Broken Hill to Cunnamulla road trip: Distance, time & best stops

The distance from Broken Hill to Cunnamulla is 874km, with a driving time of 9h12m. The best road trip stops along the way are Cobar and Bourke.

Planning a Broken Hill to Cunnamulla road trip

The Broken Hill to Cunnamulla drive connects two of the more interesting towns in the Australian outback. For most travellers passing along the route, this will be a leg on a much longer journey. The routes from Adelaide to Townsville and Perth to Cairns pass through this way.

To secure the best Broken Hill accommodation before arriving, sort it here.

For Cunnamulla accommodation, hunt here.

This guide should help you plan your perfect Broken Hill to Cunnamulla road trip itinerary.

If you need to hire a car, find the best rental deals. And don’t forget to do all your pre-road trip shopping.

Broken Hill to Cunnamulla distance and driving time

By car along sealed roads, the distance from Broken Hill to Cunnamulla is 874km. Without stopping, that makes for a Broken Hill to Cunnamulla driving time of around nine hours and 12 minutes.

Things to do in Broken Hill include the Big Picture at the Silver City Mint, the Living Desert sculptures and Silverton’s Mad Max 2 Museum.

Broken Hill accommodation picks

Australia specialist accommodation booking site Wotif offers stays in Broken Hill for from $105 a night. Check out the best deals page here.

To narrow it down a little, you should probably look at the following Broken Hill accommodation choices first.

For families: Broken Hill Tourist Park.
For good value on a budget: Lodge Outback Motel.
For art deco glamour near the train station: Royal Exchange Hotel.
For central location with a pool: Ibis Styles.
For character: Astra Hotel.

Broken Hill to Cunnamulla road trip: Wilcannia and Cobar

It’s another 617km to Bourke, initially along the Barrier Highway, which heads through fairly bleak Wilcannia towards mining town Cobar.

Two possible diversions on the way are opal hub White Cliffs and the Menindee Lakes.

In White Cliffs, go on a tour of the Red Earth opal mine, sleep in the Underground Motel and discover Paroo-Darling National Park.

Menindee, meanwhile, is the base for lakes and Darling River cruises plus Kinchega National Park.

In Wilcannia, the Queens Head Hotel now hosts an art gallery.

Cobar is more worth a stop, though. Things to do in Cobar include the Great Cobar Museum, which is mainly about copper mining heritage.

You can see the current mining operations from the Fort Bourke Hill Lookout. But Cobar also has an eccentric side, as typified by the Cobar Sound Chapel art installation/ This weird public space plays decidedly odd music inside an old water tank.

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.

Broken Hill to Cunnamulla road trip: Bourke

From Cobar, head up the Kidman Way towards Bourke, another classic outback town. On the way, Gundabooka National Park offers several walks and is known for its Aboriginal rock art.

If just passing by, the key site – Yapa (Mulgowan) – is accessed via a pretty steep 1.4km walk. But you can also pitch a tent at the Dry Tank Campground and then take on the 4.8km Little Mountain walking track. Expect wildflowers, emus and kangaroos.

In Bourke, the star attraction is the Back O’ Bourke Exhibition Centre. This uses interactive technology to tell tales of outback life and the bushrangers. You can also get tickets for Darling River cruises here. The hour-long cruises are aboard the PV Jandra.

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.

Broken Hill to Cunnamulla drive: Bourke to Cunnamulla section

The next leg is from Bourke to Cunnamulla, which covers a 257km distance along the Mitchell Highway.

There’s not much to keep you interested here. That said, at Barringun just south of the Queensland border, there’s basic accommodation and food at the Bush Tucker Inn and Caravan Park.

Cunnamulla offers sandboarding down the big dunes at the edge of town, a giant water tower mural and lots of kangaroos.

Best Cunnamulla accommodation choices

The best places to stay in Cunnamulla, Queensland, are:

For cheap rooms at the local pub: Cunnamulla Hotel.
For overall quality and – if you want – glamping tents: Club Boutique Cunnamulla.
For family cabins: Cunnamulla Tourist Park.
For a solid hotel with restaurant, bar & free parking: Warrego Hotel Motel.