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Major city · Australia

Broken Hill

Give Broken Hill 2 nights: one for the mining and art sights in town, one for Silverton and a sunset at the Living Desert. Fewer and you drive 500+ km for a look.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
AUD
Best months
Apr–May, Sep–Oct
avoid Dec–Feb (40 °C+ days), and driving at dusk or dawn year-round
Airport
BHQ
Nights
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.

Broken Hill is a silver-mining city of about 18,000 people in far west New South Wales, 500 km from Adelaide and over 1,000 km from Sydney. It runs on Australian Central Standard Time, an hour and a half behind Sydney, and feels closer to South Australia than to the coast. Mining money built the wide streets and the grand pubs; artists and film crews have kept them interesting. Two nights covers the town, Silverton and one desert sunset. Three if you add Menindee or White Cliffs.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Broken Hill, 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.

  • CoffeeA$5–7 (≈ US$4–5)
  • Beerschooner in a pub / six-pack at the bottle shopA$8–12 (≈ US$6–8)A$20–25 (≈ US$14–17)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekA$20–40 (≈ US$14–30)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum or gallery entryA$5–20 (≈ US$4–14)
  • Budget bedHostel or pub dorm bed, a night, per personA$45 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedHistoric pub or motel double, a night, per roomA$200 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedHistoric pub or motel double, a night, per roomA$320 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget A$130 (≈ US$90) · Mid A$230 (≈ US$160) · High A$400 (≈ US$300)

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.

Line of Lode and the Miner's MemorialSilverton and the Mad Max 2 MuseumPro Hart and the outback art galleriesLiving Desert sculptures at sunset
Airports
BHQ Broken Hill Airport (About 6 km from the centre; Regional Express flies from Sydney and Adelaide. Taxis meet the flights — ask the crew to call one.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Broken Hill: 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

19°C

3 rd

Feb

33°C

19°C

3 rd

Mar

29°C

15°C

2 rd

Apr

25°C

12°C

2 rd

May

19°C

8°C

3 rd

Jun

16°C

6°C

3 rd

Jul

16°C

5°C

3 rd

Aug

18°C

6°C

3 rd

Sep

22°C

9°C

3 rd

Oct

26°C

12°C

3 rd

Nov

29°C

15°C

3 rd

Dec

32°C

17°C

3 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

You need a car to see the town properly and everything beyond it. Rental desks sit on Argent Street and in the visitor centre building; expect a daily cap of 100–200 km and a per-km charge beyond it, and unsealed roads only in a 4WD. Taxis cover the centre, the station and the airport. Coach tours run if you would rather not drive.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Silverton

go

Door to door: About 30 min each way

Drive 26 km northwest on sealed road

Ghost-town ruins, galleries and the Mad Max 2 Museum; go early, stay for the Mundi Mundi lookout at sunset.

Living Desert Reserve and Sculpture Symposium

go

Door to door: About 20 min each way plus the walk

Drive 9 km north off Nine Mile Road, then walk about 1 km uphill

Small park access charge; go for sunset and drive back slowly for wildlife.

Menindee and Kinchega National Park

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h each way

Drive about 110 km southeast on the sealed Menindee road

Lakes and river red gum forest; a full day, and better with a night in Menindee.

White Cliffs

overnight

Door to door: About 3 h each way

Drive about 260 km north via Wilcannia

Opal fields and underground stays; too far to return the same day.

Tibooburra and Sturt National Park

overnight

Door to door: About 4 h each way

Drive north on the Silver City Highway

Remote corner country; fuel and water planning matter.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Argent Street and the CBD

Historic pubs and motels, walkable to the train station and the main strip. Best for a first visit without a car.

South Broken Hill

Quieter, near the airport and the Royal Flying Doctor Service base; cheaper motels, need a car.

Out-of-town cabins

Self-contained places on the Menindee road, 5 km out; good for families and longer stays.

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$120–180 (≈ US$80–120) excl. bed
Mid
A$180–300 (≈ US$120–200) excl. bed
High
A$300 (≈ US$200)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Historic pub or motel double1 × 2 nights × A$200A$400
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × A$230A$920
Rental car, one day, small SUV1 × A$110 · checkA$110
Fuel, 200 km of outback driving1 × A$45 · checkA$45
eSIM, about a week of data2 × A$25A$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeA$153
Trip total≈ A$420 per person per day, bed includedA$1,678≈ US$1,200

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

Prices of common things

CoffeeA$5–7 (≈ US$4–5)
Pub counter mealA$25–40 (≈ US$17–30)
Beer: schooner in a pub / six-pack at the bottle shopA$8–12 (≈ US$6–8) / A$20–25 (≈ US$14–17)
Museum or gallery entryA$5–20 (≈ US$4–14)
Scenic flight over town, 25 mincheckfrom A$95 (≈ US$65)
Fuel, per litre in towncheckA$1.90–2.20 (≈ US$2)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekA$20–40 (≈ US$14–30)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Broken Hill is a small, friendly outback city and violent crime is rare; the real risks are heat, distance and wildlife on the road at night. Lock the car, keep water in it, and don't walk alone in the dark on the town fringe.
  • Do not drive outside town between dusk and dawn: kangaroos on the road cause most outback crashes, and repairs here take days.
  • Summer days reach 40 °C and nights can stay above 25 °C. Carry water, fuel up early, and don't walk the mullock heap at midday.
  • Rental cars limit free kilometres and often restrict unsealed roads; check the excess before you leave the lot.
  • Mobile coverage drops quickly outside town. Download offline maps before you go.
  • The Indian Pacific stops here but you cannot start or end your journey in Broken Hill on that train.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
000
From a mobile
112

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.

Broken HillBroken Hill

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

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

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From a mobile112

Embassy

No embassies in Broken Hill; consulates are in Sydney and Melbourne. US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish citizens: your own country's consular service is in Sydney (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Taxi, airport to Argent Street: about A$20–25 (≈ US$14–17), 10 min (check)
  • Regional Express, Sydney to Broken Hill: about 3 h direct, one return flight a day (check)
  • NSW TrainLink Outback Xplorer, Sydney to Broken Hill: about 13 h, departs Monday (check)

Say or show

  • Thanks — Thank you
  • How far's that? — How far is it?
  • Card OK? — Can I pay by card?
  • Where's the servo? — Where is the fuel station?
  • Is it bitumen all the way? — Is the road sealed?
  • No worries — No worries

Outback distances are real: fuel before you leave town, tell someone your route, and carry more water than you think you need.

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 Broken Hill. 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), and driving at dusk or dawn year-round · 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. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for BHQ: Regional Express arrival times, taxi call procedure, late-arrival key pickup.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Argent Street, the Line of Lode, the galleries, and the station end of Blende Street.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Miner's Memorial, Pro Hart Gallery, Mad Max 2 Museum, Royal Flying Doctor Service base) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Heat and dusk-driving fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Australia

Sources