OCCV

Offroad and Camping Club of Victoria

Camping Information Trip

Kidman Way – Backtrack to the Outback

Byoccvic

Feb 21, 2026 #4WD, #camping, #new south wales, #travel
Sign saying Start of the Kidman Way

The Kidman Way at the southern end lies just north of Jerilderie (turn-off from Newell Highway).  From there, the road travels north through the Riverina and western NSW, passing through towns such as Coleambally, Darlington Point, Griffith, Goolgowi, Hillston, Cobar and finally to Bourke. The official northern terminus of Kidman Way is at Bourke, where it meets the Mitchell Highway.

The length of Kidman Way is about 644 km, the road is fully sealed, so it’s suitable for ordinary 2WD or 4WD vehicles (no need for dirt-road setup, though fuel and services can be spaced out).

The Kidman Way is named after Sir Sidney Kidman.  Kidman built one of the largest pastoral empires in the world, owning a chain of cattle stations stretching from the Northern Territory down through Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia. His properties were strategically positioned along stock routes so cattle could be moved during droughts — a network that loosely mirrors the inland paths the modern Kidman Way follows. The road was named in his honour because it runs through regions historically linked to his stations, droving routes, and the Outback communities shaped by his pastoral operations. The Kidman Way celebrates Kidman’s influence on inland Australia, recognising his role in connecting remote towns, developing the pastoral industry, and helping define the character of the western NSW Outback.

Sir Sidney Kidman (1857-1935)

He was often called “The Cattle King,” and was one of Australia’s most remarkable pastoralists and entrepreneurs. Born in South Australia with little formal education and virtually no money, Kidman left home at 13 and worked his way across the Outback as a stockman, drover, horse dealer, and bush telegraph rider. By his early adulthood, he had an uncanny skill for reading country, spotting opportunity, and managing people. Over several decades, he built an extraordinary pastoral empire that eventually covered more than 100,000 square kilometres, making him one of the largest landholders the world has ever seen. His stations stretched across South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory, forming a vast network of properties linked by stock routes.

Kidman was known not only for his business genius but also for his strategic thinking. He deliberately bought land along major watercourses and drought routes, allowing his cattle to be shifted across the continent in response to seasons, feed availability, and market conditions. This drought-proofing method was decades ahead of its time and a key reason his business survived the worst environmental extremes of the Australian inland. He was also admired for his philanthropy, providing support to soldiers during World War I, donating to communities, and offering help to struggling workers. Knighted in 1921, Sir Sidney Kidman remains a legendary figure in Outback history — a symbol of resilience, foresight, and the enormous scale of the Australian pastoral industry.

Preparing for the Drive

Before leaving:

  • Check tyres (including spare) and tyre pressure.
  • Check coolant, oil, and windscreen washer fluid.
  • Make sure your battery is healthy.
  • Carry:
    • Basic tool kit
    • Torch
    • First aid kit
    • Tyre repair kit
    • Jumper cables

Between towns, services can be 100-300 km apart.

  • Fill up whenever you can — don’t assume the next servo is open.
  • Carry at least 10-20L of extra water per person.
  • Pack non-perishable snacks.
  • Download offline maps (Google Maps offline or similar).
  • Bring a paper map as backup.
  • Avoid driving at dawn, dusk, and night — kangaroos and livestock are common.
  • Watch for emus near Bourke.
  • Road trains operate in this area — give them space and overtake only when safe.
  • Expect sections with rough surfaces or roadkill.
  • Mobile reception drops out between towns.
  • Telstra usually has the best rural coverage.
  • For remote stretches, consider a UHF radio or satellite device if travelling alone.
  • Summer temps often exceed 40°C.
  • After heavy rain, sections may flood or close.
  • Check NSW Live Traffic before departure.

If you Break Down

  • Stay with your vehicle.
  • Conserve water.
  • Use hazard lights and visible markers.
  • Call roadside assistance (NRMA recommended for outback travel).

Tourist Information

  • Bourke
    • Back O’ Bourke Information & Exhibition Centre
      • Kidman Way, Bourke
  • Griffith
    • Griffith Tourism Hub
      • Corner of Banna and Jondaryan Avenues, Griffith
  • Murrumbidgee Shire
    • Murrumbidgee Council
      • Telephone: 1300 MRMBGE (676 243)
      • The above number will direct you to your closest Murrumbidgee Council office.
    • Coleambally
      • 39 Brolga Place, Coleambally
    • Darlington Point
      • 21 Carrington Street, Darlington Point
    • Jerilderie
      • 35 Jerilderie Street, Jerilderie
  • Cobar
    • Cobar Visitor Centre
      • Barrier Hwy, Cobar
  • Carrathool Shire
    • Goolgowi Office
      • 9-11 Cobram Street, Goolgowi
    • Hillston District Office
      • 139-145 High Street, Hillston

Attractions

  • Matilda Way
  • Barringun
    • Zero Obelisk
  • Enngonia
    • Oasis Hotel/Motel
    • Enngonia Races (September)
    • Bushranger Midnight’s Grave
    • Ledknapper Nature Reserve
  • Bourke
    • PV Jandra (cruise on the Darling River)
    • Back O’ Bourke Information and Exhibition Centre
      • Standing Stories
    • Fort Bourke Stockade
    • Historical Lock and Weir
    • North Bourke Bridge
    • Bourke Cemetery
      • Fred Hollows Memorial
      • “Grave of Senior Constable John McCabe, shot by Captain Starlight at Enngonia in 1868”
    • Percy Hobson Mural
    • Crossley Engine
    • Bourke Aboriginal Art Gallery
    • Central Park
      • Poet’s Corner
    • Historic wharf
  • Cobar
    • Cobar Heritage Walk
    • Great Cobar Copper Mine
    • Great Western Hotel
    • Fort Bourke Hill Lookout and Open Cut Mine
    • Mining Heritage Park
      • Cobar Miner (‘Rick the Miner’ sculpture)
    • Big Beer Can (Grand Hotel)
    • Cobar Sound Chapel
    • Peak Gold Mines
    • Cobar Old Reservoir and Devil Rock
    • The Iron Ring Monument
    • Cobar Railway Station
    • Cobar Sign
    • Federation Walking Track
    • Gundabooka National Park
  • Mount Hope
    • Royal Hotel (1883)
  • Hillston
    • Lachlan River
      • Swing Bridge
    • Heritage Walk
    • Hillston Historical Society Museum
    • Red Dust & Paddy Melons Gallery
    • Hillston Cotton Gin
    • Willandra Homestead
      • Willandra shearing precinct
    • Lake Woorabinda
  • Goolgowi
    • Goolgowi Hall
      • Goolgowi Soft Sculpture Wall Hanging
  • Griffith
    • De Bortoli Wines Bilbul
    • Yarran Wines
    • Limone Dining
    • Griffith Pioneer Park Museum
    • Bertoldo”s Pasticceria
    • Zecca Handmade Italian
    • Catania Fruit Salad Farm
    • Memorial to Pioneer Women
  • Darlington Point
    • Altina Wildlife Park
    • Darlington Point Museum
    • Murrumbidgee River
    • Darlington Point Bridge
    • Gonna Walking Track
  • Coleambally
    • Yarrow Park
    • Wineglass Water Tower
    • Bucyrus Eri Draglines (Lions Park)
    • Irrigation Cooperative Water Wheel display
    • Agricultural Tours
    • Outdoor animal sculptures
    • Kerri Weymouth Art Studio & Gallery
  • Jerilderie
    • The Old Printery Building and the Bolt Exhibition
    • Ned Kelly Raid Trail of 1879 (self-guided tour)
    • Ned Kelly Blacksmith Shop
    • Telegraph Office
    • Jerilderie Lake/Luke Park
      • Steel Wings (windmill)
      • Lake walk
      • Bush Tucker Trail
    • Willows Homestead
    • Home of Sir John Monash
    • Jerilderie Cemetery
    • Memorial Park and Garden
    • Wedge-Tailed Eagle Mural
  • Melbourne (325km)
Jerilderie, the old Blacksmith shop

Events Guide

  • Bourke
    • Back O’ Bourke Easter Festival
    • Back O’ Bourke Pincic Races
    • Bourke P&A Show
    • Bourke Ain’t Caught Nuffin’ Fishing Club Competition
    • Louth Races
    • Enngonia Races
  • Carrathool Shire
    • Carrathool Races
    • Spring in the Springs
    • Hillston Hogs – Long White Lunch
    • Hillston Outback Triathlon – First Sunday every March
    • Hillston Hook Line & Sinker Fishing Comp.
    • Hillston Races
    • Hillston Agricultural Show
    • Lake Woorabinda Festival
  • Cobar
    • Cobar Rodeo
    • The Grey Mardi Gras
    • Cobar Show
    • Festival of the Miners Ghost
    • Cobar Races
    • Cobar Christmas Parade
    • Griffith Events
    • Griffith Spring Fest
    • Griffith Easter Party
    • A Taste of Italy Griffith
    • Newey Reservoir
    • Peak Gold Mine
  • Murrumbidgee
    • Darlington Point Spring Fair
    • League of the Silent Flight Model Glider Tournament
    • Jerilderie Bns Ball
    • Riverina Vintage Machinery Club Rally
    • Jerilderie Gold Cup Race Day
    • Taste Coleambally Food and Farm Festival
Cobar Sound Chapel

Useful Weblinks

Backtrack to the Outback_The Kiman WayDownload

By occvic

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