Balranald to Hay, NSW, road trip: Distance, drive time & stops

The Balranald to Hay drive in New South Wales covers a 133km distance in a driving time of around 1h24m. The best road trip stop along the route is Yanga National Park.

The drive from Balranald to Hay takes you through a big chunk of the Western Riverina region of New South Wales. It’s not an especially exciting drive, but it does form part of several longer road trips.

The drive from Adelaide to Canberra or Perth to Sydney, for example, will pass along this route.

Balranald to Hay distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Balranald to Hay is 133km. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 24 minutes.

This drive is almost entirely along the Sturt Highway, but there are a few road trip stops worth adding to the itinerary.

Balranald to Hay drive: Yanga National Park

The best road trip stop on the Balranald to Hay drive is Yanga National Park. There are two key components here, the first of which is the Yanga Homestead, which has been left as it was when the Yanga Station was shut down. It offers a fascinating insight into the management of a big pastoral property and has a pretty location by Yanga Lake.

The other key part of Yanga National Park is the Yanga Woolshed by the Murrumbidgee River. This enormous woolshed is devoted to the shearing industry, and features tales of the record-breaking shearers who worked there.

The Yanga Woolshed is a phenomenally atmospheric place to walk through.

Balranald to Hay road trip: Hay attractions

After Yanga, it’s almost entirely agricultural land, interspersed with a few brushes close to the Murrumbidgee River, before you reach Hay.

Things to do in Hay, NSW, include Shear Outback, which is devoted to the tale of Australia’s nation-forming wool industry. There’s also the Dunera Museum, which pays tribute to World War II internees, and the architecturally striking Bishop’s Lodge House.

The best accommodation in Hay includes the Big4 holiday park, the Saltbush Motor Inn and the Nicholas Royal Motel.