Broken Hill in outback New South Wales is one of the most isolated cities in Australia. Unless you are arriving by air, you will have a long distance to travel no matter where you are coming from, so it makes sense to make your journey there and back part of your outback expeeriences.
Driving through the outback is not the daunting task it once was, thanks to the sealing of major highway across Australia through remote areas, the increased safety and reliability of modern motor vehicles and other factor. That said, some of the issues that demand care be taken when driving through the outback have not changed – drivers affected by alcohol or fatigue; rock works and washaways; and the danger posed by wandering stock and local wildlife.
The Barrier Highway not only connects Broken Hill with Adelaide, it is also Broken Hill’s gateway to South Australia’s Mid North. The region of South Australia takes in the Clare Valley, the central wheatbelt, the eastern section of South Australia’s Copper Belt and the Southern Flinders Ranges. With the exception of Burra’s copper mining heritage and the region’s two major wine regions – the Barossa and Clare Valleys – the points of interest in this area are not well known and in the main are less obvious. But for those willing to take to the intricate network of back roads that criss-cross the region, there are some wonderful villages, ruins and abandoned settlements with long-forgotten stories to tell, just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.
The Sundown Nature Trail is situated in the rocky Sundown Hills, on the northern edge of the Broken Hill Common. The hills are sparsely vegetated with tough, perennial plants adapted to the harsh, dry environment and in good seasons, ephemeral grasses and wildflowers. Native animals can be easily seen. Suggested time to leave town is about three hours before sunset. The walk is 2.8 kilometres long, through rocky terrain and takes about one to one and a half hours to complete.
