Dubbo to Gilgandra: Distance, drive time & road trip stops

The Dubbo to Gilgandra drive covers a 65km distance, with a driving time of around 43 minutes. The two national parks along the road trip route, alas, are not really set up for visitors.

The drive from Dubbo to Gilgandra through inland New South Wales is not a long one, but it connects two of the larger towns in the Orana region.

Most visitors travelling along the route will be going further – probably from Dubbo to Lightning Ridge.

Dubbo offers ghost tours, an observatory and a safari-style zoo. To find good quality Dubbo accommodation that suits your tastes, explore the options here.

Dubbo to Gilgandra distance and driving time

The Dubbo to Gilgandra drive covers a distance of 65km in a driving time of around 43 minutes. This is almost entirely along the Newell Highway, or A39.

There are a couple of national parks that the Newell Highway passes through on the way to Gilgandra. Alas, neither is anything to get excited about.

Dubbo to Gilgandra drive: Breelong National Park

East of the small town of Balladoran, Breelong National Park is set up for conservation rather than visitation. There are drivable tracks through it, but no tourist facilities such as lookouts, picnic grounds or campsites.

It’s much the same story with Drillwarrina National Park to west of Balladoran.

So you may as well go straight on through to Gilgandra. This is where the Newell Highway meets the Castlereagh Highway.

Gilgandra attractions and accommodation

Top of the list of things to do in Gilgandra is paying a visit to Orana Cactus World. This delightfully strange labour of love sees more than 1,000 species of cacti gathered in one place.

Gilgandra accommodation options are basically all about the motels. The three star Cooee Motel is solid, and has some rooms with garden views, while the Castlereagh Motor Inn has a small pool.