Brindingabba scenic drive
Brindingabba National Park
Overview
Brindingabba scenic drive is a must-do for intrepid 4WD travellers on their way from Bourke to Birdsville. It’s packed with wildlife so bring your binoculars and camera, and find out how many birds and animals you can see.
- Where
- Brindingabba National Park in Outback NSW
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair access
- Distance
- 25km loop
- Time suggested
- 2hrs
- Grade
- Medium
- Trip Intention Form
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It's a good idea to let someone know where you're going. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your trip to your emergency contact.
- Opening times
Brindingabba National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
- What to
bring - Gps, food supplies, satellite phone, sturdy shoes, sunscreen, suitable clothing, hat, headphones, drinking water
- Please note
- The track is subject to dry and wet bogging so is suitable for experienced 4WD operators only. Don’t tow caravans or trailers on the track, leave them at the campground.
- The weather can be extreme and unpredictable. Check with the NPWS Bourke office or Bourke Shire Council for the latest road condition report before you set out.
- Bring extra food, drinking water and firewood in case you need to spend the night at the campground.
- Bring enough fuel to get you back to Bourke 175km away. The nearest fuel is at The Royal Mail Hotel in Hungerford, Qld, 75km away.
Brindingabba scenic drive leaves from Brindingabba campground and goes round the park to the main road 6km away. It has many places where you can take photographs or train binoculars at the spectacular outback scenery and wildlife.
On the mulga shrublands see red kangaroos, emus and heaps of wildflowers while the wedge-tailed eagle soars overhead.
By creeks lined with coolabah, blackbox and yapunyah trees you can spot waterbirds. The yapunyah trees’ cascades of bright yellow flowers attract honeyeaters and photographers.
Explore the woodlands, binoculars in hand, to find weebills, mistletoebirds and hooded robins.
The drive passes 2 bores and 2 dams where birds such as colourful budgies and rainbow bee-eaters flock in the morning and evening. It also passes an enclosure of lancewood trees. This is the only NSW park where you can see this endangered tree with its umbrella shape, yellow flowers and long narrow leaves.
As evening falls, a small rise along Parragundy Trail is a great place to picnic and photograph the spectacular sunset. Then return to the campground and search the skies for the inland forest bat and the shrubland for the kultarr, a small marsupial mammal with a brushy tail, as it forages for food.
Nearby
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Brindingabba campground
On your outback tour of far north-west NSW, camp under the stars at Brindingabba campground, between Bourke and Hungerford.
Map
Map legend
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/4wd-touring-routes/brindingabba-scenic-drive/local-alerts
General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Brindingabba National Park in the Outback NSW region
Brindingabba National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Brindingabba scenic drive.
Getting there and parking
The scenic drive starts at Brindingabba campground in Brindingabba National Park and ends around 6km west of the campground on Dowling Track.
To get to the campground from Bourke:
- Drive 175km north-west of Bourke down the Hungerford-Bourke Road which is part of the Dowling Track outback route from Bourke to Birdsville.
- Turn right at the sign to Brindingabba campground and drive for about 800m.
To get to the campground from Hungerford:
- Drive 75km south-east down scenic Hungerford-Bourke Road towards Bourke.
- Turn left at the sign to Brindingabba campground and drive for about 800m.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- Most roads require 4WD vehicle
Weather restrictions
- Dry weather only
Parking
Parking is available at Brindingabba campground.
Facilities
- There are non-flush toilets, picnic tables and a carpark at Brindingabba campground.
- There are no bins so you'll need to take all rubbish with you.
- There is no mobile phone reception.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - no wheelchair access
Permitted
Cycling
Prohibited
Hunting in NSW national parks is an illegal activity and a fineable offence.
Camping
You can’t camp along the track.
Don’t tow caravans or trailers on the track, leave them at the nearby campground.
Gathering firewood
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Brindingabba scenic drive is in Brindingabba National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Protecting Aboriginal culture
Brindingabba National Park is in Budjiti and Kurnu Baakandji Country. Brindingabba is thought to mean 'thunder talks' in Kunja language. Aboriginal heritage items include stone hearths, wells and stone artefacts. We’re working with the local Aboriginal community to protect these important cultural sites.
The Brindingabba scenic drive skirts some sites. Please stay on the tracks to avoid disturbing them.
Home to amazing animals and plants
At least 12 endangered and 31 vulnerable species such as the kultarr, pink cockatoo and brolga are protected at Brindingabba National Park. You can find 96 sorts of birds here including the rare grey-crowned babbler.
The park also conserves mulga shrubland, blackbox and coolibah woodland, and grasslands. It’s the only NSW national park where you can see the endangered lancewood. Yapunyah, a gum tree which produces a delicious honey, also grows here. This tree is found only in outback northern NSW and southern Qld.
- Brindingabba scenic drive Brindingabba scenic drive is a must-do for intrepid 4WD travellers on their way from Bourke to Birdsville. It’s packed with wildlife so bring your binoculars and camera, and find out how many birds and animals you can see.
Preserving historic heritage
Brindingabba homestead was built in 1893 at the height of the wool boom. It’s a pisé or rammed earth structure. Its materials were harvested from the property’s red soils which can be seen on walls that have not been white-washed. Its wide verandas, tall ceilings and thick walls keep it cool in summer and warm in winter.
The homestead contains historical memorabilia collected by previous owners. Contact the Bourke office to find out when it’s open to visitors.
Nationally important wetlands
Brindingabba National Park lies in the Cuttaburra Basin, connecting 2 major outback rivers, the Paroo and the Warrego. The park protects more than 7,000 hectares of Yantabulla Swamp and part of Lake Wombah, which are nationally important wetlands. The wetlands provide habitat and breeding grounds for internationally protected migratory waterbirds such as freckled ducks, pink-eared ducks, brolgas and night herons.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
The largest of Australian birds, the emu stands up to 2m high and is the second largest bird in the world, after the ostrich. Emus live in pairs or family groups. The male emu incubates and rears the young, which will stay with the adult emus for up to 2 years.
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Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
The red kangaroo is one of the most iconic Australian animals and the largest marsupial in the world. Large males have reddish fur and can reach a height of 2m, while females are considerably smaller and have blue-grey fur. Red kangaroos are herbivores and mainly eat grass.
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Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
One of only 2 egg-laying mammals in the world, the short-beaked echidna is one of the most widespread of Australian native animals. Covered in spines, or quills, they’re equipped with a keen sense of smell and a tube-like snout which they use to break apart termite mounds in search of ants.
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Wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax)
With a wingspan of up to 2.5m, the wedge-tailed eagle is Australia’s largest bird of prey. These Australian animals are found in woodlands across NSW, and have the ability to soar to heights of over 2km. If you’re bird watching, look out for the distinctive diamond-shaped tail of the eagle.
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Tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)
Found throughout Australia, the tawny frogmouth is often mistaken for an owl due to its wide, powerful beak, large head and nocturnal hunting habits. The ‘oom oom oom’ call of this native bird can be heard echoing throughout a range of habitats including heath, woodlands and urban areas.
Plants
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Mulga (Acacia aneura)
Mulga are hardy Australian native plants found throughout inland Australia. With an unusually long tap root, the mulga is able to withstand long periods of drought.
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River red gum (Eucalpytus camaldulensis)
Australian native plants, majestic river red gum trees are widespread across Australian inland river systems. The river red gum is a dominant tree species of the Murray-Darling basin which spans NSW, Queensland and Victoria. This iconic native eucalypt grows to a height of 30m and is thought to have a lifespan up to 500-1000 years.