Nyngan to Cobar drive: Distance, fuel stops and road trip sights

The Nyngan to Cobar drive is 131km in distance, with a driving time of one hour and 21 minutes. It is very, very boring.

The Nyngan to Cobar drive is hardly the highlight of a New South Wales road trip. But it’s a necessary leg of the journey if going from Sydney or Dubbo to Broken Hill.

This drive along the Barrier Highway is effectively the transition from country New South Wales to the outback. And, frankly, it’s a bit of a featureless slog.

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Nyngan to Cobar distance and driving time

The Nyngan to Cobar drive is 131km long. Barring unexpected traffic or accidents, you should cover this distance in a driving time of one hour and 21 minutes.

Ordinarily, there’d be a temptation to say slow down and build some stops into the road trip. But in this instance, there really is nothing worth stopping for. The Nyngan to Cobar drive is one to tackle in a single hit. Save your time, money and energy for elsewhere.

Nyngan to Cobar fuel stops

Make sure you have enough fuel in the tank before setting off. The only fuel stop between Nyngan and Cobar is Woodham Petroleum in Hermidale.

Nyngan to Cobar drive along the Barrier Highway

The drive is almost entirely along the Barrier Highway, which begins in Nyngan. On the way it 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.