Mungo National Park

Evidence suggests that humans have lived in this region for at least 42,000 years; Mungo Man and Mungo Lady are at least 30,000–40,000 years old, making this area home to the world's second oldest modern human remains outside Africa (the oldest is in Laos). Because of this, the entire Willandra Lakes Region was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on September 9, 1983. It was these remains that pushed back the time to when Indigenous Australians arrived from Southeast Asia from 45,000 to 65,000.

Mungo Man was a well-respected Indigenous elder, and he was buried in ochre around the age of 50. Mungo Lady was only in her late teens. She was cremated, though the reason is unknown; she might have had some disease, but that theory is unproven and remains the world's oldest known cremated body.

The park was acquired for the Australian National Reserve System in 1979 by the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, which raised the $101,000 required to purchase the property. The foundation also funded a resident archeologist to work on the site from 1979 to 1983. With funds donated by Dick Smith, the foundation established the Mungo Visitor Centre and Laboratory in 1983. With further sponsorship from BHP (an Australian mining company), the foundation implemented Mungo National Park's 70-km guided vehicle drive in 1990. In 2010, the foundation put together a prospectus to create a new centre at Mungo for education and research.

Lake Mungo (or Mungo Lake), the main lake in the park, is now dry. Sediments have been deposited here for over 120,000 years to form what's now known as the Walls of China were particularly prominent in the several thousand years after the lake dried up. However, European colonisation introduced sheep and rabbits that destroyed much of the vegetation that protected the sediments from erosion; the flip side is that the discovery of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady can be attributed to European settlement.

While it may disappoint some, the bodies of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady cannot be visited by the public. Mungo Lady was returned to traditional lands in 1992, while Mungo Man was returned much later in 2018, but before 2018, he remained at the Australian National University for research purposes. In 2022, both Mungo Man and Mungo Lady were buried in an unknown location. However, this was done without the approval of the Indigenous elders, putting the Department of Agriculture, Water, and Environment under scrutiny.

Today, the park is jointly managed by the New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Services along with the elders of three indigenous groups (the Ngyiampaa, Mutthi Mutthi, and Southern Paakantyi people) as part of a joint management program.

The park's central point of interest, Lake Mungo, is the second largest of all ancient dry lakes, and the park has been noted for its archaeological remains. Mungo Man's remains, the oldest human remains discovered in Australia, and Mungo Lady, the oldest known human to have been ritually cremated, were found in the park. Both were buried on the shore of Lake Mungo, beneath the Walls of China, a series of lunettes on the southeastern edge of the lake. Apart from the lake, much of it is just a flat dry grassy area with the typical outback landscape.

Twenty species of mammals have been recorded, of which bats are the most diverse group. Around 40 species of reptiles and amphibians and 137 recorded species of birdlife, including parrots, cockatoos, and finches, inhabit the park.

However, the most common wildlife you'll see are kangaroos and emus. It is not uncommon during a hot day, particularly in summer, to see a kangaroo or some other wildlife hide out or try to take shelter. Sometimes they suddenly cross the path you're walking on. You may also see echidnas, although you may have to search for them.

While you may have heard stereotypes about some of these animals being deadly or scary, there's nothing to worry about. The wildlife won't harm you – the emus, kangaroos, and snakes will only threaten you if they feel threatened. Leave them alone, and you'll be just fine.

Most of the park's climate is hot or warm year-round. However, temperatures can plummet to freezing during the night, particularly in the colder months of winter. Generally, the best time to visit the park is during the autumn months of March to May or the spring months of August to November.

However, this does vary by location, and some places, such as Lake Mungo, are colder than other places in the park. Away from the lake, the climate mostly depends on altitude, although most of the park is very low (around 60-100 m in elevation).

As the park is mostly desert with little shelter, a sunhat, sunscreen and plenty of drinking water are essential for most of the year. Additionally, if you are coming here in the winter months, bring a jacket with you, as the wind is much stronger here than in the coastal areas. The same applies if you're coming here to camp from autumn to spring, while layers would be appropriate between May and August at night.

It rarely rains – when it does, it's only a slight drizzle. On the rare occasion of heavy rain, the roads to the park are closed. Dust storms sometimes occur during the summer months and can cause problems with road visibility. However, these are not very common.

• 🌍 Mungo Visitor Centre, 3046 Turlee Leaghur Rd. Generally, the visitor centre opens at 9AM and closes at 4 or 5PM, but there are no consistent opening hours, and they can change anytime. Hours are posted on the front door of the centre though not online, which would be far too sensible. With numerous cultural artifacts and fossilised figures in the visitor centre, learn more about the historical and cultural significance of the park and the region at the visitor centre. The visitor centre also functions as a meeting point for guided tours. The visitor centre can get relatively crowded during the school holidays, but given the sheer isolation of the park, it never experiences anything approaching urban crowding. . (updated Jan 2022)

Alternatively, if you're looking to get park information before visiting the park, try contacting the National Parks and Wildlife Service's office at 4 Melaleuca Street, Buronga by either calling ☏ +61 3 5021 8900, emailing npws.lowerdarling@environment.nsw.gov.au, or the less popular option of visiting in person. The office is open M–F 8:30AM–4:30PM.

For up-to-date information on the park, such as road closures, weather impacts, or anything related to the park, check the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service page.

Like most national parks in New South Wales, Mungo National Park can only be independently accessed by car. Finding tour guides to this park is not a walk in the park, so if you choose to not drive, you'll need to plan well ahead for a tour guide to take you. If you don't have a car but are willing to drive, the nearest rental cars can be found across the Victorian border in Mildura, a reasonably-sized city 110 km (68 mi) away. It's important to check that your rental car company allows you to drive on gravel roads as you will have to drive on a gravel road for most of your journey.

From Mildura and Wentworth, the park often takes about two hours via Arumpo Rd, which is unsealed. The road can close at any time, particularly after rain which means you could be stuck for days – although it doesn't rain much in the area anyway and it is not a huge concern.

There is another road via Balranald although the quality of the road surface is very poor with loose stones, and the route is longer at 147 km (91 mi).

There's a third route via Euston, with very similar conditions as the road from Balranald, and is 120 km (75 mi). However, very few use this road and it is not well maintained as the other two.

The closest airport with regularly-scheduled flights is Mildura Airport (MQL ^IATA), with regular flights by Regional Express (Rex) from Melbourne, Adelaide, and Broken Hill, and Qantas from Melbourne and Sydney. There are rental cars available from Mildura along with some tours (see § Without a car).

Some companies run tours to Mungo National Park.

Discover Mildura has day trips at around $175 per person, departing from Mildura, and includes a package to most of the highlights in the park, however, it does not cover the loop tour, for which you will need to bring your car.

Another company, Mungo Guided Tours also has day tours from Mildura, but at a lower cost of $129 per person in a minibus. This one includes a package to most of the highlights in the park, including to some places that are restricted and cannot be accessed otherwise such as the top of the Walls of China.

If you aren't comfortable driving, it may be better to take a tour. You don't miss much, and you don't have anything much to stress about.

• 🌍 Mungo lookout, Mungo Lookout Rd. Overlooking the vast dry bed of Lake Mungo, which was once home to kangaroos thrice the size of modern reds and carnivorous thunderbirds (Dromornis stirtoni) almost twice the height of emus, among other megafauna. You can also see some of the Walls of China from this lookout. . (updated Oct 2021)

• 🌍 Red Top lookout and boardwalk, Red Top Walking Track (along the self-guided driving tour, 30 min from the visitor centre). A quick short one hundred-metre walk (coloured in red on map) that is slightly elevated to best appreciate the beauty of the remarkable effects of erosion, And if you're thinking, "what's special about a simple 100-metre boardwalk", the answer to that is that it's one of the few places where you'll be walking slap bang right next to the Walls of China and the erosion of the lake.
  
  It's sometimes colloquially known as a photographer's secret spot, particularly during sunset or sunrise, where views particularly get more than what you expect. For those that don't know, Uluru only changes colours once every so often. The Walls of China, however, give a different light depending on sunlight. Sometimes orange, other times yellow, or even red at times.
  
  While you may encounter wildlife along this boardwalk, don't hope for it. It's only a mere 100 metres, so what can you expect? But if you do encounter wildlife, do make sure to take a photo of it. . (updated Oct 2021)
• 🌍 Walls of China viewing platform, China Walls Walking Track. A wheelchair-accessible lookout which is the first stop along the drive tour. It contains two boardwalks, both with information bays and mini-lookouts along the way. . (updated Oct 2021)

• 🌍 Mungo Woolshed, 3046 Turlee Leaghur Rd. Built in the drop-log style in 1869 on the Gol Gol pastoral station. Apart from being "just another sheep woolshed", you can admire the labour that was needed to craft hundreds of cypress pine logs into a large shed where 18 men once worked around the clock shearing 75,000 sheep by hand. . (updated Oct 2021)
• 🌍 Zanci Homestead site, Zanci Pastoral Loop. It may not look like much now, as parts of this once-proud homestead are in ruins. The house had two rooms and a small kitchen where the family cooked over an open fire. You can visit the "dugout" (an underground cool larder), the drop pine log-walled and spinifex-thatched stables, and the "dunny out the back" (outhouse). The shearing shed originally stood as part of the Mungo Woolshed but was transported and rebuilt at Zanci by the parks service. (updated Oct 2021)

The only way to see the walls up close is to go on a guided tour.

• Mungo walk the Walls of China tour (departs from the visitor centre most days of the year), ☏ +61 1300 072 757. The official tour run by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. These are given by an indigenous guide and last approximately two hours. Book through the website or by phone. Not suitable for wheelchair users. $50 per adult, $35 per concession holder/pensioner, and $35 per child (aged 5-16). (updated Jan 2022)

Private operators also run full-day and evening tours:

• Mungo Guided Tours, 10142 Arumpo Rd, Arumpo via Mildura, ☏ +61 3 5029 7297. Email via online form. Day, sunset, and full-moon tours, leaving from either Mildura or the Mungo Lodge. $49-129 per adult, depending on tour. (updated Jan 2022)

• Discover Mildura, ☏ +61 3 5024 7448 (office), +61 419 127 995 (mobile), info@discovermildura.com.au. Tours leave infrequently from Mildura. Day tour (in minibus/minivan) $175 pp. Tag-along tour (self-drive in guided convoy) $125 pp. Private tour $275 pp. (updated Jan 2022)

Also called the Mungo self-guided drive tour (coloured in red on the map), this 70-km (43-mi) drive loop is known by most people living in Outback NSW, and is a must for anyone visiting the park. Starting at the visitor centre, the route heads anticlockwise and covers most of Mungo's highlights, and takes 2 hr non-stop or up to 3 hr if you stop along the way. None of the roads are paved/sealed, so you'll require much more than a two-wheel drive.

Some campgrounds and walks are only accessible via this loop track such as the Walls of China viewing platform, the Red Top lookout, or Belah campground.

Watch out for emus and kangaroos, which are known for regularly crossing the track. Take extreme care at night. There may be some sections that do not have any signposted limit, but if not, assume it's safe to go around 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph) but drive to the conditions.

The first 10 km of the track is a fairly simple and easy drive, and although you're still travelling on gravel roads, there are fewer bumps. There are no points of interest in this section, but after the 10 km, you arrive at the Walls of China viewing platform, the first stop along the drive and perhaps one of the most important ones. You can get somewhat close to the dunes and learn about how they formed. To visit the Walls up close, you will need to come here on a tour.

After another 6 km, you arrive at the partially-elevated Red Top lookout and boardwalk, which allows you to get close to the Walls of China dunes from a completely different angle. Exploring this boardwalk can take as little as five minutes, though you may like to stay here and admire the dunes for much longer.

From this point onwards, the road becomes exclusively one way, and so if you'd like to head back, Red Top lookout is your final point. Otherwise, you will have to do another hour of driving.

The next 10 km of road are fairly straight and there's not much to see or do along that bit. After that, you will arrive at the Mallee Stop walking track, a short and quick 1-km walk that should take you no more than 45 minutes.

Not long after the walk, you pass Belah campground, the only campground along the self-guided drive tour. To rest your head there, bookings are required, see Sleep for more.

After the campground, the drive winds all around for another 30 km, but with no walking trails or lookouts until the end of the route. Once you're at the end of the route, the nearest carpark is at the visitor centre, where you will have finished the loop.

There are several bushwalking trails in the park. Out of the three trails, the Foreshore walk and the Mallee Stop walking track are rated as a Grade 3 on the Australian Walking Track Grading System, while Grasslands Nature trail is rated as a Grade 2. There are no Grade 4 and 5 trails.

The Foreshore walk (coloured aqua and purple on the map) is a 2.5-km (1.6-mi) loop mainly coving the western ends of Lake Mungo. It should take between 45 and 75 min to do. It's got the typical outback scene but not much of a view of the Walls of China.

The walk is fairly easygoing, although it's not wheelchair friendly. Make sure to bring some bottles of water with you, as you can quickly get dehydrated on this track – all year round, but particularly in the summer months.

The Grasslands Nature trail (coloured orange on the map) is a 1.2-km (0.75-mi) loop, passing through the grassy areas of the park as the name of the trail suggests. Taking about 15 to 45 min to do, it's quite a popular sunset walk for those who are camping near Main campground to finish off the day. Much of it is wheelchair friendly, and it is also where a lot of the wildlife comes for grass, so for any photography enthusiast, this is one fine location.

The Mallee Stop walking track (coloured in blue) is another short quick walking trail along the self-drive tour, and is only a mere 1 km (0.62 mi) walking track and should take 15 minutes at best, and 45 minutes to walk at worst. The trail passes through one of the few grassy areas of the park.

Zanci Pastoral Loop (coloured purple and green on the map) is a 10 km (6.2 mi) cycle path, and takes about 1.5 hours to do. As the name of the trail suggests, it passes the historic Zanci Homestead site, so if you do have the chance to stop and visit the site, it's well worth the visit.

The path can be walked, but do remember that 10 kilometres in summer can sometimes burn you out. There are no rental bikes available at the park either, so you'll need to bring a bike along with you.

The park offers any photographic enthusiast some views seen nowhere else, due to its incredible landscape with different colours and textures. Wildlife photography is a thing in the park, but there's not so much unique wildlife here apart from the typical Australian wildlife that would generally be found elsewhere.

If you want to do some commercial photography in the park (i.e. for sale, hire/rent, or profit), you'll need a licence. Full, up-to-date details of licensing can be found at the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment website, including on applying for a licence. However, there are no issues with photography for personal, non-commercial use.

• 🌍 Mungo Lodge, 10142 Arumpo Rd, ☏ +61 3 5029 7297. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. It might seem like just another ordinary lodge, but this does have much more than that. It contains mostly eco-friendly cabins and have got heaps to learn about the history of the Willandra Lakes Region here. from $150. (updated Oct 2021)
• 🌍 Shearers' Quarters, Mailbox Rd (near the visitor centre). Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. The park's historic shearers' quarters can accommodate around 27 guests and has five rooms. Located at the start of the self-guided drive tour, it's one of the many places where you can still feel what the place was originally like; a functioning sheep station. minimum $50 per night. (updated Oct 2021)

There are two campgrounds in the park, both quite some distance from each other. Remember that camping fees apply and should be paid off at the visitor centre; $5 per adult and $3 per child (see the § Fees and permits section for more about camping fees). Bookings must be made online.

• 🌍 Belah campground. Located along the Mungo Self-guided Drive tour, this campground has only 12 campsites. It's smaller than Main campground, but it's closer to the eastern ends of Lake Mungo. However, a big downside to this campground is that the drive tour is only one way, meaning you'd have to drive the entire 70-km loop every time you come here. The campsite has picnic areas and toilets, but you need to bring drinking and cooking water. (updated Oct 2021)
• 🌍 Main campground, Arumpo Rd. Has 33 campsites, most of good quality and spacious. Unlike most other outback camping experiences though, this one has good facilities, including picnic tables and barbecue facilities (you will need to bring drinking water, cooking water, and firewood, though). And not to forget it's very close to everything else in the park. (updated Oct 2021)

Backcountry camping in Mungo National Park isn't possible since camping anywhere in the park can only be done at the two designated camping sites.