Description
The
Darling River is one of the outback's most famous rivers. It is also one of
Australia’s longest Rivers and over many centuries has been an important link to the people that line it's banks. Starting near
Bourke in
central NSW and draining into the Murray in
Victoria the
Darling River Run snakes itself through black soil farming country. Driving along the
Darling River Run you'll take a journey through historic pioneering country so take the time to read up on its rich history, drop in on the locals, and take your time to enjoy this unqique area.
Todays travellers can follow the Darling in either direction on mainly dirt roads. Excellent bush camping opportunities can be found along the banks of the river and accommodation with facilities can be found within the tourist parks, national park huts, station bunkhouses, and historic motels and hotels. The drive is over 700kms, although you could add another 300kms for side-trips to
Broken Hill and
Mungo National Park (recommended). These roads can be accessible by 2WD sedans in dry conditions, although 4WDs are recommended because rain can turn the road surface muddy within hours.
The sparkling lakes around
Menindee are a welcome counterpoint to the dust and dry desert plains encountered during the long journey from
Bourke via
Louth,
Tilpa and
Wilcannia. The lakes and river-ways that form the
Menindee Water Storage Scheme showcase nature at its best - with pelicans, spoonbills, and great crested grebes providing a delight for birdwatchers. The gorgeous sunsets over the waters are an event that should not be missed.
The dirt tracks south of
Bourke continue to the first settlement,
Louth some 99km away. At
Louth, the track to
Tilpa runs along the western bank of the Darling and another follows the eastern bank to
Wilcannia. The later does not provide riverside camps quite as closely as on the western side. This is a great area to launch your "tinnie" (aluminium fishing dingy) and it's indeed possible to tow a caravan or camper trailer along these tracks. The river is full of yabbies so bring a yabby pot, some lamb neck or raw meat bait and enjoy!
The track continues along the river and then heads into the township of
Wilcannia. Keep heading south along the river track (you'll see tracks on both sides of the river). About 30km before reaching
Menindee you'll find some great camps in the red sand hills. South of
Menindee in the
Kinchega National Park are some perfect campsites, some even with beaches!
South of
Kinchega National Park you can drive south to
Wentworth via the tiny settlement of Pooncarrie. The dirt track from
Kinchega follows the western bank of the Darling through cattle farming country along the Old Pooncarrie Road before crossing the bridge into town.
How to Use this Trek Note
In this trek note, we provide Place to Place distances (see Directions tab), a downloadable plot file, and POI files to enable you to use this as your driving itinerary, or as a base guide to add other side trips. As with all ExplorOz
Trek Notes, you can reverse the order of the direction notes by clicking the arrow alongside the words Start/Finish at the very top of the information on this page.
To see the route, click on the Map tab. Then use the Moving Map Control to take a virtual tour of the route. You can also click on the "What to See & Do" & "Where to Stay" tabs to see more about each Place that the route follows. Click each listed item to open a separate page (and download) for each Place for further information to enrich your understanding of the area.
If you use the Print button at the top of the page the text from all sections will be reformatted into one easy to read document (except for detailed Place information – do these separately). If you are an ExplorOz Member, you'll also be able to download any individually selected
Places (or all in one batch download) as POI/waypoint files to use in your GPS (all popular formats available).
Environment
The
Darling River and its tributaries offer abundant birdlife, marsupials, mammals, reptiles, and flora. In the surrounding wooded areas of the river, you will often
spot Emus, Koala bears, and Western
Grey Kangaroos.
History
Aboriginal
The
Darling River region was home to the first Australians and with more than 15 Aboriginal language groups, the indigenous culture in the area goes back over 45,000 years. The area abounds in Aboriginal culture from the fish traps at
Brewarrina, the many historical and sacred sites, through to the world's oldest ritual burial ground at
Lake Mungo.
Lake Mungo was the site where the remains of what became known as Mungo Man – the oldest human found in
Australia and Mungo Lady, the oldest person in the world to be ritually cremated.
European Explorers
Explorers George Evans was reportedly the first European to explore the upper reaches of the Macquarie River in 1813 from the Blue Mountains. Authorities believed that there was a great inland sea where all the rivers flowed into, and in 1818, George Evans and the Surveyor General of the time - John Oxley had teamed up and made great progress into the interior but fell short due to the impenetrable Macquarie Marshes. A majority of the upper eastern tributaries to the south of the
Darling River were charted over the next 15 years.
The task of proving this theory was given to Charles Sturt who set off in 1828 on the first of his many quests to find this inland sea. Charles was fully equipped - complete with boat, and soon learned that the land was one of extremes with floods and droughts. The river at
Bourke was almost empty except for some salty water bubbling from its bed. Sturt realised that this was in fact part of a major river system and named the river after NSW Governor Ralph Darling. During a second expedition along the
Murrumbidgee River to track its route to the
Murray River, Sturt came across a clan of about 600 Aborigines standing on a sand bar. After any potential hositilities had calmed, Sturt noticed the sandbank the tribe was standing on, was the point at which the river from the north had joined the
Murray River. Sturt was in fact at the confluence of the Murray and Darling Rivers.
Now that it was known, from Charles Sturt’s explorations, that there was indeed a large river in the north and a large river that joined the Murray in the south, the government needed to know if in fact these two rivers were the same. In March 1835, Major Thomas Mitchell, the Surveyor General of the day, set off on his voyage to continue what Sturt had started and reached the junction of the Darling and Bogan rivers in April. In the region that is now
Bourke, he created a stockade (named Fort
Bourke) to protect provisions from local Aborigines. He made a number of explorations along the
Darling River (by boat and land) and on his third expedition, opened up new areas around
Menindee. Mitchell also explored and opened up the extremely fertile areas south of
Mildura and along the Loddon River in far western
Victoria. The remainder of the
Darling River was charted by Sturt in 1844.
Preparation
The
Darling River Run is a nice region to travel through, and is easily accessible. Like any journey, correct planning, preparation and common sense will ensure a memorable, wonderful and safe experience. Safe outback travel is about common sense and potential dangers come from the hot and dry summers, and the considerable distances between towns and
services. Try avoiding driving at sunrise and sunset as many native animals (Roos and Emus) will be active then and will be attracted to your headlights and can jump in front of your vehicle – and cause serious damage. Also take heed of road closures, since unsealed roads may be closed after rain. This is for personal safety and to prevent the roads form being damaged.
Plan and research where and when to go, and talk to others who have travelled the area (e.g in the ExplorOz
Forum). Consider communications equipment for more remote travel, such as a
UHF Radio, mobiles with good outback coverage and
EPIRB devices. Organise accommodation and contact details before leaving and let someone know. Ensure you vehicle is fully serviced before embarking, and take spare parts that may be needed such as spare fuses, tyres, belts etc. Carry spare fuel,
first aid kits, and water containers carrying 20 plus litres of water.
Etiquette, Camping and Swimming
Country people are renowned for their hospitality but remember that their property is their home and livelihood, and not all are amenable to random access of their properties; in the same way you would not be at your home or office. Ask permission for camping at the
homestead. Check with the station owner before camping and let them nominate a place for you. Rivers and creeks can be great for a refreshing swim on a hot day BUT be cautious as there can be steep slippery banks, undertows and submerged trees.
Permits
There are no permits required for the
Darling River Run trek note as the route follows public roads and highways. For information on the status of roads, please click:
Darling River Road ConditionsThere are entry and camping fees required for parks such as
Kinchega National Park. For information regarding these fees please visit:
Camping in Kinchega National Park or contact the park office at
Broken Hill.
Broken Hill
Street address: 183 Argent Street,
Broken Hill NSW
Postal address: PO Box 788,
Broken Hill NSW 2880
Phone: (08) 8080 3200
Email: brokenhill.office@environment.nsw.gov.au
Fuel Supplies & Usage
Unfortunately, there is no longer any fuel available at
Pooncarie.
Best Time To Visit
Outback New South Wales experiences very hot and dry summers. Travel is safer and more enjoyable between March and October. Please note - unsealed roads may be closed after rain.
Closest Climatic Station
Wilcannia (Reid St)
Distance from Trek Mid Point 83.07km NW
| | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Mean Max. °C |
35.4 | 34.6 | 31.3 | 26.2 |
21.2 | 17.7 | 17.1 | 19.5 |
23.5 | 27.4 | 31.2 | 33.9 |
| Mean Min. °C |
19.9 | 19.3 | 16.2 | 11.7 |
7.9 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 5.6 |
8.4 | 12.2 | 15.6 | 18.2 |
| Mean Rain mm |
25.9 | 26.5 | 24.6 | 17.0 |
23.6 | 22.4 | 18.4 | 17.5 |
15.9 | 25.2 | 20.9 | 26.0 |
Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended
Services & Supplies
The following locations have various services and supplies:
Bourke,
Louth,
Tilpa,
Wilcannia,
Menindee,
Pooncarie,
Wentworth
