — Mungo to Broken Hill via Menindee Lakes 

We travel north through the outback to Menindee Lakes — a vast wetland system on the Darling River that supports enormous populations of water birds and holds deep significance in the history of Australian exploration. From there, the red-dirt road leads to Broken Hill. One of Australia's great outback cities, Broken Hill has been a mining town, an artists' colony, and the setting for films that helped define the Australian imagination, including the Mad Max series, which were filmed in nearby Silver Town. We check in and explore the town. Overnight in Broken Hill.

Day 4 — Broken Hill (Optional Extension or Departure)Today is yours to shape.

There are many historical elements of Broken Hill, which was the founding town for the now the World's biggest mining company  Broken Hill Proprietary Limited when silver, lead, and zinc were discovered in the 1800s

Option A — Mutawintji National Park (Recommended): We drive north-east to Mutawintji National Park, a place of extraordinary beauty and cultural significance. Ancient gorges, permanent waterholes, and one of the largest collections of Aboriginal rock engravings and stencil art in New South Wales. This is a full day in genuinely remote country — the kind of place that stays with you. 

Option B  - Alternatively and at your choice we visit Silverton and highlights of Broken Hill, including the lookout over the town from the Miner's Memorial. We also visit the sculptures in the desert and the Pro Hart Gallery. . Mining and railway and historical museums

Both Options  -  Overnight in Broken Hill.

Option C — Independent Departure: Guests who wish to end their journey here may depart from Broken Hill on Day 4. Broken Hill is serviced by regional flights to Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne and rail to Sydney on Tuesdays  - once a week. Your guide will help you plan your onward travel.

Day 5 — Broken Hill to Dubbo

We head east, back through the ranges and across the central west of New South Wales to Cobar, at one time site of one of the largest copper mines in the world. discovered in 1870, began with high-grade ore deposits . The Great Cobar Copper Mine operated from 1871 to 1919, becoming a premier producer of copper, gold, and silver in Australia.The landscape changes again — from silver-grey mulga scrub which used to be the backbone of the Australian wool industry, to open wheat country. On the way we passed through Narromine, which is a popular gliding destination and was a base for Mosquito fighter bombers during the Second World War. A Mosquito is on display in the Aero Museum in Narromine. We arrive in Dubbo in the afternoon, with time to settle in before dinner. Overnight in Dubbo.

Day 6 — Dubbo Taronga Western Plains Zoo to Sydney

The morning belongs to Taronga Western Plains Zoo — one of the finest open-range zoological parks in the world. You will encounter African savannah animals, Asian wildlife, and native Australian species in open enclosures that give you genuine proximity to the animals. After the zoo we return to Sydney, arriving early evening to travel over the Great Dividing Range, the Blue Mountains and through regional towns of Orange, Bathurst and Lithgow Tour ends approximately 7pm in Sydney. 

Inclusions

• Airport or CBD hotel pick-up in Sydney on Day 1 (please confirm location at booking)
• Return to Sydney CBD on Day 6
• Transport throughout in an air-conditioned 4WD vehicle — maximum 7 guests
• 5 nights motel accommodation (twin share; single supplement available)
• Breakfast daily from Day 2, lunches and two-course dinners from day one.
• All national park entry fees
• Guided interpretation throughout the tour — Mungo, Menindee, Broken Hill, Mutawintji
• Taronga Western Plains Zoo entry 
• Expert guide — small group, personal service throughout

Not Included

• Personal travel insurance (strongly recommended — please arrange before travel)
• Personal items, optional activities not listed, gratuities, alcohol.
• Flights or transport from Broken Hill if departing on Day 4

Physical requirements: This tour involves walking on uneven terrain, including soft sand at Mungo. A reasonable level of mobility is helpful. If you have any physical considerations, contact us before booking and we will talk it through honestly.

Group size: Maximum 7 guests. This is intentional. Small groups mean better access, more flexibility, and a genuinely personal experience.

Weather: Outback temperatures can be extreme in summer. This tour runs best from March through November. Contact us to discuss the best timing for your travel dates.

Booking: A deposit is required to secure your place. Balance due 60 days prior to departure. Full details provided at booking.

"Richard and Lynne are awesome tour guides. The Cape York tour and the Savannah tour to Darwin were just great experiences — we had an amazing time."— Christine Gilmore

Spirit Safaris has been taking small groups into the Australian outback and wilderness since 1993. We are not a big company. We do not run dozens of tours at once. What we do, we do properly — with knowledge, care, and a genuine love for this country and the people who travel through it.

Spirit Safaris Outback & Wilderness Tours — Sydney, Australia — Operating since 1993