STAY IN BROKEN HILL & SILVER CITY HIGHWAY
A group of feral goats crossed the highway fifty km from Wentworth. Also encounted were small swarms of locusts over the Silver City Highway.
-Traveldriven
Mildura
A city with a population of over thirty-five thousand residents (2024) is inside the Victorian border and it is a distance of thirty km to the small town of Wentworth on the drive to Broken Hill in New South Wales. Mildura is a large fruit, grapevine and irrigation district.
Broken Hill
Is the only large mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales. Connected to Wentworth NSW by the fully sealed Silver City Highway and then onto Mildura in Victoria.
Broken Hill's hot desert climate, combined with an average rainfall of 235 mm makes it a hard place to enjoy year round. Resident population is greater than 17,000.
Many accommodation options are available.
Broken Hill driving distance from Sydney is 1,150 km. If driving from Sydney, drive Sydney to Nygan where the Barrier Highway begins then onto Cobar, Wilcannia and Broken Hill. Driving distance from Melbourne 836 km. I was driving solo, a distance of almost 700 km from the Wimmera in Victoria.
Silver City Highway
The Silver City Highway connecting Broken Hill to Victoria is a fully sealed highway. Sections of road are unfenced with wandering livestock and wildlife. The area on occasion, may have severe weather of extreme heat or torrential rain storms.
Embarking on the Silver City Highway journey from the town of Wentworth, NSW, to the iconic destination of Broken Hill in a powerful mustang GT is an experience like no other. Covering a distance of 265 km, this road trip offers a blend of adventure, natural beauty, and unexpected encounters.
As you cruise along the highway, the landscape transforms before your eyes, showcasing the diverse Australian outback scenery. Just fifty kilometres out from Wentworth, you might come across a group of feral goats leisurely crossing the road, adding a touch of rural driver beware of wildlife to your drive. The presence of small swarms of locusts hovering over the road creates a surreal sight, reminding you of the delicate balance of nature in this vast land.
Amidst the vast expanse of the outback, you may encounter wandering sheep and horses, a testament to the agricultural heritage of the region. The occasional sighting of kangaroos hopping across the horizon, and hopefully not across the road in front, adds a touch of wildlife to your journey, highlighting the unique fauna that call this area home.
Each passing kilometre on the Silver City Highway is a testament to the untamed beauty of the Australian outback, offering a glimpse into a world where nature reigns supreme and surprises await at every turn. From unexpected encounters with local wildlife to the ever-changing landscape, this road trip in a mustang GT is a memorable adventure that captures the essence of the Australian outback in all its glory.
Coombah Roadhouse. The only service stop between Wentworth and Broken Hill is often closed. Understood to be closed into 2024 with no reopen date advertised. If open, diesel and 91 octane petrol available only. Road trains do operate on the Silver City Highway. It's a distance of 265 km or three hours drive between Wentworth and Broken Hill with no fuel or food services available.
Menindee Lakes
The small settlement of Menindee is one hundred and ten km from Broken Hill along the fully sealed Menindee Road.
Menindee Road joins the area known as Sunset Strip. The Sunset Strip follows the edge of Menindee Lake which is a very large lake by surface area and is the largest lake of four main lakes in the group. Many dead trees stand in the lake. A number of holiday shacks or older style homes line Sunset Strip. Residents of Broken Hill use the lakes for watersport recreational activities. Very often the lakes have little or no water being in a desert environment. Droughts are common. Sunset Strip appears to have very few people seen going about daily activities as does Menindee. Very limited or non-existent retail services are available.
Kinchega Woolshed is available for the general public to inspect. A short drive less than ten km on unsealed roads from the Menindee lakes. The woolshed was one of the largest in New South Wales in its heyday. Now a historic relic of the past. Shearers were employed by the owners of the now ruined Kinchega Homestead.
Traveldriven
BROKEN HILL
BROKEN HILL CURRENT FIVE DAY
WEATHER FORECAST
DRIVE MILDURA TO BROKEN HILL
WAYSIDE REST BREAK BESIDE
THE MURRY RIVER
BETWEEN MILDURA & WENTWORTH
RED CLIFFS 'BIG LIZZIE'
THE WORLD'S LARGEST TRACTOR
LOAD CAPACITY 80 TONS BUILT 1915.
USEAGE WAS TO CLEAR BUSH
FOR FARM LAND.
COOMBAH ROADHOUSE
CLOSED NO SERVICES
(2022\2023\2024)
ON THE BANKS OF THE
DARLING RIVER NEAR MENINDEE NSW
110 KM FROM BROKEN HILL
ALONG THE FULLY SEALED
MENINDEE ROAD
OUTBACK HISTORIC WOOLSHED
KINCHEGA, NEAR MENINDEE NSW
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