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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Ivanhoe
Rest stop, not a night: Ivanhoe is a short break on the Cobb Highway (B75) or the weekly XPL train. Sleep only if you arrive late — fuel, food and beds are limited (check).
Ivanhoe is a tiny Far West service town of a few hundred people on the Cobb Highway (B75), 162 km south of the Barrier Highway turnoff near Wilcannia and 211 km from Hay. There is one fuel stop, one pub-style inn and one weekly train each way on the Broken Hill XPL. Treat it as a break in a long drive, not a destination.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Apr–Sep (milder days); Oct–Mar is hot — check current conditions
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (extreme heat likely); avoid unsealed roads after rain
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$80–120 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · Mid A$120–180 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · High A$180+ excl. bed (2026 estimate) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or takeaway snack | A$5–10 |
| Pub meal | A$20–35 |
| Fuel, per litre | A$2.00–2.30 |
| Cabin, one night | A$90–180 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BHQ · Broken Hill Airport
- Nearest scheduled airport, west of town; distance and flights check before you rely on it
Typical fares
- Cobb Highway, Ivanhoe → Hay
- about 211 km (131 mi), 2.5 h by carabout 131 mi (211 km), 2.5 h by car
- XPL train, Ivanhoe → Broken Hill
- one train a week, book on Transport for NSW
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. The Cobb Highway is sealed; the Ivanhoe–Menindee road is unsealed and remote, drive it only in dry weather with water and a full tank. The train station is about 3 km (1.9 mi) south of town with no connecting public transport.You need a car. The Cobb Highway is sealed; the Ivanhoe–Menindee road is unsealed and remote, drive it only in dry weather with water and a full tank. The train station is about 1.9 mi (3 km) south of town with no connecting public transport.
See and do
Known for
- Cobb Highway (B75) fuel and rest stop
- Weekly Broken Hill XPL train stop
- Gateway between Wilcannia, Menindee and Hay
- Remote Far West service town
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wilcannia | Cobb Highway (B75) north to the Barrier Highway turnoff | 162 km (101 mi); time check101 mi (162 km); time check |
| Menindee | Ivanhoe–Menindee road, unsealed, about 206 km (128 mi)Ivanhoe–Menindee road, unsealed, about 128 mi (206 km) | About 3 h (check) |
| Broken Hill | Cobb Highway west via Menindee, or the weekly XPL train | Road time check; train is one service a week |
| Hay | Cobb Highway (B75) south | 211 km (131 mi); time check131 mi (211 km); time check |
Sleep
- Town centre, Columbus Street
- The inn and servo is the practical bed; book ahead, rooms are few.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the fuel station? | Where is the fuel station? |
| How far to the next town? | How far to the next town? |
| Is the road sealed? | Is the road sealed? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- Fuel and food are limited: fill up and carry water before the next leg.
- Unsealed roads (Ivanhoe–Menindee) can be impassable after rain; check road conditions.
- Mobile coverage is patchy outside town; download offline maps.
- Summer heat is dangerous: do not walk or drive remote tracks in the middle of the day.
Safe as a stop, risky as a detour: the real hazards are heat, distance between fuel, patchy phone signal and unsealed roads after rain.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ivanhoe yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cobb Highway (B75) fuel and rest stop
- Weekly Broken Hill XPL train stop
- Gateway between Wilcannia, Menindee and Hay
- Remote Far West service town
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Transport for NSW — regional bookings (Broken Hill XPL): transportnsw.info/regional-bookings/
- Visit NSW — Outback NSW: www.visitnsw.com/destinations/outback-nsw
- Wikivoyage: Ivanhoe, revision 5109527 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5109527
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/ivanhoe). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.