Dubbo

Dubbo is a town in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia.

View of Dubbo from the suburb of West Dubbo

Get in

By car

Dubbo is approximately a 4-hour drive west of Lithgow on the Great Western and Mitchell Highways, and a 6-hour drive west of Sydney.

Dubbo is accessible from Newcastle (via the New England and Golden Highways). Approximately 4-hour drive.

Dubbo is roughly half-way between Melbourne and Brisbane on the direct inland route, bypassing Sydney.

By train

NSW Trainlink operates an XPT train service between Sydney and Dubbo daily. There is an additional coach connection to Lithgow (connecting with the unbooked train service there) and a coach connection to Cootamundra (connecting to the Sydney to Melbourne XPT).

Dubbo is one of the few places in country NSW to which it is practical to take the train without requiring transport at the other end. There is accommodation within easy walking distance of the station, from where you can explore the centre of town and the attractions there. The zoo is only a 5-km taxi or bus ride, where you can hire a bike, car or walk around the zoo.

By plane

• 🌍 Dubbo City Regional Airport (DBO  ^IATA) (on the Mitchell Highway to the north-west of town). You can get a taxi into town, or pre-book a rental car to pickup at the airport.  

• Regional Express operates flights to Dubbo from Sydney and Broken Hill.
• Qantaslink flies between Sydney and Dubbo.

Get around

By bike

There is an off-road cycleway (Tracker Riley Cycleway) from the centre of Dubbo and the Macquarie River out to the Western Plains Zoo. It is an easy cycle, and then you can use your bike to cycle around the zoo as well.

By taxi

The zoo is only a short distance from town, and it is quite economical to catch a taxi there. You can hire a bicycle at the zoo to get around when you get there.

By bus

Dubbo buslines does the trip from the centre of town to the zoo five times a day on weekdays, and three times on Saturdays. There is no service on Sunday. On weekdays, there is almost a frequent service between Orana Mall and the town centre - with three bus routes doing the trip. Limited service Saturdays, and no service on Sundays.

There is also a weekday scheduled bus service to the neighbouring towns of Narromine and Wellington

See

• 🌍 Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Obley Road, ☎ [phone]. Daily 9AM-5PM. This large open range zoo, one of the finest zoos in New South Wales, has both exotic and native animals, including elephants, giraffes, and the rare black rhinos which are the focus of a breeding program at the zoo. It is the biggest attraction of tourists to the city. The zoo is quite large, and it is both useful and fun to hire a bicycle to get around. There are variety of styles, child seats, baskets and trailers for hire at the entrance, or a cycleway loop stretches all the way from town. Admission is $45 adults, $22 children 4-15, $30 concessions and free for children under 4. Tickets are valid for entry on two consecutive days. 
• Dundullimal Homestead. Tu-Sa 11AM - 3PM. Dubbo’s oldest building that is open to the public. $9.50. 
• Old Dubbo Gaol. (updated Sep 2017)

Do

• Dubbo Kart Club, Ph: [phone] Mob: [phone]. Home of the Lincoln County Raceway, the Dubbo Kart Club . Has hire karts available and hosts Local, State, National and International karting events.
• Farmer’s Markets There are farmers' markets every month in Dubbo, NSW. They are on the first and third Saturday of every month, near the Tourist Information Centre. Fresh produce, poultry, coffee, jams, preserves, olive oil, sourdough bread, etc.
• Orana Dragon Boat, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Orana Dragon Boat is crewed by eighteen paddlers, a sweep who steers the boat from the back and a drummer who calls time in the front. Their boat is housed near Sandy Beach and usually paddle in the straight stretch of the Macquarie River between Sandy Beach and the Weir. 

Eat

• sSs BBQ Barns, corner of Darling and Cobra Street, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Wonderful steakhouse with country atmosphere, food and service. 
• Two Doors, 215B Macquarie Street, ☎ [phone]. Tu-Sa from 5PM, and breakfast Sa Su from 8:30AM. Wine and tapas bar – great service and excellent food. Mid to high price range. 
• 🌍 Veldt, Ground Floor, 22 Bultje St, ☎ [phone]. Casual fine dining with excellent service. (updated Jul 2018)

Drink

There are a number of pubs and bars in Dubbo, with the Commercial Hotel, the Pastoral Hotel, Milestone, Western Star, Macquarie Inn and Dubbo RSL attracting quite a few locals and tourists on weekends.

Sleep

Dubbo is a popular stopping off point, and has a large range of accommodation. Except at the busiest times of year, it's possible to get motel accommodation on a drive up basis on the main roads into town.

• Cascades Motor Inn, 147 Cobra Street, ☎ [phone]. All rooms equipped with queen-sized bed, telephone, television, air-conditioning system, dial-up and Nomad wireless broadband. Rates start at $112. 
• Aberdeen Motor Inn, 25 Cobra St, ☎ [phone]. Rooms, suites and family apartments located on Cobra street Dubbo. 
• Blue Gum Inn, 109 Cobra Street, ☎ [phone]. Has several kid's rooms 2a and 3 kids. 
• Blue Diamond Motor Inn, is walking distance to the station, if you are arriving by train and want a nearby place to stay.
• 🌍 Discovery Parks - Dubbo, 154 Whylandra St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Clean, quiet and spacious. 
• Fountain View Motel, 113-115 Cobra St, ☎ [phone]. opposite Elston Park. Affordable accommodation. 
• Quality Dubbo International, 165 Whylandra St, ☎ [phone]. 60 rooms including suites, kitchen suite, family rooms, interconnecting rooms, and special designed rooms for guests with a disability. These rooms all have remote control television units, tea and coffee facilities, iron and ironing board, Free wireless broadband Internet, independent air conditioning units and Foxtel TV. All of the rooms have an electronic coded door locking system. 
• Australian Heritage Motor Inn, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. A 4-star rated accommodation standard with 23 suite motels and 4 cottage style units. Cnr Brisbane and Cobra Streets. Rates start at $128. 

Go next

Only an hour and a half away (or 128 km ESE) from Dubbo, Mudgee offers a fantastic historical heritage and a host of great small wineries.

Wellington Caves and phosphate mines make a good day trip. Wellington is a pretty town, and well worth a visit itself.

If you're coming from Sydney, your halfway towards the outback, and you can keep travelling out towards Cobar and Broken Hill