The Living Desert, Broken HillCredit: Destination NSW
Man watching the sunset from The Living Desert Reserve in Broken Hill.
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Renew your love of art and discover a thriving gallery scene; explore the history of the region on an eye-opening heritage tour; ignite your sense of wonder with an unforgettable stargazing experience; recharge in the iconic Priscilla Suite or renew your view and sleep beneath your feet in an underground motel.
Recharge in the Priscilla Suite
Broken Hill has been associated with drag since the Australian movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was released in 1994. Scenes were filmed in the historic Palace Hotel, and you can book the same room that the characters stayed in, which has been renamed the Priscilla Suite and decorated flamboyantly. The pub has regular drag bingo nights, and each September the best queens from around Australia descend on the town for the Broken Heel Festival. Mad Max 2, released in 1981, was also shot around Broken Hill. Visit the Mad Max Museum in Silverton, a 20-minute drive to the north-west.
Discover outback art
The Broken Hill region has a long history of producing and attracting artists, inspired by the surreal landscape. Two of the best known painters were Pro Hart and Jack Absalom, both of whom have galleries in Broken Hill. The Willy Nilly Art Gallery houses the paintings of local artist Amanda Johnson, and the Broken Hill Regional Galley has an excellent calendar of exhibitions, a highlight of which is the annual Maari Ma Indigenous Art Awards, displayed between February and April. In Wilcannia, a two-hour drive northeast of Broken Hill, the Queens Head Hotel has been transformed into a gallery.
Head to the Living Desert
Photography enthusiasts will love capturing the golden light in the Broken Hill area — especially at the Living Desert State Park, with its 12 sandstone artworks created by artists from all over the world. Also in the reserve is the John Simons Flora and Fauna Sanctuary: 180 hectares of native plants and wildlife, with a cultural trail and Sturt’s desert pea wildflower display. You can stay overnight in the park at the Starview Campsite.
Explore an ancient history
Aboriginal culture is strong in the Broken Hill region: the Wilyakali people have occupied the lands around Broken Hill for thousands of years, while the Barkandji people are from the lower Darling River and Menindee Lakes. Explore Mutawintji National Park with Aboriginal-owned and operated Mutawanji Heritage Tours. Half-day tours visit restricted-access sites featuring different styles of Aboriginal art, including rock engravings and ochre stencils, and you can combine a tour with a bush tucker or art workshop.
Broken Heel Festival 2017 Credit: Destination NSW
Glamourous hosts Philmah Bocks and Art Simone roll through Main Street, Broken Hill during the Broken Heel Street Parade.
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Broken Heel Festival 2017 Credit: Destination NSW
Glamourous hosts Philmah Bocks and Art Simone roll through Main Street, Broken Hill during the Broken Heel Street Parade.
Mutawintji National Park, Mutawintji Credit: Destination NSW
Mutawintji National Park tour guide Keanu Bates showing visitors Aboriginal rock art at Mutawintji Historic Site.
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Mutawintji National Park, Mutawintji Credit: Destination NSW
Mutawintji National Park tour guide Keanu Bates showing visitors Aboriginal rock art at Mutawintji Historic Site.
Dive deep underground at White Cliffs
The outback is opal country, and the oldest commercial opal field is at White Cliffs, a small town about a three-hour drive north-east of Broken Hill, known for its ‘pineapple’ opals with a spiky shape. Many dwellings here have been built underground to escape the heat. A White Cliffs Bus Tour will give you a good overview of the town and its history. If you want a subterranean sleep, stay at the White Cliffs Underground Motel, which provides a honeycomb of whitewashed rooms.
Soak up the night skies
Outback skies are something to behold. Make sense of what you see with Outback Astronomy. Just outside Broken Hill, the venue offers Sky Shows that introduce you to stars and constellations through knowledgeable guides. You can also stay in a glamping tent made for two (loan of binoculars included), and join a Dinner and Sky Show event, such as the Moon Graze, which combines dinner at the on-site Sky Dome Café with telescope and binocular gazing at the full moon.
Satiate your hunger
The Silly Goat café is an on-trend spot for breakfast, with a frequently changing menu that might include granola bowls and smoked salmon bagels. Bread comes from the nearby Sufi Bakery. Trinders Restaurant at The Astra has a modern Australian menu as well as more casual tapas and gourmet pizza. It’s also home to the Red Lush cocktail bar. You’ll find upmarket pub fare at The Palace Hotel and The Broken Hill Pub. For a classic Aussie milk bar, head to Bells Milk Bar — it’s been open since 1892 and much of the décor remains the same as it was in the 1950s.
Dream outback dreams
In Broken Hill, stay in a stone miner’s cottage at A Miner’s Rest, enjoy deluxe or superior rooms at the Art Deco Royal Exchange Hotel, sleep at The Astra, in a restored 1890s heritage building in the centre of town, or in a restored 1911 church: Broken Hill Outback Church Stay. The Broken Hill Outback Resort just out of town has spa cabins, caravan and camping sites, a bistro and restaurant.
You could also stay at the iconic Silverton Hotel, 20 minutes out of town, or at Eldee Station farm stay, 45 minutes north of Broken Hill. The historic homestead Bindara Station is two hours south of Broken Hill.
Or spend a night or two in the region’s national parks. In Paroo-Darling National Park, three hours north-east of Broken Hill, explore the Darling River and stay in the Coach and Horses bush camp. The Kinchega Shearer’s Quarters in Kinchega National Park, an 80-minute drive south-east of Broken Hill, offer basic but air-conditioned guest rooms and a fascinating insight into Australia’s pastoral history.
Outback Astronomy, Broken Hill Credit: Destination NSW
Couple star gazing beneath the Milky Way at Outback Astronomy, Broken Hill.
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Outback Astronomy, Broken Hill Credit: Destination NSW
Couple star gazing beneath the Milky Way at Outback Astronomy, Broken Hill.
Silverton Hotel, Silverton Credit: Destination NSW
A vintage Mad Max inspired VW Beetle outside the Silverton Hotel in Outback NSW.
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Silverton Hotel, Silverton Credit: Destination NSW
A vintage Mad Max inspired VW Beetle outside the Silverton Hotel in Outback NSW.
More Inspirational Stories
Lake Mulwala, MulwalaCredit: Alesha Jewel Bradford
Scenic sunset over Lake Mulwala in the Murray region.
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Keen for an extraordinary new adventure on your next escape? Head southwest from Sydney to Australia’s longest river, the Murray for a truly incredible array of experiences. Paddle steamer tours, kayaking, fishing, golfing, excellent local and seasonal food and wine, and stunning natural scenery await.
Sightsee on a paddlesteamer
While you can catch a paddlesteamer up the Murray on a one-hour cruise, to fully appreciate the waterway it’s hard to look past an overnight experience. Jump aboard PS Emmylou for one- to six-night itineraries to and from the Port of Echuca (the Discovery Centre here is worth a visit). The experience offers a leisurely look at life on the river, not in the least the staggering 600-year-old red gums that line the banks. When you dock, enjoy campfire breakfasts, guided bushwalks and visits to the cellar doors of the region’s top wineries.
Pick up some speed
Parts of the Murray are extremely wide, making the river ideal for waterskiing expeditions. The Southern 80 in Echuca Moama is an adrenaline-pumping pro-waterskiing event attracting some of the world’s top athletes. But anyone can give this high-octane activity a go, with local operators like Brett Sands Watersports offering professional instruction in waterskiing, as well as wakeboarding, knee boarding and barefooting.
Soak up serenity
A manmade reservoir 150km east of Echuca Moama, Lake Mulwala was created to control the flow of the river, and is today known for its ghostly gum trunks protruding from the water’s surface. The setting is particularly magical at sunset — weave your kayak through the eerie trees, on the lookout for nesting waterbirds, your soundtrack the chatter of cockatoos, corellas and kookaburras. Contact the Yarrawonga Mulwala Amateur Canoe Club for rentals and tours.
Explore on two wheels
For cyclists, Five Mile Mountain Bike Trail provides seven kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike tracks, shaded by enormous red gums. Situated in the Murray Valley Regional Park, just a few kilometres north of Moama, the route is great for riders of all experience levels, offering an exhilarating mix of terrain with drops, flowing bridges and wall rides — there’s also a skills area and a pump track.
Join the club
There are more than a dozen world-class golf courses fringing the Murray River — some of the most highly rated in regional Australia, in fact. Head to 18-hole Howlong Golf Resort for immaculate greens and fairways surrounded by native bush, particularly pretty in spring when everything blooms; there’s on-site accommodation, should you wish to linger. Corowa Golf Club also has a hotel alongside its 27-hole championship golf course, not to mention the cinema, clubhouse and pro-shop. And at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort, you can choose to tee off from three different courses: The Murray, situated beside the river; The Lake, with views of Lake Mulwala; and the shorter Executive, ideal for beginners.
Dine on the water
From produce-driven cafés and restaurants to foodie trails, farmers markets, orchards, olive groves, wineries, whisky distilleries and craft breweries, the Murray region doesn’t disappoint on the food front. Get a taste for the diversity of offerings at Redgums, a moving dining room on the deck of the PS Emmylou. Enjoy local wines and seasonal produce as you cruise along the river, spotting native wildlife on the banks while you feast.
Murray Highlight Selects Credit: Destination NSW
A selection of visuals from the Murray region including Woomargama National Park, Lake Mulwala, Corowa Whiskey Distillery, Yarrawonga Golf Club, Blacksmith Provedore, Mulwala, Junction Moama, The River Deck Cafe, Albury,
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Murray Highlight Selects Credit: Destination NSW
A selection of visuals from the Murray region including Woomargama National Park, Lake Mulwala, Corowa Whiskey Distillery, Yarrawonga Golf Club, Blacksmith Provedore, Mulwala, Junction Moama, The River Deck Cafe, Albury,
PS Emmylou, Echuca-Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Couple aboard the Paddlesteamer Emmylou as it cruises along the Murray River.
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PS Emmylou, Echuca-Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Couple aboard the Paddlesteamer Emmylou as it cruises along the Murray River.
The Murray River, Barmah National Park Credit: Destination NSW
Kayaking on the Murray River, Barmah National Park
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The Murray River, Barmah National Park Credit: Destination NSW
Kayaking on the Murray River, Barmah National Park
Follow a foodie trail
With your tastebuds piqued, explore the Murray’s culinary offerings further on Tastes of Echuca Moama & District, which points out local wineries, distilleries, farm gates, cheesemongers, markets, coffee roasteries and more. Pick up a map from the Echuca Moama and District Visitor Information Centre in Echuca. While you’re seeking out local produce, make the detour to Corowa Whisky and Chocolate, set inside a 1920s flour mill and selling handmade blocks and bars made using Belgium chocolate, as well as a range of delicious distilled drops.
Find time for wine
A small grape-growing region on the banks of the Murray, centred on the twin towns of Echuca Moama, Perricoota is developing a reputation for producing premium shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and fortified wines. Stop past the cellar door at Morrisons Riverview Winery, which also has a stellar restaurant and brewery. Visit St Anne’s Vineyards, where the rammed-earth cellar door overlooks a tranquil lake. And check out Restdown Wines — the organic vineyard also features a Wetland Walk, offering a glimpse of wildlife across the property.
Wine and dine in style
For an alfresco lunch of wood-fired pizzas and wine, head to Blacksmith Provedore at Lake Mulwala. The dreamy design — pastel-pink sun umbrellas on a grassy patio, light-and-bright interiors flecked with greenery — is only outshone by menus favouring local producers.
Also popular for its outside dining opportunities is The River Deck Café in Albury Wodonga, perched right on the water in Noreuil Park. The menu nods to the region — think fresh trout, house-cured meats and Murray cod.
Set up home on a houseboat
There’s no better way to take the pulse of the mighty Murray than by hiring a houseboat for a night or two — or a week. The good news is that anyone can do it — you don’t need a boat licence to captain one of these rivercraft. Pick your accommodation, whether a basic two-berth boat or a luxurious floating ‘hotel’ with a spa, air-conditioning and open-plan kitchen. Then kit it out with jet-skis, paddleboards, kayaks and fishing gear. Echuca Luxury Houseboats has a modern fleet of state-of-the-art boats to choose from, while Dinky-Di Houseboat Holidays offers good-value rentals, ideal for families (some are even pet friendly).
Sleep on dry land
Prefer not to sleep on water? Check in to the Perricoota Vines Retreat just north of Moama, its one- to three-bedroom timber villas overlooking vineyards and a lake. The Moama on Murray Resort and Echuca Moama Holiday Villas are other great options, offering self-contained villas and units in a serene bushland setting. For a romantic stay, Talo Retreat has traditional Mongolian yurts (circular tent-like structures) kitted out with domed skylights, timber floors, a kitchenette and spa. And Atura Albury offers modern hotel rooms with an industrial-chic design vibe.
Pitch a tent
Immerse yourself in nature at Benarca campgrounds, a free, pet-friendly camp and caravan site in the Murray Valley Regional Park — in addition to beautiful views of the river, the area is just a short stroll (or pedal) to the Five Mile Mountain Bike Trail. Enjoy fishing, birdwatching and hiking in the shade of the majestic red river gums.
Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort, Mulwala Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort, Mulwala and the Murray River.
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Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort, Mulwala Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort, Mulwala and the Murray River.
The Murray River, Credit: Destination NSW
Camping on the Murray River.
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The Murray River, Credit: Destination NSW
Camping on the Murray River.