Belah campground
Wheelchair access: easy
- This area is fully wheelchair accessible
- This campground has flat gravel sites
Pretty and secluded, Belah campground ticks all the boxes for a great camping adventure in the NSW outback.
If you’re doing the self-guided Mungo Drive tour, why not spread it over a couple of days and camp overnight at Belah? You’ll find the campground about 11 km from Vigars Well, halfway along the 70km drive route.
The ground is level and although Belah is small, you’ll find plenty of room to pitch your tent amongst lovely, wooded surroundings. Enjoy a meal at one of the picnic tables and listed to Mungo’s auditory pleasures – from the chirping of birds in the daytime to the evening’s cicada song. And in such an intimate campground, you’re bound to get chatting with your fellow campers. Who knows, you could even make some great new friends.
Activities: walking, birdwatching
Location:
shown on Walls of China map
Getting there: Belah campground is located between Mallee Stop and Round Tank in the Walls of China precinct of Mungo National Park.
You will find the campground located halfway around the park’s one-way Mungo Track drive route.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD (no long vehicle access). Dry weather only.
Facilities: picnic tables, non-flush toilets
Water supply: There is a dam here, supplied by surface runoff.
Camping fees: $5 per adult per night. $3 per child per night.
Bookings: Contact the Buronga NPWS office on 03 5021 8900
Contact:
Buronga, Phone: 03 5021 8900
Main campground
Wheelchair access: easy
- This area is fully wheelchair accessible
- This campground has flat gravel sites
Who said outback camping has to mean roughing it? At Main Camp, you’ll find good basic facilities, including an amenities block, barbecues and picnic tables. Plus, it’s just a short drive to Mungo Visitor Centre, where you can access hot showers, flush toilets and a public phone, so all the creature comforts are within easy reach.
With its 33 roomy sites, there’s plenty of space for your caravan, as well as for those with camping trailers and tents. The campground’s location close to the park’s entry and several attractions makes it a convenient place to base yourself and soak up this fascinating ancient landscape.
Spot kangaroos, fire up the barbecue and have an old-fashioned sing-along. Immerse yourself in the area’s rich Aboriginal history on a Discovery tour, or set out on the Grasslands Nature Trail. And, of course, no visit is complete without a sunset visit to the Walls of China viewing platform. Located within walking distance of the campground, the Walls’ extraordinary colours and captivating scenery are sure to remain in your mind’s eye as you drift off to sleep.
Activities: walking, mountain biking
Location:
shown on Visitor Centre map
Getting there: Main Camp campground is located on Arumpo Road, not far from Mungo Visitor Centre in Mungo National Park.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Dry weather only.
Facilities: picnic tables, wood barbecues (bring your own firewood), gas/electric barbecues (free), non-flush toilets, amenities block, visitor centre, trackhead/access point
Camping fees: $5 per adult per night. $3 per child per night.
Bookings: Contact the Buronga NPWS office on 03 5021 8900
Contact:
Buronga, Phone: 03 5021 8900
Mungo lookout
Can you imagine what life was like when there were towering kangaroos and birds with legs like a horse? At Mungo lookout in Mungo National Park, you can gaze across the ice age lake bed that has uncovered bones of the original megafauna.
Gaze across at the iconic ‘Walls of China’ formation, sculpted over thousands of years, by wind and rain. This erosion has also uncovered artefacts of the Ngyiampaa, Mutthi Muhhti, and Paakantyi Aboriginal people, dating back over 40,000 years. It’s an awesome and humbling vision at any time of day, especially dusk.
Combine this scenic lookout with accessibleGrassland Nature stroll for an overview of the more recent plants and animals of the region. When thoughts turn to lunch, top it off with a tasty picnic at nearby Main campground.
Activities: walking, birdwatching, sightseeing, photography, astronomy and star gazing
Location:
shown on Visitor Centre map
Getting there: Mungo lookout is a short walk from Main campground in Mungo National Park. To get there, Main campground is located on Arumpo Road, not far from Mungo Visitor Centre.
Facilities: picnic tables, non-flush toilets
Mungo Visitor Centre
Wheelchair access: easy
This area is fully wheelchair accessible
- The centre is a wheelchair-friendly building with accessible toilets
Begin your exploration at Mungo Visitor Centre, the ‘nerve centre’ of the park. Find out more about the area’s significance to its Traditional Owners and scientists. Learn about its megafauna and the once-full Lake Mungo, as well as the formation of the park’s unique landscape.
The centre is staffed only during school holidays, when rangers from the region’s three Aboriginal groups lead park Discovery tours. Why not try the 2.5-hour tag along tour to the Walls of China?
Alternatively, you can take a self-guided tour with the free brochure ‘Driving the Mungo Story’, available from the centre.
Location:
shown on Visitor Centre map
Getting there: Mungo Visitor Centre is located in the south western corner of Mungo National Park. Take the Arumpo Road entry and turn left at the T junction.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Dry weather only.
Opening hours: Mungo Visitor Centre is always open, but it is not permanently staffed. During school holidays the Centre may be staffed for short periods prior to Discovery Tours, when the staff will be more than happy to answer any questions. To talk to someone about Discovery Tours and staff timing, contact the Buronga park office on (03) 5021 8900.
Facilities: flush toilets, hot showers, public phone, picnic tables, gas/electric barbecues (coin-operated), visitor centre, carpark, trackhead/access point
Rosewood picnic area
Wheelchair access: medium
Assistance may be required to access this area
Pause for a picnic with the park’s galahs and willy wagtails at Rosewood rest area.
This beautiful setting offers picnic tables and shady trees – the perfect ingredients for enjoying a cuppa, while contemplating the scenic views and awe-inspiring local history of Mungo National Park.
You’ll find some lovely walks to enjoy in the surrounding area, as well as some wonderful examples of the park’s fascinating and fragile plants and animals. Listen for the butcherbirds’ flute-like song and keep an eye out for resident pink cockatoos, which can at times be seen in groups of ten or twenty.
Activities: walking, birdwatching, picnicking, playing and socialising
Location:
shown on Walls of China map
Getting there: Rosewood picnic area is located northeast of Red Top lookout along the one-way section of the Mungo track.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Dry weather only.
Facilities: picnic tables
Round Tank picnic area
Behind the sand dunes on Mungo Self-guided Drive tour, Round Tank picnic area is a great stop for birdwatching enthusiasts. Round Tank was originally designed as a lure for goats, whose numbers are controlled to reduce the damage to young trees and native vegetation. However, the water also attracts a wide variety of birdlife, so bring your binoculars.
Unpacking your picnic hamper, keep an eye out across the mallee scrub for pink cockatoos, galahs, zebra finches and vibrant emerald budgerigars. The vibrant chats can often be seen, attracted to the nectar of the flowering plants of the desert. The flute-like song you might hear is the call of one of the species of butcher birds, while the Nankeen kestrel specialises in hovering over the desert, looking for the movement of mice or lizards on the ground below. If you’re tempted to stay the night, try nearby Belah campground.
Activities: picnics and barbecues, birdwatching
Location:
shown on Walls of China map
Getting there: Round Tank picnic area is located between Belah campground and Vigars Well on Mungo Self-guided Drive tour.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. 4WD required in wet weather.
Facilities: picnic tables, carpark
Vigars Well picnic area
It’s been over 15,000 years since the Willandra Lakes World Heritage region held water, so Vigars Well picnic area is a welcome oasis in the dramatic desert landscape of today. This historic picnic spot, on the Self-guided Drive tour in Mungo National Park, features panoramic desert views that hum with life.
Harking back to its watery origins, the well is based on a natural soak and a haven for local wildlife. You’ll see a mosaic of wildlife tracks in the sand that belong to creatures like the common dunnart. Keep an eye out for vibrant pink cockatoos and ring-neck parrots.
Unpack a picnic hamper at the nearby tables and soak up the vast scenic landscape under huge skies. It’s a short walk to magnificent views of the iconic lunette walls. If you’re tempted to stay for the spectacular sunset and don’t mind a bit of walking, why not pitch your tent at Belah campground for an unforgettable night under the stars.
Activities: walking, motor vehicle use, astronomy and star gazing, birdwatching
Location:
shown on Walls of China map
Getting there: Vigars Well picnic area is in Mungo National Park. It’s approximately half way round the Mungo Self-guided Drive tour. The drive starts at Mungo Visitor Centre in the south-western corner of Mungo National Park.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Dry weather only.
Facilities: picnic tables
Walls of China viewing platform
Wheelchair access: easy
- This area is fully wheelchair-accessible.
- A boardwalk provides easy access from the carpark to the dunes. However, further access to the viewing is difficult without assistance.
- The toilet in the adjacent carpark is wheelchair-friendly
You’ve seen it on a postcard, now come and see it for real. One of the most iconic views in Outback NSW, Walls of China viewing platform is the first stop on the Self-guided tour of Mungo National Park. Located west of the visitor centre, the wheelchair-accessible lookout offers magnificent views across the famous World Heritage Willandra Lakes region.
A magnificent sight at sunrise or sunset, gaze across at the dramatic formations sculpted by wind and erosion. It’s not just the scenic desert views that will take your breath away; these lunettes harbour vital clues to the evolution of life on earth.
Imbedded deep within the ancient lakebeds, historic relics of early Aboriginal culture have been discovered, believed to be over 36 000 years old. Close your eyes and imagine a fertile land fed by vast lakes, where wombats the size of buffalos grazed during the last ice age.
Activities: motor vehicle use, astronomy and star gazing, birdwatching, picnicking, playing and socialising
Location:
shown on Walls of China map
Getting there: Walls of China viewing platform is in the central precinct of Mungo National Park. To get there, head east from Mungo Visitor Centre for approximately 10km.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Dry weather only.
Facilities: picnic tables, carpark, drinking water, lookout, non-flush toilets
