Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive OPEN IN MOBILE Artesian Bore Baths, Lightning Ridge Details Open leg route 1092.3KM / 678.7MI (Est. travel time 12 hours) The Great Artesian Basin covers 1.7 million square kilometres, and is one of the largest and deepest freshwater basins in the world. These natural, mineral-rich thermal waters are what paved the way for rural communities in an otherwise inhospitable landscape. Around Lightning Ridge and Moree, this has resulted in the rich black soil that’s so good for agriculture and the many bores and spas where the water bubbles up to the surface. Come along for the ride in remote northern NSW where it’s possible to soak in the waters and soak up the atmosphere of our far-Ëung towns. Before driving in the Outback, please read these a. What is a QR code? To learn how to use QR codes refer to the last page 1 of 16 Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive What is a QR code? To learn how to use QR codes refer to the last page 2 of 16 Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive 1 Depart Sydney Sydney, Australia OPEN IN MOBILE There is a moment of trepidation when you drive your Êrst motorhome. Ours is an Avan Ovation vehicle, about 7m long, 2.5m wide and weighing in at 3,000kg. It’s big, and there seems to be a rather long list of Dos and Don’ts, not least of which is The Cassette – the wonderful euphemism for the toilet waste container - and what to do when it’s full (information I park in the back of my head for later). We have booked the motorhome through Camptoo, a company that allows travellers to hire other people's campervans – a sort of Airbnb on wheels. We pick it up in Sydney from the owner, who runs us through the check list and accompanies us on a suck-it-and-see round-the-block trial run before we head o into traÄc on our own. It’s easier than you might think, and the high seating and large windscreen proÂer panoramic views that come into Sun setting over Sydney Harbour their own when we hit the wide-open landscapes of the bush. There is a lot of driving on this trip and you'll cover some huge distances. While we completed it in Êve days, you could easily take more time and break up the journey. Some of the areas you'll visit are very remote, so remember to plan ahead, make sure you're well stocked with fuel and supplies, and try to avoid driving after dark. Sydney, NSW, Australia Parking, Street Parking, Valet Parking GET DIRECTION S What is a QR code? To learn how to use QR codes refer to the last page 3 of 16 Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive 2 Day 1: Pilliga Pilliga, New South Wales OPEN IN MOBILE Google maps says it’s under seven hours from Sydney to Pilliga but that’s without stopping on the way. We take nine hours in all, heading up the F3 to just short of Newcastle before following the Golden Highway inland and stopping for a hearty lunch at the welcoming Tourist Hotel in Sandy Hollow. The countryside here is Ëat and well-tended, much of it given over to thoroughbred stud farms. You might want to slow down here and there to watch some of these magniÊcent beasts in their manicured paddocks. We follow the signs to Pilliga from Coonabarabran but the last 100 or so kilometres on Cypress Way are slow going because of the rutted, gravel road. We arrive in Pilliga just before sunset and head straight to the baths. Opened in 1902, the Pilliga Artesian Bore Bath is a simple aÂair, about the size of a children’s swimming pool and, as we Ênd out when we park up Pilliga Bore Baths - Narrabri Region Visitor Information Centre and change into our swimmers, is a popular spot for both residents and visitors. The natural thermal water splashes into the pool at about 37 °C and is a hot, liquid balm after the long drive. The pool is a little slimy underfoot so be careful how you get in and out. We park the motorhome at the back of the Pilliga Pub, hook up the electricity, and sink a couple of cold ones in the bar before retiring early, and exhausted, to our home away from home. Sights & Activities Pilliga Artesian Bore Baths Pilliga, NSW, Australia Arrive via car from Day 1: Pilliga 572KM / 355MI ~ Approximately 7 hours GET DIRECTION S What is a QR code? To learn how to use QR codes refer to the last page 4 of 16 Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive Pilliga Artesian Bore Baths 5389 pilliga road, Pilliga, NSW, Australia, 2388 GET DIRECTION S What is a QR code? To learn how to use QR codes refer to the last page 5 of 16 Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive 3 Day 2: Burren Junction Burren Junction, New South Wales OPEN IN MOBILE Thanks to the early night, we’re up bright and early and I take a short stroll around Pilliga village. It doesn’t take long because there’s not much to see; a store, a cafe, a police station, post oÄce and school. And, of course, the pub. There is some excellent birdlife here, thanks perhaps to the nearby wetland walk, and I photograph a couple of cheeky galahs also taking the quiet early morning air. We pay a quick return visit to the bore to get an idea of it in the cold light of day and then head o towards Burren Junction and our second destination, 42km away to the north along Bugilbone Road. This is an excellent, sealed road which is meanders through Ëat country resplendent with a myriad of multi-coloured birdlife (one of which, sadly, Ëattens itself against the windscreen in an unavoidable kamikaze dive). After about 45min, the grain silos of Burren Junction appear on the horizon Multi-coloured birdlife at Burren Junction - Keith Austin like spaceships ready to blast o into a bright blue sky strewn with Simpsons clouds. A hard right at the railway lines and we’re on Kamilaroi Highway, passing the quiet hamlet of Burren Junction, until we Ênd the sign to the bore on our right. Unfortunately it’s closed, so there's no soak for us today. Lesson learned; always check with the local visitor information centre Êrst. Sights & Activities Burren Junction Bore Baths and Camp Ground Burren Junction, NSW, Australia Arrive via car from Day 2: Burren Junction 39KM / 24MI ~ Approximately 32 minutes GET DIRECTION S What is a QR code? To learn how to use QR codes refer to the last page 6 of 16 Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive Burren Junction Bore Baths and Camp Ground Burren Junction Artesian Hot Springs Burren Bore Rd, Burren Junction, NSW, Australia, 2386 GET DIRECTION S What is a QR code? To learn how to use QR codes refer to the last page 7 of 16 Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive 4 Day 2: Moree Moree, New South Wales OPEN IN MOBILE Moree, the main town on Moree Plains shire, is 158kms away along the Kamilaroi Highway and then north along the A39. It’s also known as Australia's Artesian Spa Capital because of the amount of hot spring water that has been tapped here since 1895. Driving in it seems that every other hotel or motel has a hot spring spa, bath or pool. It’s like a huge, leaky pressure cooker. The big spa attraction here is the $7 million state-of-the-art Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre on Anne Street. It’s a large complex with several pools (one Olympic-sized and two smaller hot pools) all fed by natural mineral waters ranging from 26-41 degrees Celsius. There’s also a small private pool area-cum-wellness centre that you can rent if you don’t want to mix with some of the 300,000 people who visit the centre annually. Children enjoying the waterpark at Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre Sights & Activities Moree Artesian Aquatic The Moree Artesian Wellness Centre (MAAC) and Day Spa Moree, NSW, Australia, 2400 Arrive via car from Day 2: Moree 189KM / 118MI ~ Approximately 2 hours GET DIRECTION S What is a QR code? To learn how to use QR codes refer to the last page 8 of 16 Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre The Moree Artesian Wellness and Day (MAAC) Spa Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre Moree Artesian Wellness & Day Spa 20 Anne Street, Moree, NSW, Australia, 2400 GET DIRECTION S Parking, Street Parking A whole lot more than just an Aquatic Centre ! Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre will be closed until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience. 20 Anne Street, Moree, NSW, Australia, 2400 GET DIRECTION S Parking, Street Parking MAW offers a variety of Day Spa, Salon and Therapeutic Services. The centre also has its own private Artesian hot pool with Sauna and cold plunge pool. What is a QR code? To learn how to use QR codes refer to the last page 9 of 16 Expert Guide to the Great Artesian Drive 5 Day 3: Moree Moree, New South Wales OPEN IN MOBILE Moree is a town that more than rewards a day spent mooching around its neat, clean streets.