Bingara NSW: More Than Just a Great Riverside Camp

A guide to camping, exploring and making the most of your visit to Bingara, NSW.

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Bingara ended up on our itinerary because Phil had three desires. To take Connie (our caravan) somewhere we could park by a river, sit by a campfire, and just slow down, preferably at a free camp. And Bingara ticked most of those boxes. Technically, it’s a donation camp, but we’ll take that.

We headed to Bingara and discovered wild horses, incredible natural beauty, and a country town that completely surprised us.

Grab a coffee, and I’ll tell you why we fell in love with Bingara and why we would go back tomorrow if we had the time.

Prefer to watch rather than read?

Grab a cuppa and join us as we explore Bingara, from the riverside campground and wild horses to Sawn Rocks, Cranky Rock and everything that made us fall in love with this little country town.

▶️ Watch our Bingara video on YouTube

Where is Bingara?

Bingara is a small country town on the banks of the Gwydir River in the New England region of New South Wales. It’s around 6½ hours (about 550 km) from Sydney, making it an easy destination for a long weekend or a relaxed week away.

Situated within the Gwydir Shire, Bingara is known for its rich history, welcoming country atmosphere and easy access to some remarkable natural attractions, including Sawn Rocks and Cranky Rock Nature Reserve.

For us, the drive from the Blue Mountains was straightforward, with plenty of places to stop along the way. Once we arrived, it didn’t take long to understand why so many travellers return year after year.

Where we stayed

We stayed at Bingara Riverside North, a donation campground just a couple of minutes from town, and from the moment we arrived, we knew we’d chosen well.

As I mentioned in the introduction, Phil wanted somewhere we could park beside a river, enjoy a campfire and simply slow down. Bingara delivered. Sitting beside the Gwydir River each evening with a campfire quickly became one of our favourite parts of the trip.

It was also the first chance we’d had to use our foldable Kings fire pit*. We’d been carrying it around in Connie for months, waiting for the right campsite and, more importantly, somewhere campfires were permitted. Rather than creating another fire scar, we used our own fire pit to help keep the campsite tidy. We’re sure it’ll become a regular part of our camping adventures.

The campground is huge, with plenty of riverside sites and acres of space further back if you prefer a little more privacy.

One of the absolute highlights was the wild horses that roam through the campground. They wandered quietly between the campsites each day and, on the morning we were leaving, one even stuck its head right into Connie! We’d like to think it was trying to convince us to stay just one more day.

As a donation campground, there are no powered sites, water, amenities, or a dump point, but Bingara is only minutes away and has everything you need, including one of the best dump points we’ve used, a well-stocked IGA, a bakery, a laundromat, and more.

💡 Traveller Tip

If you enjoy staying at donation campgrounds, keep a little cash tucked away in your van. We forgot to top ours up before arriving and ended up raiding our washing machine coins to leave a donation! We would have happily donated more if we’d had the cash on us. Donation campgrounds like Bingara Riverside North are a wonderful asset for travellers, and supporting them helps ensure they remain available for everyone to enjoy.

 

What we discovered around town.

One of the biggest surprises for us was Bingara itself. We came for the riverside camp but quickly discovered a country town that was welcoming, clean and obviously proud of itself. Every time we headed into town, locals were out shopping and catching up, giving Bingara a genuine community feel rather than feeling like a town that only comes alive for tourists.

You also get the impression Bingara is investing in its future. During our visit, we noticed infrastructure upgrades, the historic Roxy Theatre was being restored, and there was a real sense that the town is working hard to make visitors feel welcome.

For those on a road trip, Bingara has just about everything you need. There’s a well-stocked IGA for groceries, a great bakery (don’t leave without trying the vanilla slice!), a chemist, a laundromat and one of the best dump points we’ve come across, complete with access to fresh water. If you’re staying at the donation camp rather than the caravan park, it’s easy to stock up, empty your tanks and get everything sorted before heading off on your next adventure.

We’d also recommend stopping at the Visitor Information Centre. The local staff were incredibly friendly and happy to share their knowledge of the area. While we’ve shared the places we explored, they’ll also point you towards walking trails, local history and attractions that might suit your interests. Around town, you’ll also find pleasant riverside walks, parks and heritage buildings, including the historic Roxy Theatre and the Greek Museum, which unfortunately wasn’t open during our visit—but it’s definitely on our list for next time.

Bingara Town Highlights

🥧 Best vanilla slice: Bingara Bakery

🛒 Well-stocked IGA

🚐 Excellent dump point with fresh water

🧺 Laundromat in town

ℹ️ Friendly Visitor Information Centre

🏕️ Donation camp by the river

🐎 Wild horses nearby

Beyond Bingara

One of the things we loved most about Bingara was that you don’t have to travel far to discover some incredible places. Most of the attractions are within an easy drive of town, making them perfect for a relaxed morning or afternoon before returning to camp.

Sawn Rocks

It might have been a cold, drizzly day when we drove up to Sawn Rocks, but it was worth every minute. Formed by an ancient volcanic lava flow, the towering rock columns are among the places that make you stop and appreciate just how incredible and diverse the Australian landscape really is.

Take your time here. Wander along the walking track, soak in the scenery and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Afterwards, we made the most of the free gas barbecues in the picnic area, heating up our quiche and enjoying a hot tea and coffee before heading back to camp.

One unexpected highlight was the herd of goats wandering through the picnic area. They never came too close, but they were close enough to keep us entertained while we enjoyed lunch. It was one of those little moments that wasn’t on any brochure but became part of the experience.

Cranky Rock Nature Reserve

Cranky Rock was another unexpected highlight. While Sawn Rocks impresses with its towering volcanic columns, Cranky Rock is all about the giant boulders and getting out amongst them.

One of the things we loved most was being able to scramble across the rocks, explore the reserve up close and take in the scenery from completely different angles. I’ll admit, it made me feel like a bit of a wannabe boulderer! It’s one thing to admire a landscape from a distance, but quite another to climb over it, touch it and experience it for yourself.

Both Cranky Rock and Sawn Rocks are easy to visit in the same morning or afternoon, making them a perfect half-day trip from Bingara.

Bingara Lookout

If you enjoy seeing a destination from above, the Bingara Lookout is well worth the short drive out of town. The drive itself is part of the adventure, climbing a long, steep and narrow road before reaching the lookout, so take your time.

Once at the top, you’ll be rewarded with lovely views across Bingara and the surrounding countryside. There’s also a short walk to a small shelter overlooking farmland. We actually preferred the view from near the entrance, but if you’re looking for somewhere quiet to sit for a while, the walk is worth doing.

One tip we’d share is to leave your caravan in town. We wouldn’t recommend towing it up to the lookout, as there’s very little room to turn around and the road is both steep and narrow.

Myall Creek Massacre Memorial

This was our second visit to the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial, and we’re so glad we returned. We hadn’t completed the memorial walk on our first visit, so this time we were able to experience it in full and truly appreciate its significance.

The memorial commemorates the massacre of at least 28 unarmed Wirrayaraay Aboriginal people, mostly women, children and older men on 10 June 1838, one of the darkest chapters in Australia’s history.

The memorial walk is beautifully designed. As you follow the winding path through the landscape, you’ll come across a series of memorial stones. Each one tells another part of the story, allowing you to stop, read, reflect and gradually understand the events that unfolded here.

It’s not a place to rush through. Take your time. It’s a confronting but incredibly important place to visit. We left with a deeper appreciation of this part of Australia’s history and a reminder that understanding our past helps us become better people in the future.

Worth Knowing

Not everything we did was a standout.

We also drove out to Copeton Dam, but from the Bingara side, there wasn’t really anywhere to stop and enjoy it. While you can drive across the dam wall, the picnic areas and recreation facilities are accessed from the northern side, so we felt it wasn’t really worth the drive from Bingara.

If we were visiting again, we’d spend that time exploring more of the other attractions around Bingara instead.

Would we go back?

In a heartbeat!

Bingara gave us exactly what we were looking for: a peaceful riverside camp where we could slow down and enjoy a campfire, but it also gave us so much more. From the wild horses wandering through the campground to the incredible scenery, fascinating history and warm country hospitality, Bingara completely exceeded our expectations.

So… when are you heading to Bingara? We have a feeling you’ll fall in love with it too.

If you do, let us know your favourite part. We’d love to hear whether it was the wild horses, the scenery… or maybe that vanilla slice!

If you enjoyed this guide, don’t forget to watch our Bingara video to see these places come to life, including the cheeky horse that decided Connie was worth inspecting!

 

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