There is no doubt Sydney is a popular tourist destination, so we’ve made it easy for you to hop, skip and jump your way to Cunnamulla from Sydney with our 7-day Outback road trip! We have put together a short and sweet itinerary for those with limited time and who want to experience a 7-day Outback road trip from Sydney to Cunnamulla. Keep an eye out over the coming months if you are looking for a longer itinerary encompassing some additional outback locations. However, if you’re on a mission to get from A to B, and quickly, this one’s for you!
On your first day of travel we suggest leaving Sydney relatively early in the morning to ensure you make the most of the daylight to explore the regions along the way. 8am would be the best time to leave to ensure that you can comfortable fit in the day’s activities.
We recommend enjoying your first day in the Blue Mountains, an hour’s drive just outside of Sydney. It feels more like 10hours, the serenity of the ranges is beautiful, and the scenery is breath taking. Certainly, a perfect first stop on your journey.
There is no better way to start your holiday then a swim! Wentworth Falls is a waterfall with a beautiful swimming hole at the base. The walk down can be a little difficult and is estimated to take around an hour to complete. A quick dip is the ultimate way too cool off! It is the most amazing spot to enjoy reading a book, relaxing among the trees and soaking up the peace and quiet. We recommend allowing 2.5 Hours for the walk and swim. Some of the walking tracks in this area are currently closed as they undergo repairs. The maintenance is due to finish very soon and you can check for the reopening dates here.
After you have enjoyed a relaxing morning, you can’t move through the Blue Mountains without a stop at one of the iconic lookouts. The incredible sights from Cahills Lookout are certainly worth the stop and the perfect place to snap a picture. If you’re interested in another small walk you can continue onto Narrow Neck Plateau and Peckman’s Plateau, around a 40minute return walk. We would allocate 2 hours if you are interested in checking out both lookout points.
The town of Bathurst is approximately 1hr 20min drive on from Cahills Lookout and we suggest staying a night or 2 in Bathurst as it has plenty to offer. Especially if you have managed to time your trip with Bathurst’s event of the year, the ‘Bathurst 1000’, you are in for a treat! The V8 supercars event is on in October each year and you can find out all the juicy details here. We have heard it can be a pretty wild week!
While the event is only held once a year, it doesn’t stop you getting among the action for the remainder of the year. Except this time, you can get behind the wheel yourself! Mt Panorama Motor Racing Circuit is a street circuit, meaning you have access to the track any day of the week, speed limits do apply though! A great way to get the track experience when you can’t make the race!
Bathurst in Autumn brings a new meaning to the word beautiful! If you are a keen photographer or just a sucker for beautiful red, orange and yellow colours ‘Old Highway at Meadow Flat is your spot! Words can’t do it justice, the colours on the trees are phenomenal. Mayfield Gardens in Bathurst is another notable mention, while the gardens are incredible in Autumn, they hold their beauty year-round and are certainly a perfect spot for lunch before you hit the road again to continue to Cunnamulla.
After spending 2 days in Bathurst we suggest travelling onto Narromine to spend your next evening, the drive is 230km, approx. 3-hour drive. Alternatively, if you’re interested in a small detour and have a little bit of extra time on your hands, Dubbo is a great alternative to spend the day and night! To do this, instead of heading to Narromine, head in the direction Take the Mitchell HWY A32 towards Dubbo. Refer to the map below.
If you decide to detour to Dubbo it will add an additional 20-30km onto your trip.
Dubbo has some great attractions such as Taronga Western Plains Zoo and the Dubbo Gaol. The Zoo has an overnight camping experience where you will “uncover the secret, after hours life of the Zoo with the help of a Zoo Host. Enjoy a tasty Australian barbecue dinner, continental breakfast and two-day entry to the Zoo”. The perfect option for a family! You can find out further information and book the experience here.
The following morning, head from Narromine to Bourke. A slightly longer stretch of travel but it will make for a fun filled afternoon in Bourke. As your driving this stretch it is astonishing to imagine the land and the experiences someone would be having in this area 150 years ago! Imagine the differences in the conditions and the roads. There were merely wheel tracks through the scrub. Bullock wagons, horse wagons and camel trains would be making their way to Bourke. Drovers would be moving large mobs of sheep and cattle across the arid land and desolate land. It is hard to imagine how challenging the era would have been to perform what are now simple tasks. It will certainly highlight the toughness of the outback!
There is nothing more spectacular than sunset in the outback! Mt Oxley is a short 40-minute drive from Bourke and is a well-known spot for its sunsets and an ideal spot for an iconic outback shot! Refer to the map below for directions to enjoy golden hour on Mt Oxley.
You’re now on the final stretch of your 7-day Outback road trip from Sydney to Cunnamulla! We might be bias but it’s certainly our favourite part. Bourke to Cunnamulla. This was once the main thorough fair for all people travelling. Sydney was the major city and all freight was taken via this route. At that time this part of Queensland was part of NSW. The rail being developed from Brisbane to Cunnamulla changed this and Brisbane became the main port!
We suggest a mid-morning departure, not too late that you will miss quality time in Cunnamulla but also not to early that you will be battling the roo’s. You can refer to our recent blog for some additional travel tips on the outback roads so you are staying safe! It will take you approximately 3hrs of travel from Bourke to Cunnamulla, leaving you plenty of time to enjoy the afternoon.
Between Barringun and Cunnamulla you will pass many historical properties including Tinnenburra Station once owned by James Tyson, Australia’s first self-made millionaire. Tyson built the world’s largest shearing shed of that time on Tinnenburra, he shore almost half a million sheep each year and at one stage loaned the Queensland Government 500,000 pounds.
Today you will see a string of properties signed as SLM which is a large aggregation funded by a Dutch superannuation company mainly females in the medical industry. SLM do strip grazing or cell grazing as well as now promoting Cunnamulla Camel Co. Make sure you call in at Club Boutique Hotel for a cold Cunnamulla Characters Brew and ask for some info. Closer to Cunnamulla you will see high fences and this is cluster fencing or exclusion fencing another thing you can ask about while enjoying a coldie.
Luckily for you, we also know a really great place to rest your head 😉 and we have heard it offers a range of activities, knowledge and incredible food too! Club Boutique of course, you can book here. Since we also know that deciding what to do while on holiday can be tricky, we compiled the best way to spend 72hrs in Cunnamulla in another great blog, we promise you won’t be bored for a second! We can’t wait to see you at Club Boutique soon, and we know will you enjoy your 7-day Outback road trip from Sydney to Cunnamulla.
Written by Belinda Johnston : www.b-social-management.com