Broken Hill - Home of the Outback 4x4 Challenge

Broken Hill, gateway to Australia's Outback offers a unique adventure for four wheel drivers. Here is some information to help plan your trip to the Outback 4x4 Challenge and beyond.

Broken Hill Visitor Information Centre

Address: Cnr Blende & Bromide Streets (PO Box 448) Broken Hill NSW 2880
Telephone: (08) 8088 9700
Fax: (08) 8088 5209
Email: tourist@brokenhill.nsw.gov.au
Website: www.visitbrokenhill.com.au

Getting There

The township of Broken Hill and it's surrounding Outback region is conveniently located one day's drive from both Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. Queenslanders need to allow 2 full days whilst WA and NT participants require a journey in itself to get to Australia's Premier 4wd Event. Tasmanians can catch the boat across Bass Strait and then drive the full day from Melbourne, north to 'The Hill'.

Broken Hill is also serviced by train and Aeroplane

From Melbourne;
Great Southern Railways www.trainways.com.au

From Sydney;
Countrylink www.countrylink.info

Accommodation

If the event schedule calls for you to book your own accommodation at any stage during the event you can contact the Broken Hill Information Centre.
They can also assist with your accommodation and travel information on the way to the event.

If you wish to extend your time in Australia, the Broken Hill Information Centre can also assist in exciting places you can visit in your four wheel drive after the event.

Fuel/Water

Competitors need a fuel range of 500kms for normal dirt road driving (100kph). A standard tank for spectators will suffice.
We will have both competitors and spectators passing through fuel outlets during the event.
Unleaded petrol and diesel are the most used fuels in Australia. Fuel costs vary, allow $2 per litre.

Water will be available in Broken Hill at the start of the event but you should top up in Melbourne or Sydney. We normally ask you to carry 20 litres, but this may blow out to 40 litres because of the drought and the fact water is scarce (in fact unavailable) in the competition and spectator areas.

Food

All food and water must be carried with you during the event once you head to the outlaying stations for special stages whether a competitor or spectator. You can purchase supplies in town. You may pass small towns with supplies but you cannot rely on their being open and must be self sufficient.
Small amounts of wood are available for cooking fires. A small gas burner is preferred.

Communications

We use UHF radios which are 477mhz radios and mobile telephones on the Next G network which work well in the competition area.
Our communications sponsor can hire out UHF radios as well satellite telephones in case any teams wish to have them onboard for safety. Next G mobile telephones can be purchased as a pre pay option at outlets in Melbourne and Broken Hill. Mobile telephone service on the GSM system will only be available in main cities such as Melbourne, for some of the journey up to Broken Hill and in the township of Broken Hill, but not in the competition areas.

Support crews

Our event does not allow for support crews for competitors. The whole idea of the event is to be self reliant and drive smart enough as not to break anything.
You need to carry all parts you may require with you or take a penalty to accepting outside help which we will provide to keep you going.

Money/credit cards

Most outlets in Broken Hill and the region accept credit cards, Visa and Mastercard being the most popular.
Automatic tellers and banks are in Broken Hill.
A large supermarket is open seven days a week and accepts credit cards.

4wd Hire

Hertz Rental
Tourist & Travellers Centre
Corner Blende and Bromide Streets
Broken Hill NSW 2800
Phone 08 8087 2719
Fax 08 8087 9759

Weather

May heralds the cooler months of the region with temperatures of around 15 - 21 degrees Celsius during the day and a much colder 6 - 8 degrees Celsius at night. Rain is possible.
Although the wind can pick up out on the plains, the dust does hang around with so many vehicles traversing the roads during our event.

Click here for a list of useful links.