Young to Cowra road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops

The best stops on a Young to Cowra road trip are the Quamby Park Farmstay and Koorawatha Falls. By car, the distance from Young to Cowra is 71km. That makes for a driving time of around 51 minutes.

The drive from Young to Cowra in New South Wales is likely to form part of a longer road trip – perhaps from Wagga Wagga to Orange or Wagga Wagga to Bathurst.

For Young accommodation, search here. To find the best places to stay in Cowra, look here.

Young to Cowra distance and driving time

By car along sealed roads, the distance from Young to Cowra is 71km. That makes for a driving time of around 51 minutes.

The star attractions in Young are the Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Garden and the Young Historical Museum. Both tell the story of the strong Chinese influence on the town, in their own ways. You can also pick cherries – something Young is famous for – at the Ballinaclash Orchard.

Young to Cowra drive attractions: Quamby Park Farmstay and Petting Zoo

The Young to Cowra drive is along the Olympic Highway and passes through mostly uneventful agricultural land and countryside.

For much of the journey, the Young to Cowra drive runs parallel to the Dananbilla Nature Reserve, which is mainly left as it is for conservation purposes rather than recreation. However, at the southern end, you can visit the Quamby Park Farmstay and Petting Zoo. There’s a goat stud at the same site.

A similar situation applies to Bendick Murrell National Park to the west of the route. It’s a former national forest that has been converted to national park status, but hasn’t had any tourist facilities installed.

Young to Cowra road trip: Koorawatha Falls

At Koorawatha, those with a 4WD vehicle can make the detour to Koorawatha Falls – created by a man-made weir. The waterfall plunges into a pool at the bottom, and it’s a good spot for a picnic. There’s a good chance of seeing wallabies here, too.

Things to do in Cowra include visiting the WWII Prisoner of War Camp, where more than 1,000 Japanese POWs broke free in 1944, and admiring the Cowra Japanese Garden.