Balranald is a small town in the southeast of the Lower Darling, bordering the Riverina.
Understand
Get in
The prime way to get into Balranald is to get in via car. The town lies along the Sturt Highway (A20), one of the highways making up the route between Sydney and Adelaide, and thus has good roads.
The closest town to the east is Hay, and it is 132 km west of Hay, while 80 km east of Euston. The next closest city to the town is Mildura, which is 172 km northwest of Balranald.
From Tooleybuc, Balranald is 49 km south – that road is also in good condition and is well maintained, and often used as a "shortcut" for travellers heading between Sydney and Adelaide.
Get around
See
- Balranald Discovery Centre, 83 Market St., -34.640337°, 143.564499°, +61 3 5020 1599. M–F 9AM–4:30PM, Sa Su 9AM–1PM. A tourist information centre and a discovery centre where one can learn about the history of Balranald during the pastoral times of NSW when this area was primarily used for agriculture and farming. The centre also includes a cafe and public toilets. 2022-05-22
- Balranald Southern Cross, cnr Market St. and We St, -34.638314°, 143.560982°, +61 497 016 108. Daily 10AM–2PM. A small museum that contains many historical artifacts and a replica of the Southern Cross. There are history tours available and these are great if you're interested in the history of the region. For aviation enthusiasts, the museum also has a lot of small planes too! Gold coin donation 2022-05-22
- Malcolm Building Museum, 87 Market St. (opposite discovery centre), -34.6401°, 143.5642°. M–F 9:30AM–4:30PM, Sa Su 9AM–1PM. A small museum with a large collection of old historic photos and artifacts. Access to the museum is through the discovery centre. 2022-05-22
Nearby national parks
- Mungo National Park, -33.731667°, 143.001111°. Outback NSW's most iconic and best known park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, best known for its lunettes, impressive sand dunes, and containing the oldest modern human bodies (Mungo Man), making it an important Indigenous Australian cultural site. It's about 120 km northwest of Balranald, but requires you to go on unpaved roads. 2022-05-22
- Yanga National Park, -34.65°, 143.583°. Not a particularly well-known park, but has some excellent preserved woolsheds reflecting what agriculture in the 1800s looked like, but instead with few people around. It's pretty easily accessible, and just a few kilometres east of Balranald. 2022-05-22
Do
- The Heritage & Historical Trail is a 1.5-hour trail starting from the discovery centre leading through many of the town's historic buildings.
- The Military Commemorative Trail is a trail honouring those from this region who have served in international conflicts. It runs along River Street, Court Street and Market Street, where there are several plaques that can be found.
Buy
Eat
- Billabong Restaurant, 154 Market St, +61 3 5020 1104, balranaldmotorinn154@gmail.com. A modern-Australian restaurant operated by the Balranald Motor Inn. 2022-05-22
- H&J Bistro @ Balranald Club, 116 Market St, +61 3 5020 1253, manager@balranaldclub.com.au. Daily noon–2PM, 6–9PM. A restaurant with surprisingly good Asian food with low prices. The restaurant also has modern-Australian cuisine too, but the restaurant does tend to get filled up pretty quickly so make sure to get a reservation. 2022-05-22
Drink
Sleep
- Balranald Motor Inn, 154 Market St, -34.6359°, 143.5576°, +61 3 5020 1104. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. The "town's motel" with large spacious rooms, a pool and a restaurant. The bathrooms may look a bit dated though. 2022-05-22
- Balranald Caravan Park, 60 Court St, -34.643806°, 143.565477°, +61 3 5020 1321. The town's local caravan park. 2022-05-22