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Major city · Australia

Cobar

Stop one night on the Barrier Highway: see the heritage centre, Fort Bourke Hill lookout and the big beer can, then drive on.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
AUD
Best months
Apr–May, Sep–Oct
avoid Dec–Feb (40 °C days), summer school holidays
Airports
CAZ · DBO
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
  • Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
  • Australia and New Zealand ↗Both countries drive on the left, with long distances between fuel stops in the outback and on New Zealand's back roads; fatigue causes more visitor crashes than speed.
  • Australia ↗Almost every visitor needs a visa or an electronic authorisation (ETA or eVisitor, depending on passport) before boarding: apply only through the official Department of Home Affairs site or the official AustralianETA app, and check the rules for your passport.
  • Australia ↗Declare all food, plant material, seeds, wood and animal products on your arrival declaration; undeclared items can bring on-the-spot fines or visa cancellation. When unsure, declare it.
  • Australia ↗Drive on the left. An overseas licence in English (or with an official translation or International Driving Permit) is accepted for visitors; check the state rules and your rental contract.
  • Australia ↗Swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches; rip currents cause most beach drownings.

Cobar is a 4,000-person mining town on the Barrier Highway between Nyngan and Broken Hill, with a compact 19th-century main street you can walk in under two hours. It works as a one-night road-trip stop, or a two-night base if you want Mount Grenfell's rock art. There is no beach, no big attraction and no reason to fly in unless you are already heading this way.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Cobar, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or bakery snackA$5–10 (≈ US$4–7)
  • BeerBeer in a pubA$7–10 (≈ US$5–7)
  • Museum or sight ticketHeritage centre entryA$15 (≈ US$10) (check)
  • Budget bedCaravan park site (powered), a night, per roomA$40 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedMotel double room, a night, per roomA$160 (≈ US$110)
  • High-end bedMotel double room, a night, per roomA$240 (≈ US$160)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget A$100 (≈ US$70) · Mid A$170 (≈ US$120) · High A$280 (≈ US$190)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Great Cobar Heritage Centre and mining museumFort Bourke Hill lookout over the open-cut mineMount Grenfell rock artGreat Western Hotel verandah and the Big Beer Can
Airports
CAZ Cobar Airport (About 6 km southwest of town; Pelican Air flies from Sydney on some weekdays (check days and fares). No bus into town: taxi or hire car.) · DBO Dubbo (next closest) (About 3 h by road; more flights and rental cars.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Cobar: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

35°C

21°C

5 rd

Feb

34°C

20°C

5 rd

Mar

31°C

17°C

5 rd

Apr

26°C

12°C

4 rd

May

21°C

8°C

5 rd

Jun

17°C

5°C

6 rd

Jul

16°C

4°C

6 rd

Aug

19°C

5°C

5 rd

Sep

23°C

8°C

5 rd

Oct

27°C

12°C

5 rd

Nov

31°C

16°C

5 rd

Dec

34°C

19°C

5 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is small enough to walk in a couple of hours. A taxi runs in town; a hire car is the practical way to reach Mount Grenfell and the mine lookouts. Everything else is a drive: the Barrier Highway east to Nyngan and Dubbo, west to Broken Hill, the Kidman Way north to Bourke and south to Griffith.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Mount Grenfell National Park

go

Door to door: About 1 h each way by road, plus walking

Drive west on the Barrier Highway, then Pulpulla Road; walk in on foot

Rock art site with no facilities or water; go early, take everything out with you.

Nyngan

go

Door to door: About 2 h

Barrier Highway east

Halfway to Dubbo; a fuel and coffee stop rather than a destination.

Bourke

overnight

Door to door: About 3 h

Kidman Way north

Too far for a return day; sleep there and continue north.

Broken Hillovernight

Door to door: About 5 h

Barrier Highway west via Wilcannia

A full driving day; plan a night in Broken Hill.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Marshall Street / Barrier Highway strip

Most motels sit on or just off the highway; walkable to the main street and the pubs.

Linsley and Barton streets (town centre)

Closest to the heritage centre, post office and courthouse; a few hotels and motels.

Cobar Caravan Park and the old reservoir

Caravan park on the highway; free camping at the old reservoir a few minutes' drive out, no facilities.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
A$90–140 (≈ US$60–95) excl. bed
Mid
A$150–230 (≈ US$100–160) excl. bed
High
A$250 (≈ US$170)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room1 × 1 night × A$160A$160
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × A$170A$340
Heritage centre entry2 × A$15 · checkA$30
Dinner, pub counter meal2 × A$30A$60
Fuel, 400 km at outback prices1 × A$70 · checkA$70
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeA$66
Trip total≈ A$363 per person per day, bed includedA$726≈ US$500

2026 estimate in Australian dollars; fuel and long-distance travel excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or bakery snackA$5–10 (≈ US$4–7)
Pub counter mealA$25–40 (≈ US$17–30)
Beer in a pubA$7–10 (≈ US$5–7)
Heritage centre entryA$15 (≈ US$10) (check)
Motel double room, one nightA$110–240 (≈ US$75–160)
Taxi, airport to townA$25–35 (≈ US$17–25) (check)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Cobar is a small, quiet town and street crime is not the issue. The real risks are summer heat, long empty drives and wildlife on the highway after dark.
  • Summer heat is the real risk: 40 °C days are normal Dec–Feb, so carry water and do not walk to the airport in the middle of the day.
  • Distances between towns are long and fuel stops are far apart; fill up in Cobar before heading west or north.
  • Mount Grenfell National Park has no roads, no facilities and no water: access is on foot from Pulpulla Road.
  • Kangaroos and stock on the highway at dawn and dusk; avoid driving those hours if you can.
  • Some mine-site visits must be arranged through the visitor centre in advance.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
000
From a mobile
112
Cobar Shire Council (after hours, check)
02 6836 2448

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

CobarCobar

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Can you take me to this address?To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From a mobile112

Embassy

No embassies in Cobar; consulates and embassies are in Sydney and Canberra. US and UK consulates-general: Sydney.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Taxi, Cobar Airport → town centre: about A$25–35 (≈ US$17–25), 10 min (check)
  • Pelican Air, Sydney → Cobar: about A$350 (≈ US$250) one-way on some weekdays (check)
  • Heritage centre entry: about A$15 (≈ US$10) (check)

Say or show

  • Thanks — Thank you
  • Where's the servo? — Where is the petrol station?
  • Card OK? — Can I pay by card?
  • How far is it? — Is it far?

Distances are long and phone signal drops outside town: download offline maps before you drive.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Cobar. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct · avoid Dec–Feb (40 °C days), summer school holidays · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for CAZ: Pelican Air days field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Linsley and Barton streets, the heritage centre, Fort Bourke Hill lookout.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (heritage centre, lookout) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Heat and long-distance driving fixtures so the summer and outback warnings can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Australia

Sources