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

By car, the distance from Nyngan to Broken Hill is 588km. Stops on this six hour, eight minute road trip include Cobar and Wilcannia.

The Nyngan to Broken Hill drive takes you through the New South Wales outback. Most visitors will likely be tackling this drive as part of a longer road trip – say from Sydney to Broken Hill or Dubbo to Broken Hill.

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

Nyngan to Broken Hill distance and driving time

The distance from Nyngan to Broken Hill is 588km. You can expect a driving time between the two towns of about six hours and eight minutes.

The first section of the drive along the Barrier Highway, from Nyngan to Cobar, is 131km long.

Nyngan to Broken Hill road trip: Cobar attractions

Beginning in Nyngan, the drive passes through the tiny villages of Miandetta, Hermidale and Canbelego. In Canbelego, you can see the remnants of the former Mount Boppy Gold Mine.

Luckily, once you get to Cobar, there are a few attractions. Things to do in Cobar include the Great Cobar Museum, which looks at the town’s copper mining heritage.

You can also see the current mining operations from the Fort Bourke Hill Lookout, and listen to music in an old water tank at the Cobar Sound Chapel art installation.

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.

Nyngan to Broken Hill drive: Wilcannia and Broken Hill

It’s another 457km from Cobar to Broken Hill.

Obviously, that’s a long stint behind the wheel, so the temptation will be to break the journey somewhere.

Alas, the top attraction on the Cobar to Broken Hill route is only a few minutes out of Cobar. Mount Grenfell National Park hosts a wealth of Aboriginal rock art. A 4km loop walking track takes you to the summit for some spectacular views, calling at rock art sites on the way.

The main settlement between Cobar and Broken Hill is Wilcannia, which has some heritage buildings to admire, but is in a sorry state. Wilcannia has been notably hard-hit by drought. The Queens Head Hotel is the top road trip attraction here. This delicensed pub has been turned into a gallery and accommodation.

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.

You should be aware that Broken Hill works on South Australian time.