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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Tibooburra
Go only if you are already driving the Silver City Highway: 1 night, fuel and water sorted in Broken Hill, and no driving after dusk.
Tibooburra is the most north-westerly town in New South Wales, population about 134, 400 km north of Broken Hill on the Silver City Highway. There is no public transport and no scheduled flights. You come for Sturt National Park, the Corner Country and the road itself; the town is a fuel stop, a pub and a bed, not a destination in its own right.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Apr–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (extreme heat), and any day with a total fire ban or flood closure on the highway
- Stay
- 1–2 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 (camping, self-catering) A$60–110 excl. bed · Mid (motel room, pub meals) A$120–200 excl. bed · High (best room, tours, fuel-heavy driving) A$200+ excl. bed (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 a mobile 112 · NSW Rural Fire Service bushfire information 1800 679 737
- 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 a cold drink at the pub | A$5–8 |
| Pub counter meal (steak, schnitzel, burger) | A$25–40 |
| Beer, schooner at the pub | A$7–10 |
| Fuel, per litre | A$2.00–2.40 |
| Campsite, powered site per night | A$25–45 |
| Motel room per night | A$130–250 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BHQ · Broken Hill Airport
- The nearest airport; about 400 km (249 mi) and 4–5 h by road. Flights from Sydney and Adelaide, several days a week (check).The nearest airport; about 249 mi (400 km) and 4–5 h by road. Flights from Sydney and Adelaide, several days a week (check).
Typical fares
- Fuel, Broken Hill → Tibooburra → Broken Hill
- about 800 km (497 mi); budget A$150–200 for a mid-size carabout 497 mi (800 km); budget A$150–200 for a mid-size car
- Sturt National Park vehicle entry
- about A$8 per vehicle per day
- Pub room, Tibooburra
- about A$90–180 per room
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
Car only for anything outside town. In town you walk: north end to south end is about 25 minutes on foot, and most of the streets are sealed. The Silver City Highway is sealed north and south of Tibooburra; everything off it toward Cameron Corner and the national park is unsealed and can be closed after rain.
See and do
Known for
- Sturt National Park
- Corner Country and Cameron Corner
- Silver City Highway drive
- Outback pubs and old stone buildings
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sturt National Park | Drive north-west from Tibooburra on the sealed then unsealed park roads | 30 min to the park boundary, 1.5–2 h to the far sections |
| Cameron Corner | Unsealed road via Sturt National Park, roughly 140 km (87 mi) from townUnsealed road via Sturt National Park, roughly 87 mi (140 km) from town | About 2–2.5 h each way |
| Milparinka | Silver City Highway south, then the Milparinka road | About 1 h |
| Broken Hill | Silver City Highway (B79) south | 4–5 h |
Sleep
- Briscoe Street (the main street)
- Both pubs and the motel-caravan park sit on or near Briscoe St; everything is within a 10-minute walk.
- Granites Motel Caravan Park
- 4 Briscoe St; motel rooms plus powered and unpowered sites, the usual choice if you are towing or camping.
- The Family Hotel and Tibooburra Hotel
- Pub rooms on Briscoe St; basic, shared bathrooms, book ahead in winter and school holidays.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How far to the next fuel? | How far to the next fuel? |
| Is the road open? | Is the road open? |
| I need water, please. | I need water, please. |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is there phone signal out there? | Is there phone signal out there? |
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
- No fuel for roughly 400 km south to Broken Hill and long gaps north: fill up whenever you can and carry water.
- Do not drive at dusk or after dark: kangaroos, goats and cattle on the road, no lighting, no phone signal in long stretches.
- Summer is genuinely dangerous: 40 °C+ days, and a breakdown can turn serious fast. Tell someone your route and expected arrival time.
- Unsealed roads in Sturt National Park and toward Cameron Corner close after rain; check road conditions before you commit.
- Fuel, food and accommodation are limited and can be booked out in the cooler months; arrive with a plan B.
- Mobile coverage is patchy to non-existent outside town; download offline maps before leaving Broken Hill.
The town is small and quiet, and crime is not the issue. The real risks are heat, distance, wildlife on the road after dark and long stretches with no phone signal: carry water, fuel and a paper map.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tibooburra yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sturt National Park
- Corner Country and Cameron Corner
- Silver City Highway drive
- Outback pubs and old stone buildings
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Destination NSW — Outback NSW: www.visitnsw.com/destinations/outback-nsw
- NSW National Parks — Sturt National Park: www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/sturt-national-park
- Transport for NSW — Live traffic and road conditions: www.livetraffic.com/
- Wikivoyage: Tibooburra, revision 5220748 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5220748
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Tibooburra
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance000
- From a mobile112
- NSW Rural Fire Service bushfire information1800 679 737
No consulates in Tibooburra. The nearest consular help is in Sydney; the US and UK have consulates-general there, and most countries' embassies are in Canberra.
Save offline maps and a screenshot of your route before leaving Broken Hill. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to arrive.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/tibooburra). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.