WESTERN GREAT DIVIDING RANGE
Calling Code: +61
The towns are also generally very small, and have limited facilities. If you're very lucky, there may be some live music at the local club, but generally, life in these remote areas tends to be very quiet. On the other hand, the scenery is exceedingly beautiful, and there's plenty of it.
Summers are blazing hot and dry, and if the sun doesn't get you, the flies will, so the best time to visit is between May and October. Winters can be surprisingly cold, though, and even a small amount of rain will close most unsealed back roads. Occasional flooding can close roads for days at a time.
Distances are huge. Even on main roads, towns can be 200km apart. On the back roads, you can drive all day and not see another vehicle. This is a great experience of itself, but it comes with the risk that a breakdown will strand you for some hours, at least, and it should come as no surprise that you won't be able to use your mobile (cellular) phone to call for help. It is always important to have filled up your car so that it has at least 350 km worth of petrol (gas) in it and you should always carry plenty of water supplies.
The Central West is an inland region in the Australian state of New South Wales. The Central West of New South Wales contains some of the oldest cities on the inland side of the Blue Mountains. The area is known for its produce, including cold climate fruits and wines. It contains some of the best restaurants in New South Wales outside of Sydney.
The region is mainly farmland, and the main agricultural products are lamb, beef, and wheat.
If you head west along the Barrier Highway, the red dirt starts at around the mining town of Cobar, out past Nyngan. North, the Kidman Way takes you up to Bourke (of "back of Bourke" fame), in cotton-growing country near the Queensland border. West, the next town is Wilcannia, once a major port on the Darling River. Beyond Wilcannia is Broken Hill, population 21,000, a mining town with a long and colourful history.
South of Cobar is the vast, mostly empty middle of New South Wales. Crossed by the Kidman Way and the Cobb Highway, it's just scrub and a few tiny towns all the way to the south border of the state. In the middle of that is ancient Lake Mungo, site of the oldest known human cremation, and Menindee, a system of wetlands in the desert.
To the north-east and north-west of Cobar are the isolated opal fields of Lightning Ridge and White Cliffs, both places where people live "rough", and often underground. Tours of some underground places can be arranged.
Finally, in the far north-west of the State, there are the strange rock engravings at Mootwingee, and the isolated town of Tiboburra.
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 | Bathhurst, Dubbo and the Central West
Bathurst, Sofala, Hill End, Mudgee,
Orange, Forbes, Parkes, Ellgowra,
Cowra, Young, Dubbo
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| The Northwest
Connabarabran, Narrabri, Gunnedah, Wee Waa, Lightning Ridge
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| The Hume Highway and the Riverina
Goulbourn, Yass, Gundagai, Holbrook,
Albury, Griffith, Leeton, Narrandera, Wagga Wagga,
Corowa, Barooga, Wentworth, Tocumwal
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| Back o' Bourke : The Outback
Nyngan, Bourke, Wanaaring, Hungerford, Barringun,
Brewarrina, Cobar, Wilcannia, Tilpa,
Louth, White Cliffs
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| Broken Hill
Broken Hill, Silverton, Menindee, Tibooburra
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If you know of a great destination we're missing,
review it for us!!
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