Griffith to Adelaide road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops

The Griffith to Adelaide drive covers a 788km distance in a driving time of around 8h30m. The best stops along the way are Yanga National Park, Lake Tyrrell and the Adelaide Hills.

The Griffith to Adelaide drive connects wine country in the Riverina region of New South Wales to the South Australian capital.

To track down the best rates on Griffith accommodation, investigate here.

Adelaide brings food tours of the fabulous Central Market, Torrens River cruises, swimming with dolphins and the chance to walk across the roof of the Adelaide Oval. To book Adelaide accommodation, step this way. For a full range of Adelaide tours and experiences, explore here.

This guide is aimed at travellers planning a Griffith to Adelaide road trip itinerary.

Griffith to Adelaide distance and driving time

Travelling by car along sealed roads, the distance from Griffith to Adelaide is 788km. This makes for a driving time of around eight hours and 30 minutes.

Things to do in Griffith aside from wine-tasting include the Griffith Regional Art Gallery and Griffith Pioneer Park Museum. You can also go walking and peregrine falcon-watching in Cocoparra National Park.

Griffith to Adelaide drive: Griffith to Hay

The first section is from Griffith to Hay. Head west along Brogden Road until you reach Warrawidgee. Then turn south along Bringagee Road until you reach the Murrumbidgee River Road. As the name suggests, this largely follows the northern bank of the Murrumbidgee River until you reach Carrathool.

Near Carrathool, the Toganmain Woolshed gives a glimpse of how big the wool industry was in these parts.

That’s just to the north of Carrathool. If not fussed about seeing it, branch off down Carrathool Road through the small town, and join the Sturt Highway towards Hay.

Things to do in Hay 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.

Griffith to Adelaide drive: Yanga National Park

The best road trip stop on the Hay to Balranald section of the Griffith to Adelaide drive is Yanga National Park. There are two key components here, the first of which 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 an incredibly atmospheric place to walk through.

The other key sight 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 main attraction in Balranald is the Balranald Discovery Centre. This complex hosts a café, visitor information centre and an Interpretive Pavilion explaining the history of the region. The surrounding precinct also includes a children’s playground and a handful of heritage buildings.

Balranald can also be used as a base for exploring Mungo National Park. Outback Geo Adventures runs tours from here.

For Balranald accommodation with a pool, try the Sturt Motel or Balranald Motor Inn.

Click through to the next section: Balranald to Adelaide.

Griffith to Adelaide road trip: Tooleybuc and Manangatang

From Balranald, turn south along Yanga Way towards Tooleybuc on the Murray River.

Tooleybuc has a wealth of pleasant riverside parks, and is one of the best places on the Adelaide to Hay drive for an overnight stay.

For tennis, pool and mini golf, pick the Tooleybuc Club Motor Inn. For a bit more space, try Tooleybuc River Retreat Villas.

Tooleybuc Road will bring you into Victoria near Piangil, from where you head west along the Mallee Highway, crossing the Bailey Plain salt pan.

You’ll soon reach Manangatang. There are a few places to eat here, plus a golf course, racecourse and public swimming pool. A detour to the south will bring you to Lake Tyrrell – one of Australia’s most impressive pink lakes.

Griffith to Adelaide drive: Ouyen and Murray Sunset National Park

Otherwise, push through to crossroads town Ouyen, where the Mallee Highway and Calder Highway meet. Here, you can have a dip in the swimming lake, fill up on goodies at the Mallee Bakery or detour north to the wildlife-surrounded lakes of Hattah-Kulkyne National Park.

The best place to branch off the Mallee Highway, however, is Linka. To the north lies Murray Sunset National Park, the largest national park in Victoria. Here, you can see plenty of wildlife – notably, it’s one of the few places in Australia that plays home to both red and grey kangaroos.

There are also several campgrounds, and a few pink lakes.

Click through to the next section: Victoria border to Tailem Bend.

Griffith to Adelaide road trip: Victoria border to Tailem Bend

Once over the Victoria-South Australia border, Pinnaroo has a decent range of accommodation on offer, plus a golf course, supermarket, pub and caravan park. Next stop Lameroo is similar, albeit with fewer accommodation choices.

Before joining the Dukes Highway just south of Tailem Bend, 4WDers might be interested in having a ride over the sand dunes near Peake.

Things to do in Tailem Bend include tackling the Murray River walking loop and getting spooked out by the ghost tours at Old Tailem Town Pioneer Village.

Griffith to Adelaide road trip: Tailem Bend to Mount Barker

The next town along the Murray River is Murray Bridge, where you can walk among the wildflowers in Kinchina Conservation Park or take a Murray River paddleboat cruise.

Murray Bridge accommodation costs from $101 per night, with good options including the Bridgeport Hotel.

A little further along, you’ll reach the Monarto Safari Park – one of the biggest zoos in Australia.

It’s not too much longer before you reach the Adelaide Hills, with Mount Barker being the first town you encounter.

Reasons to stop here include the Prancing Pony Brewery, SteamRanger Heritage Railway, Howard Vineyard and Berrigan Wines. You might also want to try walking to the Mt Barker Summit Lookout.

Click through to the next section: Mount Barker to Adelaide.

Griffith to Adelaide road trip: Mount Barker to Adelaide

Next up is the most fun town in the Adelaide Hills – German heritage-laced Hahndorf. Here, you’ll find excellent Adelaide Hills wineries such as the Sidewood Estate, The Lane and the Hahndorf Hill Winery.

Alternatively, you can enjoy German-style food and beers at the Hahndorf Inn and German Arms Hotel.

Other attractions include artist Hans Heysen’s studio at the Cedars and the kid-pleasing Hahndorf Farm Barn.

On the way into Adelaide, the route then passes the Bridgewater Fairy Garden, Raywood Gardens and the Mount George Conservation Park. Near Crafers, it’s possible to make an engaging detour to the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, Mount Lofty Summit and Cleland Conservation Park.

Underrated aspects of Adelaide include the Himeji Japanese Garden, kayaking tours of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, Semaphore Beach and the koala-dotted Morialta Conservation Park.

You can also try mountain bike tours, a wine discovery experience at the National Wine Centre and a twilight coastal cruise.

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