NSW in February
 

I'm reposting this from another thread as I think that my subject has changed. :)

I'm a Floridian traveling to Sydney in mid-February. After our stay in Sydney, we will have approximately 3-4 days in which we'd like to experience the outback. Since it is my understanding that Uluru/Alice Springs is extremely far, blazing hot & touristy, I would like to know if there is anything else within reach of Sydney that would be doable in our time frame.

I have been researching the Broken Hill area, possibly taking a plane/train there and then driving... I also wouldn't mind driving there if it is less than 6 hours. Any thoughts or other suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

Also, the reason that I am bent on seeing the outback is because there is nothing like it here in Florida, or the SE US! :)

Is the weather as unbearable in the NSW outback that time of year?

hot. sometimes unbearable - at others just hot!

the broken hill website says:
"What's the weather like? Warm to hot summer with temperatures climbing to 38C and over about 10 days a year. The average high for summer months is about 32c. A mild winter, about 15-16c. Rainfall averages around 20mm a month"

I grew up a little further inland than Broken Hill and the average there is 33-34 for summer. it depends on the season (some hotter than others) but if you strike a hot week (normally a spell would last about a week where I'm from) it could be 40+.

Did a trip down the murray a couple of years ago, had 4 days of 45degree weather from Echuca - Mildura. Personally, I think once it's over 38deg it starts to become a bit of a nuisance. below that, it's just hot (and normally dry heat out west, which I find bearable). at 46 degrees however, I swear my brain was melting. that combined with a desire to quench my thirst with beer led to a very drunken afternoon! take that as a word of warning!

You wouldn't need to go all the way to Broken Hill to get outback (check this site for where it 'officially' starts.
http://www.visitoutbacknsw.com.au/home.html) you'd get similar country closer. I suppose it depends how 'outback' you want to go? whether it's just landscape, or whether it's the entire isolation experience. Plenty of places in NSW can give you that experience.

giving away my area - you could do Dubbo, Coonabarabran, Narrabri, burren junction in 4 days, which would give you a taste but some variety as well.

had mentioned Dubbo on your other post, but check the Warrumbungles near Coonabarabran, the pilliga forest between Coona and Narrabri (110km of scrubland, don't drive it at night!) Yarrie Lake, Australia Telescope at Nbri, Burren Bore at Burren Junction (and the Burren pub!) then Mt Kaputar NP just east of Narrabri (2 sections, norther section includes Sawn Rocks). Mt Kaputar is great, not as well known as Warrumbungles, but a good 5-10 degrees cooler than in the town itself.

couple of sites, http://www.ausemade.com.au/diary/0001/010903gs.htm
http://www.narrabri.nsw.gov.au/about/1000/1766.html
http://www.openroad.com.au/backtothebush.asp
http://www.coonabarabran.com/
http://countrynsw.visitnsw.com.au/

you wouldnt necessarily need to drive from Syd, you could train or fly to narrabri, moree, dubbo, tamworth and hire a car for a few days - this would give you a lot more time and a lot of options in that area.

check: http://www.countrylink.info/timetables
for trains. you'd be looking at 7-8hours on the train, or about 1 - 1.5hours to fly.

Wow- thanks again Lancefan!

I'm mostly interested in beautiful desert scenery and wildlife. Being isolated would be nice (can't stand tour buses) but it isn't a necessity.

I'm wondering just how much heat I could tolerate- being from S. Florida we are used to high temps in the summer as well, but far more humid. I'd rather be too hot than too cold! :D

Your ideas are sounding great- I had no idea that there were so many options... I can't wait to view them all!

All I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Now I'm off to do more research.... ;)

Also, we'd like to see some of the aboriginal artwork.

Right now I'm looking at the Nbri Telescope info- my husband would LOVE that!

Has anyone been to the the Coolah Tops? It looks nice...

It's fairly remote (and hot) but if you want a unique outback experience without venturing outside NSW, you could also try the opal mining town of Lightning Ridge. By the way, Broken Hill is more like 12 hours (without stopping)than 6 hours drive from Sydney, much of it mind-numbingly lonely highway. You'll see plenty of kangaroos and emus. Still, there is nothing on earth like Uluru, and since inland temperatures across NSW, SA, Northern Territory are all hot - high 30s to low 40s, weather is probably less of an issue in determining which part of the outback you want to see, if you're determined to see it in the hottest month in Australia.

Thanks Paul- I suppose you are right about the weather. I don't forsee us having another opportunity to travel to Australia, so it looks like I'll be braving the heat. (Looks like I'm in for some brain melting! ;) )

Lightning Ridge is another possibility. Now that my main concern is time, I'll have to determine the best way to see the outback... whether that means driving for 6 hours or flying for 6 hours.

Thanks for the help!

Just go easy on the beer!

Hahaha- maybe I'll finally become a beer drinker! :)

Now I'm back to Broken Hill. Thinking of flying there (expensive but faster) and perhaps finding a 4wd tour from there. I'm not sure that we should be driving ourselves for such a short trip. Would love to make it to White Cliffs- maybe we'll have to squeeze one more day into our trip!

Here is a link to a tour I found- expensive (again) but I'm thinking that this may be my only opportunity to visit Australia. :(

http://www.cornercountryadventure.co...ic/#inclusions

Now you are talking...looks to me you are close to a great outback experience...maybe more genuine and more varied than the big red rock away to the north west.

I would talk to the tour operator about.
-the heat and how to manage it.
-do they stay underground at white cliffs
-do you stay near the darling river
-do you see the aboriginal artwork at mutawintji.
-how many outback pubs do you get drunk in?

You might like to consider getting in and out of broken hill via adelaide.
Get a cheap virgin blue flight to adelaide and the rex airlines up to broken hill.Maybe add a some time on kangaroo island and adelaide.

Although Broken Hill is geographically in new south wales it is effectively part of south australia and is in the same time zone as central australia.

tour looks great - now I want to go!

johnj idea of going Adelaide - Broken hill is definitely worth looking into, although I had a look at www.rex.com.au and it looks like about $226 pp to fly syd - broken hill. That's not that expensive for air travel in Oz, I don't think.

if you had a bit more time one way and wanted something different again, you could look at going on the indian pacific train - it' not so cheap though, definitely cheaper to fly! time wise, if you did that you could leave broken hill in the evening and be back in sydney in the morning. (think it's 6.30pm - 10am) on the way over, you'd be looking at leaving 2.55pm syd, arriving 6.40am. www.trainways.com.au

How many pubs to get drunk in- I'll definitely ask! LOL

Lancefan- if that airfare sounds reasonable, then that's what I'll do. I want to spend as much time at the destination as possible. I like the idea of the train one way though... I'll have to see what the time constraints are.

I also found this company, which has won several awards for their tours.

http://www.tristate.com.au/schedule.htm

Although the three day tour isn't listed, it would probably be similar to their 2 day tour. Decisions, decisions! Now I'm excited! :)

(On a side note, as a photographer, I'm ESPECIALLY ecited! ;) )

I've decided that I can deal with 3 days of brain melting for the adventure of a lifetime. Thanks again guys!

That corner country tour looks fantastic - I wonder if we can get a bulk deal if we all go!

Except Johnj, of course, corner country is seriously "westie"! :)

Sure- jump on!

We'll be there on or about Feb 20th. :) (perhaps the 21st if we can't get out in time on the 20th)

that's perfect - 21st feb is my birthday!

if you're a phtotographer, you might want to look further at the tristate tours and doing a combination of tours as the mungo/kinchega/menindee areas also pretty spectacular - do a search on walls of china and you'll find some good pics to give you some idea.

also, when you're in sydney, make sure you check out the ken duncan gallery in the rocks for some wonderful australian landscapes. http://www.kenduncan.com/

you should be excited - even if it is hot, it will just add to the whole experience. and yes, I wouldn't be surprised if you turn into a beer drinker. nothing like a frosty beverage on a hot day .... mmm, bring on the summer!!!

Woohoo! I can only think of one thing that would make this trip more fun, and that would be to have some native Aussies on tour with us! :)

I e-mailed the Tri-state tour company and they are out until Dec. 4th. Hopefully by the I'll have a better idea what our Sydney itinerary will look like.

Thanks for the link!

IMHO corner country,mutawintji,white cliffs are much better than memindee,kinchega and particularly mungo.

You can expect mostly aussies on these tours and perhaps the odd european.

the big red rock dominates as the "outback" destination for north americans.

Which is exactly why I'm NOT going there. ;)

To the rock, that is...

And when in the "corner", don't forget the old Tibbooburra pub, with paintings and murals from Australian artists such as Clifton Pugh and Pro Hart.

UGH! The Corner Country tour company is booked for the dates that I need. Now I'll either have to go with the second company, or we're on our own. I'm so disappointed...

OK, it looks like Tri-State safaris is probably available. (Will find out for sure on Dec. 4th) They have been in Sydney where they just won two more tourism awards.

Now my dilemma will be which tour to choose. They go both directions from Broken Hill. My personal preferences are for Aboriginal culture, wildlife, and desert scenery. It sounds like I can get all of those things in either direction... I'll probably just have to browse though some photos online to decide which appeals to me more.

Anyway, thanks to all for your help- we're looking forward to visiting your beautiful country!

KK...
I think you would be well advised to go north ex BH. South of BH is dominated by the floodplain of the Darling river...you do need to get the feel of the red Barrier ranges and places like Mutawintji. BTW make sure any tour you do has acess to the aborigiinall sites at Mutawintji.

White Cliffs is a must.

Thanks! That was my original plan, and the one that I'm leaning toward. I do want to make sure that we'll have access to the Mutawintji historic site, since I understand that the aboriginal guides don't work during the summer months. Here is a copy of the itinerary for the tour:

Day 1: Depart Broken Hill 8.30am and travel north towards the historic township of Milparinka, virtually a ghost town that was once the centre of a thriving gold mining settlement. There is much to see including Depot Glen and Pooles Grave. We then head through remote back country to Cameron Corner. Dinner and overnight accommodation at the Corner store. (L,D)

Day 2: After visiting the corner post where the 3 States meet, we pass through the ‘Dingo Fence’ back into NSW. Then travel through Sturt National Park, the home of the ‘Big Red’ kangaroo, to Olive Downs via the ‘Jump-Ups’. After a short visit to Tibooburra we head to Mt Wood where our accommodation is in the historic homestead, now part of Sturt National Park. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Explore the area around Mt Wood, including the outdoor pastoral museum and the scenic ‘Gorge’ loop roads. This afternoon continue on to Tibooburra, the most remote town in NSW, where you will free time to wander and explore. Accommodation at the Family Hotel cabins. (B,L,D)

Day 4: An early morning look around the area then we travel through ever changing landscapes to Mutawintji National Park. This is one of the most culturally significant Aboriginal art sites in Australia, and we enjoy a bush walk to both the Engravings and Stencils sites. Then travel on to Broken Hill to conclude the tour. (B,L)

This one doesn't include White Cliffs, but the other 4 day tour doesn't include Mutawintji. I may end up arranging a custom tour... It's so hard to choose what to see in 4 days.

Thanks again for all of the input- if you ever come to Florida, let me know so that I can return the favor! :)

For comparison's sake, this is a copy of the other 4 day tour.

Day 1: Depart Broken Hill 8.30am and travel north towards the historic township of Milparinka, virtually a ghost town that was once the centre of a thriving gold mining settlement. There is much to see including Depot Glen and Pooles Grave. We then head through remote back country to Cameron Corner. Dinner and overnight accommodation at the Corner store. (L,D)

Day 2: After visiting the corner post where the 3 states meet, we pass through the ‘Dingo Fence’ back into NSW. Then travel through Sturt National Park, the home of the ‘Big Red’ kangaroo, to Olive Downs via the ‘Jump-Ups’. After a short visit to Tibooburra we head to Mt Wood where our accommodation is in the historic homestead. (B,L,D)

Day 3: An early morning look around the area, including the outdoor Pastoral Museum. From here it’s travel through ever changing landscapes to the opal-mining town of White Cliffs. Try your luck ‘noodling’ for opal. Accommodation is at the luxurious PJ’s Underground B&B. (B,L,D)

Day 4: With a tour of this unique town comes the chance to meet some great outback characters. Places of interest include the Solar Power Station, Jocks Place (an underground museum and mine), Outback Treasures opals & jewellery and the working opal fields. Lunch in town then return to Broken Hill late afternoon. (B,L)

Oh, and here is the one that I forgot about- it's listed as a 2 day, but is also available as a 3 day. (Not sure what the itinerary would be for that)

Day 1: Depart 8.30am from your accommodation in Broken Hill and travel through ever changing countryside. Morning tea in a classic dry creek bed and then on to Mutawintji National Park, and here we explore the Aboriginal and European history of the area. On arriving at the Historic Site we have two walks to do, one of the ‘Engravings’ site and the other to the ‘Hand Stencils’ site, with lunch in between. This area is rich in culture and is not to be missed. About mid afternoon we travel to White Cliffs, an opal-mining town steeped in history and hardship. Accommodation is PJ’s Underground B&B, an experience you will never forget. (L,D)

Day 2: Today we continue our tour of White Cliffs, taking in unique sights and meeting real outback characters. We visit the Solar Power Station, Jock’s Place (an underground museum & mine), Outback Treasures opals & jewellery, drive through the working opal fields, and much more. This afternoon we take a leisurely drive back to Broken Hill through more amazing outback scenery. (B,L,)

I have heard from the owner of Tri-State Safaris, and here is a copy of the 3 day "Opal Dreaming" tour- now I only need to decide which tour to take! (As always, opinions are welcome!)

3 Day Opal Dreaming Tour 3Days/2Nights

As Seen On “The Great Outdoors” & “Sydney Weekender”

Highlights include: Personalised small group tours - Mutawintji NP – Aboriginal art – White Cliffs – great scenery – great characters – underground accommodation – home made meals.

Day 1:
Depart 8.00am from the Railway or your accommodation in Broken Hill. Travel past the Barrier Ranges to the true red outback with morning tea in a classic dry creek bed along the way. Then on to Mutawintji National Park, where we explore the Aboriginal and European history of the area. On arriving at the Historic Site we have two easy walks, one to the ‘Engravings’ site and the other to the ‘Hand Stencils’ site, with home-made lunch in between. Mid afternoon we travel to White Cliffs, an opal-mining town steeped in history and hardship. Accommodation is at the Underground Motel, an experience you will never forget. (L,D)

Day 2:
We continue our tour of White Cliffs, taking in unique sights and meeting real outback characters. Try your luck ‘noodling’ for opal then visit the Solar Power Station, Jock’s Place (an underground museum & mine), Outback Treasures opals & jewellery, drive through the working opal fields, and much more. This afternoon we take a leisurely drive back to Broken Hill through more amazing outback scenery. Transfer to your motel/B&B accommodation. (B,L)

Day 3:
Pick up 9am for a tour of Silverton, almost a ghost town, now home to a growing number of well-known artists & location of many movies and TV commercials. Go 4wheel driving to perhaps the most spectacular lookout in the Barrier Ranges then journey along the original Silverton tramway before transferring back to the railway/airport for your journey home. (LB,L)

I would go for the very last option.

It seems a comprehensive short coverage of the essentials.

Take the the "day" train out or back and fly the other leg on REX.REX use SAAB props whcih fly at 16,000 feet..which on clear days is an excellent viewing height.If you are into geography take a map with you on the flight.

I saw a favourable piece on tri state in the sydney press recently.

Read a book on the Bourke and Wills expedition before you come...alan mooreheads "coopers creek" is old but good.

I hope your innovative approach is rewarded...and you are not surrounded by too many aussie pensioners.

Thanks John, it does sound good. :) The owner did state that you all are having a horrible drought right now. I hope that it's over soon, for your sake!

One more thing... should we try to work in a trip to Sturt NP/Tibooburra? I want to be sure that we see the "best of the best"!

I would leave out sturt np and tibooburra.

you will have some time at the white cliffs pub i am sure.

you have probably been there already but there is a summary of tours at
http://www.visitbrokenhill.com.au/tour_result.asp

I have not done it but if you have a spare day and the $ the flying mail run sounds great.

I'd go for Dubbo, it's great. Close to Coonabarabran, and Mudgee too.

http://dubbo.org

Wayne

Wayne, I admire your loyalty to your home town, but if you're going to advise international travellers to visit Dubbo, may I suggest you expand a little on why they should make the effort to go there rather than other places that may be suggested.

You need to read what sort of experiences this and other posters are looking for. In this case, while I'm sure the drought has had its effects in your area, I doubt that they're so severe that Dubbo qualifies as "outback" exactly.

Talking of drought....big rains and flooding through central australia and at Broken hill today...

this could set things up nicely for your feb visit...the desert in bloom.

That would be nice... what strange weather we are having this year!