Cobar to Moree road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time

The best stops on a Cobar to Moree road trip itinerary include Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett. The driving distance is 599km, which takes 6h27m.

Planning a Cobar to Moree road trip itinerary

The Cobar to Moree drive is an outback epic, but usually forms part of an even bigger adventure. The quickest route from Perth to Brisbane passes through this way, for example.

To secure the best Cobar accommodation deals, head here.

Moree, meanwhile, offers artesian baths in the north of the state. To just book Moree accommodation, head here

This guide should help you plan your perfect Cobar to Moree road trip itinerary.

Click through on the individual places and attractions for more detailed, specific information.

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

Cobar to Moree distance and driving time

The distance from Cobar to Moree when travelling by car is 599km. Without stops, this makes for a driving time of around six hours and 27 minutes.

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.

Cobar to Moree 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.

Cobar to Moree road trip stops in Brewarrina and Walgett

It’s another 445km from Bourke to Moree, with Brewarrina and Walgett being the main stops along the way.

The Brewarrina fish traps, an arrangement of stone walls stretching along the Barwon River, are thought to be amongst the oldest human constructions anywhere in the world.

They’re best visited as part of a tour arranged by the Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum. The museum itself goes some way to explaining the back story.

You can also find out more about Aboriginal life around Walgett at the Dharriwaa Elders Group Cultural Exhibition Centre.

Other Walgett attractions include the giant mural of Aboriginal country singer Jimmy Little on the water tower, and the Norman Tracker Walford Walkway. Stretching 1.5km along the Namoi River, this walk has interpretive signs explaining the role of Aboriginal trackers.

For many, however, the main reason to stop in Walgett is going for a dip in the Artesian Bore Baths.

Walgett accommodation is patchy, with the Pink House the best option.

Cobar to Moree drive: Walgett to Moree

From Walgett, the Castlereagh Highway heads north to opal mining town Lightning Ridge. But you stay on the Kamilaroi Highway for Moree.

On the way, you can check out the Collymongle Carved Trees near Collarenebri. Hand-carved by local Indigenous people, these trees have ended up in museums around the world and there are only a few of them left.

Things to do in Moree include birdwatching at the Waterbird Lagoon bird hide in the Gwydir Wetlands State Conservation Area, visiting the Bank Art Museum and swimming at the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre.