Cuttaburra National Park is about 150km north-west of Bourke and 95km south-east of Hungerford. The park is closed to visitors and expected to open in 2025.

This remote, rugged and beautiful place lies in the Paroo and Warrego River country. There are many Aboriginal cultural sites in the park including wells, waterholes, artefact scatters, scar trees and stone arrangements. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service will work with the Aboriginal and local community on future management. This includes protecting cultural sites and reflecting the previous pastoral history.

Plants and animals

Cuttaburra National Park hosts a diverse range of landscapes including tree-lined river floodplains, swamps, claypans, grasslands, sand dunes, shrubland plains, and rocky mulga covered hills.  The park is home to at least 12 threatened species including the stripe-faced dunnart, brolga, eastern fat-tailed gecko, black-breasted buzzard and little eagle.

Two threatened plant species, desert cow-vine and Phyllanthus maderaspatensis have also been recorded, as well as 2 threatened ecological communities; coolibah-black box woodland and artesian spring ecological community.

Woodland trees in the park include coolabahs, beefwoods and bimble boxes. From late autumn to early spring, desert bloodwood and yapunyah gum trees bloom with white and yellow flowers. Among the shrubs the birdsong and vocal chatter of the Hall’s babbler can be heard, as well as chestnut-crowned and grey-crowned babblers, thornbills, and treecreepers. 

Red kangaroos and emus pick their way through the stony shrublands against a palette of pink, lilac and yellow flowering plants.

The flooded claypans and swamps attract colourful flocks of pink cockatoos, budgerigars, zebra finches, and a cacophony of frogs. With its permanent waterholes Cuttaburra Creek is important habitat for waterbirds like egrets, spoonbills, kingfishers, and occasionally brolgas.

Wetland conservation for shorebirds and waterbirds

Wetland conservation in this semi-arid outback landscape is crucial. Over one-quarter of the park stretches across Yantabulla Swamp in the Cuttaburra Basin. The swamp is an important connection between the Warrego and Paroo Rivers, and is one of Australia’s most important wetlands. When full, the swamp hosts thousands of internationally protected migratory shorebirds and up to 50,000 waterbirds, including pink-eared ducks, grey teals, night herons, and threatened freckled ducks.  

What’s nearby

Brindingabba National Park is located 25km along the Dowling Track towards Hungerford. It has a scenic drive so you can see more of the outback, and a campground with a toilet.