2027 Drover's Run 4WD Adventure Itinerary

Pre event get-together at The Nyngan from 6.00pm

This is a great chance to meet your fellow Drover’s before we head off while enjoying a delicious dinner and get an outline of what's in store for the next nine days. We camp tonight on the banks of the Bogan River at the beautiful Nyngan Riverside Tourist Park with great sites, and an amazing camp kitchen.

Over the next week you will travel through some amazing parts of Outback NSW and Queensland. You'll see iconic places such as Charlotte Plains and Betoota, the incredible scenery of Mt Oxley, the sandstone Noccundra Hotel, and the wonderful; community of Enngonia. You will find that the Drover’s Run is a huge team effort and the more we act as a team, the more successful it will be. It may mean that you pitch in by helping others when they need it, help out on the fundraising nights by selling raffle tickets or assisting with the auctions, or telling people along the way what the Drover's Run means to you as an entrant.

At the end of the 2027 Drover's Run you will have made some life-long friends. So please enjoy the 2027 Drover’s Run 4WD Outback Adventure and the Northern NSW Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service sincerely thanks you in advance for taking part and ensuring we are ready to respond 24-7 because of your fundraising efforts.

Meals: Dinner tonight provided to entrants at The Nyngan as part of your Crew Fee

Accommodation: Unpowered camp sites have been booked at the Nyngan Riverside Tourist Park as part of your Crew Fee, powered sites are available as are cabins at an additional cost to entrants. Details in the Accommodation document under the Resources Tab.

After a comprehensive briefing and last minute checks of radios and your vehicle, we travel north on the gravel following the Macquarie River, to the edge of the Macquarie Marshes and a stop at the Burrma Boardwalk. More gravel as we make our way to the indigenous settlement of Gongolgon, and then onto tonights first camp atop Mt Oxley, southeast of Bourke. The sunset here is spectacular as are the views, a group camp fire tonight and the chance to sit around the campfitre after dinner and get to know your fellow Drover's a bit more.

Accommodation: Camping tonight at Mt Oxley with amenities and a camp kitchen. Upgraded accommodation is available in Bourke, 45 minutes away.

Meals: Breakfast is provided as part of your crew fee this morning, morning tea, lunch and dinner will be self-catered.

Fuel: Fuel up in Nyngan, next fuel is at Bourke.

Another day with mostly gravel, we make our way off the mountain and into Bourke for fuel, then head north on the Mitchell Hwy for a short  distance and then onto the West Culgoa Rd which takes us into Queensland following the Culgoa River for 140 kms, Jobs Gate Rd for another good stint, and then finish off through some private roads before we pop out at the front gate of Chalotte Plains homestead.
We head north through the property and arrive at the brilliant thermal pools with their rustic facilities and bar waiting for us, as well as a soaking dip in the pools.
That's day two done, plenty more instore.

Meals: Once again, self-catering all day today but the opportunity for morning tea in Bourke if that helps.

Accommodation: Unpowered camping at the pools as part of your Crew Fee, cabin accommodation available back down the track towards the homestead.

Fuel: Fill today in Bourke. Next fuel in Charleville.

Out from Charlotte Plains and make our way on more gravel before we cut across and join the Mitchell Hwy north to Charleville. We'll stop in Charleville for an early lunch and fuel before continuing on to a place we've called into before but never stayed at, Scrubby Creek Sports Club. Great locals in this area so it will be fun to spend a night with them and enjoy their hospitality.

Accommodation: Camping tonight is at Scrubby Creek Sports Club as part of your Crew Fee. Some power available for special needs. No additional accommodation available.

Meals: Self catering all meals today, lunch available in Charleville. 

Fuel: Fill in Charleville in the morning.

A lot of todays drive will be on all new country we haven't seen before. From Scrubby Creek we head north, almost to Blackall and the swing west to the village of Isisford on the banks of the Barcoo River where we'll break for lunch and fuel. From Isisford we continue west and for the first time overnight at the small village of Stonehenge. Dinner tonight at the pub straight across the road from the caravan park with the chance of our second auction for the trip. 

Accommodation: Unpowered sites in the Caravan Park, with powered sites available. Full amenities with toilets and showers available. Hotel rooms available at the Pub.

Meals: Meals today are self-catered with lunch available in Isisford, dinner tonight provided at Stonehenge Pub as part of your Crew Fee.

Fuel: Fill in Isisford.

Exciting this morning as we head south from Stonehenge and a stop in Junday where we haven't been before, then onto Windorah for an early lunch and fuel. From there it's 220kms to the iconic Betoota Pub, the Pub with no town and plenty of stories to tell. we get to share oin some of the history of the area including the restoration of the pub and it's signiificance to the area. Dinner tonight at the Pub with the chance of another auction.

Accommodation: Unpowered campsites at the Pub as part of your crew fee with amenities available, powered sites also available. A number of different accommodation options also available. 

Meals: Self-cater today or options in Jundah and Windorah. Dinner tonight provided at the Betoota Pub as part of your Crew Fee.

Fuel: Fuel in Junday, Windorah or Betoota.

First up, we travel east on the Birdsville Development Rd, then we turn right onto the stunning Arrabury Rd before we hit the Innamincka Rd and wind our way to Noccundra Hotel where we've stayed a number of times on previous Runs. Another fantastic Pub meal tonight as we enjoy camping by the Wilson River.

Accommodation: Unpowered camping right along the river, showersd and toilets available closer to the Pub. Hotel rooms available at the Pub.

Meals: Self-cater all day with dinner provided at the Pub included in your Crew Fee.

Fuel: Fill in Betoota or Noccundra.

Bitumen to start the day as we head east from Noccundra to the Channel Country town of Thargomindah where we'll break for smoko and fuel, and then back on the dirt as head south to the border town of Hungerford, another break here for lunch. Then it's through the dog fence gate and into NSW as we make our way south and turn onto Burrawantie Rd right through to tonight's overnight at Enngonia where we'll set up camp at the racecourse. Another great show of outback community hospitality in store for us tonight, we'll run our second last auction for the trip and enjoy dinner with the locals. 

Accommodation: Camping at Enngonia Racecourse, power available. Hotel accommodation available at the Oasis Pub in town. 

Meals: Self catering again or grab something in Thargomindah and Hungerford. Dinner tonight at the Racecourse as part of your Crew Fee.

Fuel: Fill in Thargomindah and Hungerford.

Sadly we leave Coffin Bay this morning and head to the other side of the Eyre Peninsula, taking a break at the major city on the Peninsula, Port Lincoln. Time for a look around this city built on the back of the tuna industry, grab some morning tea, before we meet on the north side of town and track up the east side of the Peninsula facing Spencer Gulf. Depending on time, we might be able ot stop in at some of the seaside villages along the way for a lunch break, and then continue on to the again spectacular village of Cowell where the caravan park backs right onto the foreshore park and marina, and the opportunity to walk out to the end of the Franklin Harbour Jetty. 

Accommodation: Tonight we stay at the Cowell Foreshore Caravan Park, unpowered sites as part of your Crew Fee, with Cabin or Motel options available.

Catering: Self cater today, with plenty of opportunities to taste the local product along the way.

Fuel: Fuel up in Port Lincoln.

Sadly this is it, we all head our seperate ways and be proud of what we have achieved over the past nine days. Over 3,400kms, shared with great people and seeing and meeting the best of Outback Australia. Another Drover's Run ticked off and once more we have ensured that over 1600 people across Northern NSW this year will have the benefits of world-class aero-medical assistance when they needed it most. On behalf of those we assist, and our teams across Northern NSW, thank you for your participation in the 2027 Drover's Run and we hope to see you again soon.