Gundabooka National Park
Gundabooka National Park is a 639-km2 national park in Northwestern New South Wales, about 52 km south of Bourke. Along with Sturt National Park and the newly-established Narriearra Caryapundy Swamp National Park, it's another one of the "real outback" parks. It's an important site to the Indigenous Ngemba people and there are many artifacts and rock art that can be found within the park, though only one of them is accessible to travellers.
For practical purposes, this article also covers parts of the Gundabooka State Conservation Area and the narrow strip of land that surrounds Ben Lomond Road that is not part of the park (as it's not owned by the NSW NPWS).
Understand
Visitor information
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website
- Bourke office, 51-53 Oxley St, Bourke, ☏ +61 2 6830 0200, npws.bourke@environment.nsw.gov.au. M–F 8:30AM–4PM. Park office.
Get in
Though you will need to drive on dirt roads to access the core and center of the park, thanks to various upgrades by the NSW Government early this century, all roads but a 75-km section of the Cobb Highway are now sealed/paved. In Gundabooka NP's case, it's not on the highway but you only have to travel three kilometers from the Kidman Way before encountering the park's welcome sign.
The closest two towns to Gundabooka National Park are Bourke 51.6 km to the north, and Cobar 114 km to the south both via the Kidman Way (B87). There are no facilities between the two, meaning you'll need to be self-sufficient once you leave either of the two towns. If you don't have a GPS system with you and don't exactly know where to turn, need not worry, follow the brown signs once you get closer to the turnoff.
If you don't have a car, then tough luck, but finding a tour operator is next-to-impossible and you really shouldn't be wandering out in the Outback in the midst of nowhere without a car. There is simply no demand for tour operators to run tours to a rather insignificant, isolated and unimportant park that's well off the beaten track.
Fees and permits
Gundabooka National Park is free to access and you don't need any special permits in advance (apart from booking accommodation if you're staying within the park).
See
- 🌍 Little Mountain Lookout, Little Mountain Trail, Gunderbooka. A small lookout overlooking a mountain range you've probably never of, yet very picturesque. It's particularly impressive at sunset so do make sure to bring a camera with you.
- 🌍 Yapa (Mulgowan) art site lookout, Yapa (Mulgowan) art site walking track. One of the best preserved Aboriginal rock art in the region, depicting animal motifs, dancers, hand stencils and hunting tools. To help preserve the rock art, you may only see the rock art from a viewing platform.
Do
- Little Mountain walking track. A 4.8-km return trail between Dry Tank campground and Little Mountain lookout. Whilst, well, dry land, you'll find lots of iconic Australian wildlife including kangaroos, emus, wallabies and a lot of other birds that pass by.
- Yapa (Mulgowan) Aboriginal art site walking track.
- Valley of the Eagles walk.
Buy, eat and drink
Where are the shops you ask? None in practically the middle of nowhere. The nearest town with supplies is Bourke to the north, or Cobar to the south.
Sleep
Lodging
- 🌍 Belah Shearers' Quarters, 893 Ben Lomond Rd, Gunderbooka, ☏ 1300 072 757 (domestic). Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. A 6-bedroom self-contained accommodation in an old shearers' quarter built sometime during the mid-20th century back before the major conservation movement in NSW began. Whilst a historic site, it has many modern facilities including a kitchen, a verandah, a carpark that can fit four vehicles (4WDs that is) plus bathroom facilities (with hot water – perfect for winter!). Only a maximum of 12 guests are permitted at a time though.
Camping
- 🌍 Dry Tank campground, Dry Tank Trail, Gunderbooka, ☏ 1300 072 757 (domestic). A small campground with only six unmarked campsites. This campground is really in the center of nowhere, but that is an experience in itself.