Adelaide to Cairns road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
Adelaide to Cairns road trip: NSW Outback
The next stretch of the Adelaide to Cairns journey, from Broken Hill to Cobar, is 457km long. Somewhat bleak Wilcannia is the only imitation of a town along the way. You might, though, wish to factor in detours for a Menindee Lakes cruise or an opal mine tour in White Cliffs.
Things to do in Cobar include absorbing mining history at the Great Cobar Museum and seeing massively important Aboriginal rock art in Mount Grenfell National Park.
Cobar accommodation recommendations
The best places to stay in Cobar are:
- For a decent-sized pool and kitchenettes: Crossroads Motel.
- For – usually – the cheapest prices: Copper City Motel.
- For family rooms and a restaurant: Cobar Town and Country Motor Inn.
Adelaide to Cairns inland drive: Bourke attractions
The next town after Cobar is Bourke, which is reached along the Kidman Way.
The highlight between Cobar and Bourke is Gundabooka National Park, which brings several walks and a stash of Aboriginal rock art.
You can camp at the Dry Tank campground, and take on the 4.8m Little Mountain walking track from there. There’s a good chance of seeing emus, kangaroos and wildflowers along the way.
Road trip essentials that many travellers forget
Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.
- Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
- Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
- Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
- Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
- A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
- Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.
But if just passing by, the steep 1.4km walk to key site Yapa (Mulgowan) is the best bet.
In Bourke, the top attraction is the Back O’ Bourke Exhibition Centre. This tells tales of bushrangers and outback life using interactive technology. You can also buy tickets for hour-long Darling River cruises aboard the PV Jandra here.
Top Bourke accommodation options
There’s not a great array of accommodation in Bourke, but these are the best bets in order of preference:
- For great riverside location, gardens and a pool: Bourke Riverside Motel.
- For central location: Darling River Motel.
- As a last resort: Sunshine Gardens.
Click through for the next section: Bourke to Charleville.