Dubbo to Walgett road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops

The Dubbo to Walgett drive covers a 275km distance in about 2h58m. Attractions on the road trip route to add to an itinerary include Orana Cactus World in Gilgandra.

The Dubbo to Walgett drive takes you from one the biggest inland towns in New South Wales to a town brimming with Indigenous culture.

Dubbo offers ghost tours, an observatory and a safari-style zoo. To search for the best Dubbo accommodation deals, head here.

Walgett, meanwhile, has plenty of Aboriginal art. To sort out your Walgett accommodation, book here.

This guide should help you plan out the perfect Dubbo to Walgett road trip.

Dubbo to Walgett distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Dubbo to Walgett is 275km, which should make for a driving time of around two hours and 58 minutes. The first leg of this drive is from Dubbo to Gilgandra, along the Newell Highway.

Dubbo accommodation picks

Australia specialist booking site Wotif offers Dubbo accommodation for from $80 a night. To search through the options, visit the top deals page.

However, the following well-reviewed Dubbo accommodation options are particularly worth considering.

For families: Discovery Parks Dubbo holiday park.
For business travellers and anyone who wants a bit more space: The Quest apartments.
For good value in a central location: Surestay Hotel.
For a high quality motel with indoor AND outdoor pools: Cattlemans Country Motor Inn.

The best attraction in Gilgandra is Orana Cactus World, an astonishing labour of love where more than a thousand species of cacti have been gathered.

Gilgandra accommodation options include the solid Cooee Motel and the Castlereagh Motor Inn, which comes with a small pool.

Dubbo to Walgett road trip: Gilgandra to Coonamble

At Gilgandra, the Dubbo to Walgett drive switches to the Castlereagh Highway. The small settlements of Curban, Gulargambone and Combara are instantly forgettable.

Coonamble is slightly bigger, and has a surprisingly large collection of art deco buildings. There’s also a good smattering of public art, with the painted water tower being the highlight.

If you want to stay the night in order to experience Coonamble’s classic old country pubs, there are a few Coonamble accommodation options. The Terminus Hotel has a small water park and the Castlereagh Lodge Motel is handily central.

Coonamble to Walgett

From Coonamble, the Dubbo to Walgett road trip continues towards Walgett.

Things to do in Walgett include the Norman Tracker Walford Walkway along the Namoi River, which tells tales of Aboriginal trackers. The highlight is the Artesian Bore Baths, however – these natural baths have a constant temperature between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius.

Walgett accommodation options are limited. The Pink House is the best of an iffy bunch, while the Coolabah Motel will do a job.