From buffalo chicken pizza to desert sculptures and Silverton’s donkeys, Broken Hill gave us art, weather, and classic outback humour in equal measure. It’s a place that surprises every time — dust storms included.

From Nyngan’s riverside calm to Cobar’s quiet bush camp and the long road to Broken Hill, this stretch of outback NSW is a reminder that sometimes, the in-between days are the best ones.

Everyone has a list of towns to avoid. We’ve got one too, except we went anyway. From Alice Springs to Port Augusta, these “tough” towns prove reputation isn’t always reality.

Every now and then, you meet people on the road who feel like old friends. Mel and Susie’s bush poetry, humour, and warm-heartedness made us instant fans — and lifelong mates.

We rolled into Lightning Ridge for the third time — this visit a little muddier than usual. After dodging puddles and slick backroads, both the moho and Jimny looked rally-ready and well-travelled.

From Burren Junction’s steaming thermal pool to Rowena’s country pub, this stretch of Northern NSW delivered good food, warm water, and muddy roads—proof that slow travel still brings the best surprises.

This was our second visit to Cobar, so we stayed for two nights this time to get a proper feel for the place.