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Major city · Australia

Hay

Stop one night on the Sydney–Adelaide run: Shear Outback and the gaol fill an afternoon, then move on. No car hire here, so arrive with wheels.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Hay is a flat Riverina town of about 2,400 people where the Sturt, Cobb and Mid-Western highways meet, roughly halfway across the Hay Plain between Sydney and Adelaide. It is a road-trip stop, not a destination: two museums, a river walk and a main street of pubs and motels. One night is enough; two if you want a slow morning on the Murrumbidgee.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
AUD
Best months
Apr–May, Sep–Oct
avoid Dec–Feb (very hot days), peak summer school holidays
Airport
WGA
Nights
1
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.

Entry rules depend on your passport. Full visa guide

Checking your follows…
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Hay000 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

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

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

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

  • CoffeeA$4–6 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Beerschooner in a pub / can at the bottle shopA$6–9 (≈ US$4–6)A$4–6 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Shear Outback / Hay Gaol)A$15 (≈ US$10)A$4 (≈ US$3)
  • Budget bedFamily room (up to 4), a night, per roomA$180 (≈ US$120)
  • Mid-range bedMotel double room, a night, per roomA$170 (≈ US$120)
  • High-end bedMotel double room, a night, per roomA$260 (≈ US$180)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget A$90 (≈ US$60) · Mid A$150 (≈ US$100) · High A$260 (≈ US$180)

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 →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

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.

Shear Outback (Shearer's Hall of Fame)Hay Gaol MuseumMurrumbidgee RiverHay Plain highway stop
Airports
WGA Wagga Wagga (Nearest airport with scheduled service, about 2–3 h by road east; hire a car there before driving to Hay — no car hire in Hay)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    34°C (93°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    33°C (91°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    29°C (84°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    24°C (75°F)

  5. May

    Best

    19°C (66°F)

  6. Jun

    not flagged

    15°C (59°F)

  7. Jul

    not flagged

    15°C (59°F)

  8. Aug

    not flagged

    17°C (63°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    21°C (70°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    25°C (77°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    29°C (84°F)

  12. Dec

    Avoid

    32°C (90°F)

Best: Apr–May, Sep–Oct. Avoid: Dec–Feb. Month by month →

Warmest Jan (34°C (93°F)), coolest Jul (3°C (37°F) low), wettest Jun (7 rain days), driest Jan (4). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Hay: 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

34°C (93°F)

17°C (63°F)

4 rd

Feb

33°C (91°F)

17°C (63°F)

4 rd

Mar

29°C (84°F)

14°C (57°F)

4 rd

Apr

24°C (75°F)

10°C (50°F)

5 rd

May

19°C (66°F)

7°C (45°F)

6 rd

Jun

15°C (59°F)

4°C (39°F)

7 rd

Jul

15°C (59°F)

3°C (37°F)

7 rd

Aug

17°C (63°F)

4°C (39°F)

7 rd

Sep

21°C (70°F)

6°C (43°F)

6 rd

Oct

25°C (77°F)

9°C (48°F)

6 rd

Nov

29°C (84°F)

13°C (55°F)

5 rd

Dec

32°C (90°F)

16°C (61°F)

4 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

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

Getting around

Walk the town: Lachlan Street, the gaol, the water towers and the river walk are all within about 15 minutes on flat ground. You need your own vehicle for anything out of town — Shear Outback at the South Hay roundabout and the Hay Plain beyond — and there is no car hire in Hay. Fuel up on Lachlan Street before crossing the plain.

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Griffithgo

Door to door: About 1 h 45 min

Drive east on the Sturt Highway via Darlington Point

Wine and food town; makes a better overnight than a return day.

Wagga Waggaovernight

Door to door: About 2 h 45 min

Drive east on the Sturt Highway

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

Leetoncaution

Door to door: About 2 h

Drive east via Darlington Point and Whitton

Small rice-town sights; only worth it if you are heading that way.

Tocumwalovernight

Door to door: About 2 h 30 min

Drive south-east via Deniliquin on the Cobb Highway

Murray River town; pair it with a Deniliquin night.

Uranaskip

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

Drive east on the Federation Way

Tiny village with little for a day out.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Lachlan Street (main street)

Motels and pubs on one strip; walk to cafés, the gaol and the river.

South Hay, Sturt Highway

Highway-side motels and Shear Outback; convenient if you are only passing through.

Riverside and Pine Street

Quieter, near the Murrumbidgee walk and guesthouse-style stays.

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

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$140–220 (≈ US$95–150) excl. bed
High
A$220 (≈ US$150)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room1 × 1 night × A$170A$170
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × A$150A$300
Shear Outback entry2 × A$15A$30
Hay Gaol Museum entry2 × A$4A$8
eSIM, about a week of data2 × A$30A$60
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeA$57
Trip total≈ A$313 per person per day, bed includedA$625≈ US$450

2026 estimate in Australian dollars; fuel and long-distance travel excluded. Bed and daily figures are estimates — check current rates. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeA$4–6 (≈ US$3–4)
Pub counter mealA$22–35 (≈ US$15–25)
Takeaway Thai or ChineseA$15–25 (≈ US$10–17)
Beer: schooner in a pub / can at the bottle shopA$6–9 (≈ US$4–6) / A$4–6 (≈ US$3–4)
Museum entry (Shear Outback / Hay Gaol)A$15 (≈ US$10) / A$4 (≈ US$3)
Fuel, per litreA$1.80–2.10 (≈ US$2)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Hay is a small, quiet town and street crime is not the issue. The real risks are summer heat, long drives with fuel and phone gaps on the Hay Plain, and wildlife on the road at dawn and dusk.
  • No car hire in Hay: bring your own vehicle or you are stuck.
  • Summer days pass 40 °C (104 °F) and the plain has long gaps between fuel and phone coverage.
  • Book motels ahead in spring and around events; the town is small.
  • Kangaroos and emus on the road at dawn and dusk.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
000
From mobiles
112
Hay Visitor Information Centre
+61 2 6993 4045

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.

HayHay

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

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

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From mobiles112
  • Hay Visitor Information Centre+61 2 6993 4045

Embassy

No consulates in Hay. Nearest consular help is in Sydney; the US and UK have consulates-general there.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Shear Outback entry: about A$15 (≈ US$10) adults, A$10 (≈ US$7) concession
  • Hay Gaol Museum entry: about A$4 (≈ US$3) adults, A$1 (≈ under US$1) children
  • Fuel Hay → Wagga Wagga: about A$40–55 (≈ US$30–40) for a small car

Say or show

  • Where's the servo? — Where is the petrol station?
  • Table for two, thanks — A table for two, please
  • Card OK? — Can I pay by card?
  • Fuel up ahead? — Is there fuel at the next town?
  • How far to the next town? — How far to the next town?
  • Cheers, that's great — Thanks, that's great

Distances and drive times are approximate.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

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 Hay. 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 (very hot days), peak summer school holidays · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for the Riverina: Wagga Wagga and Griffith pick-ups, drive times to Hay, motel fallback.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Lachlan Street, the gaol and water towers, the river and Shear Outback.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and entry (Shear Outback, Hay Gaol Museum, Dunera Museum) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Summer heat and highway fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Australia

Sources

Ask about Hay

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