The Great Artesian Basin is one of the largest and deepest freshwater basins in the world, covering 1.7 million square kilometres. The basin lies beneath parts of the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, and New South Wales. The warm, thermal waters of the basin have produced many rejuvenating bores and spas across Australia.
The Great Artesian Drive covers a section of the basin through Northern New South Wales, where you can relax in the tranquil pools and soak up the warm, outback atmosphere. The mineral-rich waters of Artesian Spas are known to rejuvenate and re-hydrate skin, relax muscles and ease joint pain, improve sleep and provide many other health benefits.
The Great Artesian Drive begins in the charming country town of Narrabri. The journey from Sydney to Narrabri takes roughly 6-7 hours, depending on your route and traffic conditions. We recommend breaking this up with a stop in the beautiful city of Tamworth. Here you can enjoy the stellar food, wine and country music the region is known for and pay a visit to the Big Gold Guitar while you’re at it.
Once you reach Narrabri, you’ll want to spend a day or two enjoying the nearby Pilliga Artesian Bore Baths and Burren Junction Bore Baths. While you’re based in Narrabri, why not explore the nearby Mount Kaputar National Park to discover breathtaking, panoramic views of the New South Wales outback, or venture out to the Pilliga Forest Lookout Tower. There are also a number of unique cave systems in the region including Salt Caves and Sandstone Caves that are worth exploring.
Moving along the Artesian Basin, Moree is known as Australia’s Spa Capital. Here you will find the $7 million, state-of-the-art Artesian Aquatic Centre, with natural mineral waters, held at a constant 26-41 degrees Celsius. The town is also home to some fascinating Art Deco architecture which you can enjoy on their self-guided history tour.
Continuing on to Walgett, the water at the Walgett Bore Baths is nearly 2 million years old, rich in potassium salts and maintains a constant temperature of 38-41 degrees. Lie back in these beautiful thermal waters and allow yourself to unwind and your worries to fade away!
If you are a country music fan, you may wish to visit the impressive Jimmy Little memorial mural, painted on the Walgett Water Towers. Alternatively, if you enjoy the outdoors, we recommend trekking along the picturesque Tracker Walford Walkway before setting out on the final leg of your journey to Lightning Ridge.
Lightning Ridge is a region known for its Opal mines, but it too is home to amazing Artesian Bore Baths. The baths in Lightning Ridge are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and it is a popular spot for locals to come to relax and socialise. The town is also home to a number of great art galleries, fascinating opal tours and beautiful opal jewellery.
This section of the Great Artesian Drive ends here but if you wish to continue your Artesian adventures, nearby Goodooga, Mungindi and Boomi all offer their own thermal baths.
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