Mutawintji National Park from Broken Hill: Camping, walks & art
In the Mutawintji National Park near Broken Hill, see Aboriginal rock art at Wright’s Cave, spot rock wallabies on the Mutawintji Gorge walking track and go camping at Homestead Creek.
The Mutawintji National Park near Broken Hill in New South Wales is hardly one of Australia’s best known national parks. It doesn’t have the koala-spotting opportunities of the Noosa National Park, the Katherine Gorge canoeing tours of Nitmiluk National Park, or the waterfall walks of the Great Otway National Park.
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On the plus side, if you do venture into the New South Wales outback from Broken Hill, you can pretty much have the Mutawintji National Park to yourself. Once there, enjoy the walking, camping, wildlife and Aboriginal art.
Mutawintji National Park from Broken Hill
It may be a remote national park, but you don’t need a 4WD vehicle to get there. Access roads to the Mutawintji National Park are unsealed, but easily driven in a conventional vehicle unless it’s wet. And you don’t get too much rain in these parts.
4 Broken Hill experiences to book in advance
- Tour to quirky outback town, Silverton – Mad Max country.
- Sunset tour of the Outback Sculpture Park – take photos in the best light.
- Day trip to the opal mines of White Cliffs.
- Head into the outback to see ancient Aboriginal rock art.
An unstaffed visitor centre on the left as you enter the park provides information on what you can see there. There’s plenty of wildlife, for a start. The brightly-coloured yellow-footed rock wallaby is the most prized find – the only colony in New South Wales lives in the park. There are also plenty of goannas crossing the paths, while birdlife includes correllas, apostle birds, peregrine falcons and wedge-tailed eagles.
Mutawintji Gorge walking track
Visitors can tackle several walking trails in the Mutwintji National Park. For spectacular gorge scenery, plump for the Mutawintji Gorge walking track. This moderately challenging, 6km return track should take two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours.
Allocate roughly the same amount of time to the 7.5km return Homestead Gorge walking track. This follows Homestead Creek, between rocky cliffs that host several ancient Aboriginal rock engravings.
Aboriginal rock art in the Mutawintji National Park
It’s this Indigenous cultural aspect that really makes the Mutawintji National Park worth visiting. The area has been a significant meeting place for the Malyankapa and Pandjikali people for thousands of years.
The major Aboriginal rock art site here is Thaaklatjika (Wright’s Cave). Engravings and paintings act as a historical record, depicting life before and after colonial settlers appeared in Australia. There are also depictions of animals that live in the area, such as emus and kangaroos.
It is possible to go camping in the Mutawintji National Park. There are 50 sites at the Homestead Creek campground. It’s rustic, but not entirely basic. There are showers and toilets available, plus picnic tables and barbecue facilities. Sites must be booked in advance via the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife website.
If travelling under your own steam, you can rent a car in Broken Hill.
Broken Hill accommodation options include the Ibis Styles, Royal Exchange Hotel and Comfort Inn.
More out-of-the-way New South Wales
Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo.
The Oxley Wild Rivers National Park near Armidale.
Darling River cruises in Menindee.
The Yanga Homestead in Yanga National Park.