The Darling River Run

One of Australia’s great driving adventures in Outback NSW

Garraway’s Cottage

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Outback Beds - Accomodation & Farm Stays

Welcome to Garraway’s Cottage in Pooncarie, right on the banks of the Darling River, a mid-way stop between Menindee & Wentworth. Your hosts, Bob and Barb, who also run the Old Wharf Cafe and are happy to meet and greet you and help with any enquiries relating to things to see and do in the area.

This terrific 2 bedroom fully air-conditioned and self contained cottage is right in the heart of Pooncarie, just 50 metres to the Old Wharf Cafe, 200metres to the Telegraph Hotel & 500metres to the Port Pit Stop. There’s  a 9 hole Golf Course in this little town filled to the brim with history and of course there is the Darling River for a spot of fishing. Bourke and Wills passed through this place on their way to the Gulf, paddle steamers were up and down the river.

Pooncarie is the closest settlement to the world heritage listed Mungo National Park which is one of the most visited National Parks in Outback NSW. It is not only about the much-photographed Lunette, Mungo Lake, and ‘Walls of China’, but it is the site that provides evidence of continual human habitation of over 40,000 years. 

Bindara On The Darling

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Outback Beds - Accomodation & Farm Stays

Historic Bindara station, located on the banks of the Darling River between Menindee and Pooncarie, is conveniently located for visits to Mungo and Kinchega National Parks and is the perfect space to pull up stumps for a couple of days to relax by the river. Fishing, canoeing, bushwalking and birdwatching as well as history and cultural tours – you’ll be glad you visited!

Your hosts the Arnolds have lived at Bindara for more than 40 years, and with a lifetime on the land they are as self-sufficient as possible. A thriving bio-organic fruit and veggie garden, windmill generator, solar panels to pump water and for those who order a meal, freshly gown ( or caught) produce on your plate are testament to their hard work that goes into the clever and sustainable use of what nature has on offer.

Barb and family offer their guests a range of accommodation ( the Jillaroo’s Quarters, Cooks Quarters and Boundary Riders Cottage) plus campsites right on the bank of the river with bathroom access. Catering is available by prior arrangement, and usually features camp-oven cooking.

Nelia Gaari Station

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Lily and Greg welcome you to their 60,000 acre sheep and cattle station on the banks of the Darling River mid way between Wilcannia and Menindee on the west side of the river. If you’re looking for a quiet, convenient spot on the river to park your caravan/campertrailer or 4WD then call in and check out their great remote campsites with shared toilet and shower facilities.

Nelia Gaari also has a five bedroom fully self-contained cottage, sleeping 12 – just 100 metres to the river. Clean and spacious, the air-conditioned cottage includes linen and a gas BBQ on the patio.

They are situated 90km south of Wilcannia and 80km north of Menindee on unsealed roads. 4WD isn’t necessary but recommended, and please remember to check road conditions if there has been rain in the area.

Lake Victoria – A special place

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Fascinating Aboriginal and Military History

Lake Victoria is a fascinating place that embodies both Aboriginal and military history in addition to being a major water source for people in New South Wales, Victoria and other major towns and cities throughout South Australia.

It is an important cultural heritage site for the Aboriginal community and an indispensable environmental resource for a major part of the health of the Murray River, its plants, animals and ecosystems.

In 1994 when the lake level was lowered for maintenance, a wealth of Aboriginal history was discovered. Artefacts such as camp sites, stone tools, grindstones, shell middens and hearths etc along with extensive aboriginal burial sites were uncovered. It was estimated that up to three or four thousand individual graves existed in the large burial grounds.

The significant number of remains provided evidence that dense populations of Aboriginal people had lived around the lake for many thousands of years.

During World War 2, Lake Victoria was used as a training ground for the RAAF’s 2 Operational Training Unit. 6 fatalities resulted from these activities and to this day two airmen and their aircraft remain missing in the lake bed.

For visitors to Lake Victoria there is a viewing point from which to overlook the magnificent lake.

Note: The road to Lake Victoria from Wentworth and Renmark is mostly unsealed and remote. Please prepare for this journey.

Mount Oxley

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Outback Beds - Accomodation & Farm Stays

Mt Oxley at Rossmore Station near Bourke is home to a variety of Australian native plants and wildlife, and is the perfect spot to see wedge-tailed eagles soaring on the thermals, a real birdwatcher’s paradise. Enjoy a visit to Mt Oxley for a picnic lunch, sunset nibbles or a BBQ, a perfect spot to camp with an undercover picnic area and toilets.

Denise and Bill offer rustic accommodation in their authentic shearer’s huts with ‘a bit of sprucing up’. Built in the 1950’s, the huts feature 6 bedrooms opening onto a verandah, self-contained kitchen (featuring original electric and slow-combustion appliances), dining room (still furnished as it was in days gone by with a massive trestle table and stools and an open fireplace), recently constructed bathrooms and septic toilets. The toilets, as early Australian tradition dictated, are still a 30 metre stroll from the accommodation, to which one visitor commented – “if I wanted to sleep next to the toilet, I’d be in a motel”.

5 bedrooms have been renovated, the pick being the Sir Charles Sturt room, with a beaut view to Mt Oxley through the glass door. Situated in natural surroundings and cleaned on the day of your arrival to ensure freshness, an overnight stay here is a real step back in time.

Camping is also available atop Mount Oxley or by the the river which runs parallel to the Kamilaroi highway. Bookings are essential via the website.

NOTE: Mount Oxley does require a day permit to visit, as it is located on private property. This can be purchased from the Back O’ Bourke Information and Exhibition Centre or by contacting the owners. It is encouraged to purchase the permit on the day that you would like to go up as the code that is provided changes regularly.