The Long Paddock

The Long Paddock is a historic touring route that follows the Cobb Highway through south-western New South Wales.

It runs from:

Echuca–Moama (VIC/NSW border)
⬇
Through Deniliquin, Hay, Booligal, Ivanhoe
⬇
To Wilcannia (NSW Outback)

By Tim Keegan - Flickr: The road to Ivanhoe vanishes, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12745930

It’s often used as a link between the Darling River Run, the Murray River, and the western NSW Outback.

The Long Paddock is approximately: 610 km (Echuca–Moama → Wilcannia)

All on sealed road (Cobb Highway), making it one of the easiest Outback drives for regular vehicles.

Why is it called “The Long Paddock”?

The name refers to the vast travelling stock routes used for droving livestock during droughts or long-distance movement.

The road follows these original stock routes, where:

Cattle and sheep were walked long distances between stations
Stockmen camped at waterholes and river crossings
The route served as a lifeline during dry periods
Historic Cobb & Co coach lines passed through

You’ll still see TSR (Travelling Stock Reserve) signage today.

“State Highway 21 was named Cobb Highway on 23 April 1947, in honour of Cobb and Co, a company which ran a network of stagecoaches in inland Australia in the latter half of the 19th century and early in the 20th century.”¹

Why drive The Long Paddock?

Easy Outback experience
- Fully sealed road with big Outback horizons—ideal if you want the Outback without heavy 4WDing.
Public art trail (Large-scale sculptures)
- Over 20+ sculptures and installations along the route telling droving, Indigenous, and pioneer stories.
Rich history
- Includes:
  - Cobb & Co heritage
  - Drovers and stock routes
  - Shearing history
  - Explorers like Burke & Wills (Burke famously died near here)
Great towns to explore
- Echuca–Moama – paddle steamers
- Deniliquin – Ute Muster town
- Hay – museums, WWII POW camps, Shear Outback
- Booligal – tiny iconic Outback pub
- Ivanhoe – remote settlement with history
- Wilcannia – gateway to the Darling River Run

By Tim Keegan from Lake Macquarie, Australia - Road to IvanhoeUploaded by berichard, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11514619

3-Day Itinerary

Day 1 — Echuca–Moama → Deniliquin → Hay
- Distance: ~260 km
- Driving time: ~3 hours (plus stops)
- Morning – Echuca–Moama
  - Start the Long Paddock at the big info panel near town
Drive to Deniliquin (75 km)
- Wander the riverfront or have morning tea
Deniliquin → Hay (185 km)
- A classic Outback-style drive across vast, flat country.
  - Afternoon – Arrive in Hay
  - Overnight: Hay
Day 2 — Hay → Booligal → Ivanhoe
- Distance: ~200 km
- Driving time: ~2.5 hours (plus stops)
- Morning – Hay → Booligal (100 km)
  - A scenic and remote drive across saltbush and semi-arid landscapes.
  - Booligal → Ivanhoe (100 km)
    - Continue through big skies and open plains.
  - Afternoon – Ivanhoe
    - Overnight: Ivanhoe
Day 3 — Ivanhoe → Wilcannia
- Distance: ~150 km
- Driving time: ~1.75 hours
- Morning – Drive to Wilcannia
  - A relaxing final stretch through red-dirt country.
- Arrive in Wilcannia (Darling River)
  - Option: Continue north to White Cliffs or east along the Darling.

Must-See Stops Along the Long Paddock

Echuca–Moama
- Port of Echuca
- National Holden Motor Museum
- Echuca Historical Society Museum
- River cruise
Mathoura
- Gulpa Creek Forest walks
- Mathoura Heritage Trail
- Gulpa Island Drive
Deniliquin
- The Peppin Heritage Centre – great intro to the region’s wool history
- The Ute on a Pole – iconic local photo
- Historical Town Walk
- Deniliquin and District Historical Society Museum
- Island Sanctuary
- Edward River
- Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre
- Blake Botanic Reserve
Pretty Pine
- Pretty Pine Recreation Reserve
- Pretty Pine Hotel
Wanganella
- “Birthplace of the Peppin Merino sheep breed”²
- “Bronze statue at the front gates of Wanganella Station, just south of the village.”³
- Billabong Creek
Booroorban
- Royal Mail Hotel (1868)
Hay
- Hay Heritage Walk
- Sunbeam Cobb & Co Coach
- Shear Outback: The Australian Shearers Hall of Fame
- Water Tower art
- Hay Gaol Museum
- Dunera Museum (WWII internment history)
- Walk along the Murrumbidgee River
Booligal
- ”The town was immortalized in ‘Banjo’ Paterson’s humorous poetic damnation “Hay and Hell and Booligal””⁴
- Booligal Hotel – tiny, friendly, classic Outback pub (“some bloody place”)
- Lachlan River/Lagoon lookout
- Oxley Theodolite Memorial
- Booligal Sheep Races (annually in October)
- Photo with the historic Long Paddock signage
Ivanhoe
- Ivanhoe Hotel (historic pub)
- Old Ivanhoe Gaol site
- Walk the quiet streets or enjoy a sunset on country around town
Wilcannia
- Darling River
- Wilcannia Bridge – heritage lift-span bridge on the Darling
- Old sandstone buildings (Post Office, Hospital, Court House)
- Nourlangie Aboriginal Gallery (if open)

Must-See Sculptures (Long Paddock Art Trail)

These large outdoor artworks line the Cobb Highway and tell droving, Indigenous and pioneer stories.

Around Moama / Echuca
- “Reed Beds Bird Hide” – Moama
- “Moama Five Mile Sculpture” – nature + art walk
Between Moama and Deniliquin
- “Shadows on the Hill” – dramatic metal silhouette sculptures on a hill
- “Indian Head” – carved red gum, striking Outback artwork
Deniliquin Area
- “Long Paddock Drovers” – tribute to travelling stockmen
- “The Space Between” – modern Outback sculpture
Hay Plains
- “The Murrumbidgee Resting Place” – Indigenous cultural piece
- “The Nitty-Gritty” – whimsical metal installation
- “The Haystack” – tribute to local agriculture
- “The Drivers of the Drought” – stoic, haunting silhouettes
Booligal to Ivanhoe
- “The Wireman” – iconic figure in a lone Outback landscape
- “The Backtrackers” – metal horses & drovers
Near Wilcannia
- “The Stockman’s Dream” – a favourite for photographers