Brindingabba scenic drive

Brindingabba National Park

Open, check current alerts 

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.

Accessibility
No wheelchair access
Distance
25km loop
Time suggested
2hrs
Grade
Medium
Trip Intention Form

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.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Nearby

  • The creek near Brindingabba campground in Brindingabba National Park, 175km from Bourke, is a great place to see birds. Photo: James Lawson, © DCCEEW

    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

Map legend

Current alerts in this area

There are no current alerts in this area.

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

Park info

See more visitor info

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

Safety messages

Fire safety

During periods of fire weather, the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service may declare a total fire ban for particular NSW fire areas, or statewide. Learn more about total fire bans and fire safety.

Mobile safety

Dial Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. Download the Emergency Plus app before you visit, it helps emergency services locate you using your smartphone's GPS. Please note there is limited mobile phone reception in this park and you’ll need mobile reception to call Triple Zero (000).

Outback safety

Safety is of high priority in outback areas. In summer, temperatures can reach up to 50°C in some places. Food, water and fuel supplies can be scarce. Before you head off, check for road closures and use our contacts to stay safe in the outback.

Wildlife safety

Keep yourself and our wildlife safe by understanding the risks of wildlife encounters and how to avoid them.

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, 175km from Bourke, is on Budjiti and Kurnu Baakandji Country. Photo: Joshua Smith © DCCEEW

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

The lovely brolga can be seen in Brindingabba National Park, 175km from Bourke. Photo: Lachlan Copeland, © DCCEEW.

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 in Brindingabba National Park was built in 1893 at the height of the Bourke wool boom. Photo: James Lawson, © DCCEEW/James Lawson.

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

Nationally important Yantabulla wetlands in Brindingabba National Park, 175km from Bourke, are a refuge for thousands of waterbirds and shorebirds. Photo: Robert Smith, © DCCEEW

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

  • Emu, Paroo Darling National Park. Photo: John Spencer

    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.

  • Red kangaroo, Sturt National Park. Photo: John Spencer

    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.

  • Echidna. Photo: Ken Stepnell

    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.

  • Wedge-tailed eagle. Photo: Kelly Nowak

    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.

  • Tawny frogmouth. Photo: Rosie Nicolai

    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

  • Mulga. Photo: Jaime Plaza

    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.

  • River red gum, Murrumbidgee Valley National Park. Photo: Paul Childs

    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.

Environments in this park