Mungo National Park

No other national park in the Outback is comparable to Mungo National Park &mdash; not even Uluru. The dunes of the Walls of China, archeological discoveries and fossil sites all make Mungo National Park unique. Located in the Lower Darling region of Outback in New South Wales, the park is part of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, a mixed UNESCO site and one of only four in Australia. It's the site where some of the world's second oldest remains of modern human bodies outside Africa – Mungo Lady and Mungo Man – were discovered, making this place both naturally and culturally significant.

Lake Mungo is now just a dried-out salt lake that makes the soil alkaline, but it remained a freshwater lake until the last Ice Age. The current alkalinity of the soil has helped to preserve the unique formations, including the Walls of China, giving the park its extraordinary, impressive look.

Understand
The park is named after the lake that once occupied the region (which was named after St. Mungo from Glasgow, Scotland) but dried out after the last ice age. There are two main parts of the park you should know about.
 * The western side contains the visitor centre and most of the facilities. Apart from one campground, all accommodation is on this side.
 * The eastern side is where you can find most of the views of the Walls of China. While they can somewhat be seen on the western side, the eastern side is a much better spot to see and photograph the walls because it is where the walls are located; hence, two of the three lookouts are on the eastern side.

History
Evidence suggests that humans have lived in this region for at least 42,000 years; Mungo Man and Mungo Lady are at least 30,000–40,000 years old, making this area home to the world's second oldest modern human remains outside Africa (the oldest is in Laos). Because of this, the entire Willandra Lakes Region was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on September 9, 1983. It was these remains that pushed back the time to when Indigenous Australians arrived from Southeast Asia from 45,000 to 65,000.

Mungo Man was a well-respected Indigenous elder, and he was buried in ochre around the age of 50. Mungo Lady was only in her late teens. She was cremated, though the reason is unknown; she might have had some disease, but that theory is unproven and remains the world's oldest known cremated body.

The park was acquired for the Australian National Reserve System in 1979 by the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, which raised the $101,000 required to purchase the property. The foundation also funded a resident archeologist to work on the site from 1979 to 1983. With funds donated by Dick Smith, the foundation established the Mungo Visitor Centre and Laboratory in 1983. With further sponsorship from BHP (an Australian mining company), the foundation implemented Mungo National Park's 70-km guided vehicle drive in 1990. In 2010, the foundation put together a prospectus to create a new centre at Mungo for education and research.

Lake Mungo (or Mungo Lake), the main lake in the park, is now dry. Sediments have been deposited here for over 120,000 years to form what's now known as the Walls of China were particularly prominent in the several thousand years after the lake dried up. However, European colonisation introduced sheep and rabbits that destroyed much of the vegetation that protected the sediments from erosion; the flip side is that the discovery of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady can be attributed to European settlement.

While it may disappoint some, the bodies of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady cannot be visited by the public. Mungo Lady was returned to traditional lands in 1992, while Mungo Man was returned much later in 2018, but before 2018, he remained at the Australian National University for research purposes. In 2022, both Mungo Man and Mungo Lady were buried in an unknown location. However, this was done without the approval of the Indigenous elders, putting the Department of Agriculture, Water, and Environment under scrutiny.

Management
Today, the park is jointly managed by the New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Services along with the elders of three indigenous groups (the Ngyiampaa, Mutthi Mutthi, and Southern Paakantyi people) as part of a joint management program.

Landscape
The park's central point of interest, Lake Mungo, is the second largest of all ancient dry lakes, and the park has been noted for its archaeological remains. Mungo Man's remains, the oldest human remains discovered in Australia, and Mungo Lady, the oldest known human to have been ritually cremated, were found in the park. Both were buried on the shore of Lake Mungo, beneath the Walls of China, a series of lunettes on the southeastern edge of the lake. Apart from the lake, much of it is just a flat dry grassy area with the typical outback landscape.

Flora and fauna
Twenty species of mammals have been recorded, of which bats are the most diverse group. Around 40 species of reptiles and amphibians and 137 recorded species of birdlife, including parrots, cockatoos, and finches, inhabit the park.

However, the most common wildlife you'll see are kangaroos and emus. It is not uncommon during a hot day, particularly in summer, to see a kangaroo or some other wildlife hide out or try to take shelter. Sometimes they suddenly cross the path you're walking on. You may also see echidnas, although you may have to search for them.

While you may have heard stereotypes about some of these animals being deadly or scary, there's nothing to worry about. The wildlife won't harm you – the emus, kangaroos, and snakes will only threaten you if they feel threatened. Leave them alone, and you'll be just fine.

Climate
Most of the park's climate is hot or warm year-round. However, temperatures can plummet to freezing during the night, particularly in the colder months of winter. Generally, the best time to visit the park is during the autumn months of March to May or the spring months of August to November.

However, this does vary by location, and some places, such as Lake Mungo, are colder than other places in the park. Away from the lake, the climate mostly depends on altitude, although most of the park is very low (around 60-100 m in elevation).

As the park is mostly desert with little shelter, a sunhat, sunscreen and plenty of drinking water are essential for most of the year. Additionally, if you are coming here in the winter months, bring a jacket with you, as the wind is much stronger here than in the coastal areas. The same applies if you're coming here to camp from autumn to spring, while layers would be appropriate between May and August at night.

It rarely rains – when it does, it's only a slight drizzle. On the rare occasion of heavy rain, the roads to the park are closed. Dust storms sometimes occur during the summer months and can cause problems with road visibility. However, these are not very common.

Visitor information


Alternatively, if you're looking to get park information before visiting the park, try contacting the National Parks and Wildlife Service's office at 4 Melaleuca Street, Buronga by either calling, emailing npws.lowerdarling@environment.nsw.gov.au@undefined, or the less popular option of visiting in person. The office is open M–F June 29, 2024.

For up-to-date information on the park, such as road closures, weather impacts, or anything related to the park, check the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service page.

Get in
The first thing you need to understand is that Mungo National Park is far from all the big cities. The park is west of Sydney,  north of Melbourne and  east of Adelaide. For normal road trippers that are used to driving long distances on normal roads, remember that getting into Mungo also requires you to go on unpaved/unsealed roads.

The park may close within a few days' notice, so check the alerts section of the park website before departing. Sometimes that can even be 24 hours.

By car
Like most national parks in New South Wales, Mungo National Park can only be independently accessed by car. Finding tour guides to this park is not a walk in the park, so if you choose to not drive, you'll need to plan well ahead for a tour guide to take you. If you don't have a car but are willing to drive, the nearest rental cars can be found across the Victorian border in Mildura, a reasonably-sized city away. It's important to check that your rental car company allows you to drive on gravel roads as you will have to drive on a gravel road for most of your journey.

From Mildura and Wentworth, the park often takes about two hours via Arumpo Rd, which is unsealed. The road can close at any time, particularly after rain which means you could be stuck for days – although it doesn't rain much in the area anyway and it is not a huge concern.

There is another road via Balranald although the quality of the road surface is very poor with loose stones, and the route is longer at.

There's a third route via Euston, with very similar conditions as the road from Balranald, and is. However, very few use this road and it is not well maintained as the other two.

By plane
The closest airport with regularly-scheduled flights is Mildura Airport, with regular flights by Regional Express (Rex) from Melbourne, Adelaide, and Broken Hill, and Qantas from Melbourne and Sydney. There are rental cars available from Mildura along with some tours (see &sect; Without a car).

Without a car
Some companies run tours to Mungo National Park.

Discover Mildura has day trips at around $175 per person, departing from Mildura, and includes a package to most of the highlights in the park, however, it does not cover the loop tour, for which you will need to bring your car.

Another company, Mungo Guided Tours also has day tours from Mildura, but at a lower cost of $129 per person in a minibus. This one includes a package to most of the highlights in the park, including to some places that are restricted and cannot be accessed otherwise such as the top of the Walls of China.

If you aren't comfortable driving, it may be better to take a tour. You don't miss much, and you don't have anything much to stress about.

Fees and permits
Mungo National Park levies a fee of $8 per vehicle per day. Camping fees apply in the park on top of these, at $5 per adult and $3 per child. Payments can be made at a box next to the visitor centre.

NSW Parks passes are valid in the park and provide unlimited access to the park for a year or two years. The passes provide faster entry and are valid for 12/24 months from the date of purchase. The fees per vehicle (as of 2023) are as follows:
 * All Parks Pass – access to all parks in New South Wales, including Kosciuszko National Park ($190 for one year, $335 for two years)
 * Multi Park Pass – access to all parks in New South Wales, excluding Kosciuszko National Park ($65 for one year, $115 for two years)
 * Country Parks Pass – access to all parks in Country New South Wales, excluding Kosciuszko National Park ($45 for one year, $75 for two years)

There is also a fourth pass: the Single Park Pass, worth $22 for one year and $40 for two. This is if you want to revisit this park several times; to pay the fees off, you'll need to visit Mungo NP at least three times for one year and five times for two years.

Get around
Much of the park is best explored by car, simply because the heat may tire you out and the distances are easily underestimated. There are good roads in this park, which despite being unsealed do the job just fine in getting you around places. On some maps, roads crossing Lake Mungo look as though you'll be driving through water, but rest assured – the lake dried up several thousand years ago.

Getting around by mountain bike is also possible. There is one trail specifically for MTBs, but nearly all tracks in the park can cope with bikes. However, there's no rental shop in the park, so you will need to bring a bike with you.

There are numerous walking trails in the park, suitable for different fitness levels. On the other hand don't ever think about walking the 70-km (43-mi) loop, which is only designed for drivers.

Deviating off marked tracks and trails by car is not allowed in the park. However, there are no such restrictions when walking, and at times, this is the only way to get between places.

See
Much of Mungo National Park's charm can be experienced via its lookouts, each a beauty in its own right.

By far the most iconic feature of the park is the Walls of China, the last remains of the erosions of the dry Lake Mungo. You can spend hours just admiring their beauty, as each part of the Walls offers new and interesting views. These can be seen at a distance from various lookouts in the park, but the only way to see them up close is to go on a guided tour; see the "Do" section below.

However, it'd be a shame to think the lookouts and the Walls were the only highlights of the park since the historic sites such as Mungo Woolshed and the Zanci Homestead are also significant.

Lookouts




Do
Much of what can be done in Mungo National Park lies within its trails, just like any other national park in New South Wales. However, Mungo National Park holds a bit more than that, because of its self-guided drive tour, and its vast photographing opportunities.

Walls of China
The only way to see the walls up close is to go on a guided tour.



Private operators also run full-day and evening tours:



Mungo loop track
Also called the Mungo self-guided drive tour (coloured in red on the map), this 70-km (43-mi) drive loop is known by most people living in Outback NSW, and is a must for anyone visiting the park. Starting at the visitor centre, the route heads anticlockwise and covers most of Mungo's highlights, and takes 2 hr non-stop or up to 3 hr if you stop along the way. None of the roads are paved/sealed, so you'll require much more than a two-wheel drive.

Some campgrounds and walks are only accessible via this loop track such as the Walls of China viewing platform, the Red Top lookout, or Belah campground.

Watch out for emus and kangaroos, which are known for regularly crossing the track. Take extreme care at night. There may be some sections that do not have any signposted limit, but if not, assume it's safe to go around but drive to the conditions.

The first 10 km of the track is a fairly simple and easy drive, and although you're still travelling on gravel roads, there are fewer bumps. There are no points of interest in this section, but after the 10 km, you arrive at the Walls of China viewing platform, the first stop along the drive and perhaps one of the most important ones. You can get somewhat close to the dunes and learn about how they formed. To visit the Walls up close, you will need to come here on a tour.

After another 6 km, you arrive at the partially-elevated Red Top lookout and boardwalk, which allows you to get close to the Walls of China dunes from a completely different angle. Exploring this boardwalk can take as little as five minutes, though you may like to stay here and admire the dunes for much longer.

From this point onwards, the road becomes exclusively one way, and so if you'd like to head back, Red Top lookout is your final point. Otherwise, you will have to do another hour of driving.

The next 10 km of road are fairly straight and there's not much to see or do along that bit. After that, you will arrive at the Mallee Stop walking track, a short and quick 1-km walk that should take you no more than 45 minutes.

Not long after the walk, you pass Belah campground, the only campground along the self-guided drive tour. To rest your head there, bookings are required, see Sleep for more.

After the campground, the drive winds all around for another 30 km, but with no walking trails or lookouts until the end of the route. Once you're at the end of the route, the nearest carpark is at the visitor centre, where you will have finished the loop.

Bushwalking trails
There are several bushwalking trails in the park. Out of the three trails, the Foreshore walk and the Mallee Stop walking track are rated as a Grade 3 on the Australian Walking Track Grading System, while Grasslands Nature trail is rated as a Grade 2. There are no Grade 4 and 5 trails.

Foreshore walk
The Foreshore walk (coloured aqua and purple on the map) is a 2.5-km (1.6-mi) loop mainly coving the western ends of Lake Mungo. It should take between 45 and 75 min to do. It's got the typical outback scene but not much of a view of the Walls of China.

The walk is fairly easygoing, although it's not wheelchair friendly. Make sure to bring some bottles of water with you, as you can quickly get dehydrated on this track – all year round, but particularly in the summer months.

Grasslands Nature trail
The Grasslands Nature trail (coloured orange on the map) is a 1.2-km (0.75-mi) loop, passing through the grassy areas of the park as the name of the trail suggests. Taking about 15 to 45 min to do, it's quite a popular sunset walk for those who are camping near Main campground to finish off the day. Much of it is wheelchair friendly, and it is also where a lot of the wildlife comes for grass, so for any photography enthusiast, this is one fine location.

Mallee Stop walking track
The Mallee Stop walking track (coloured in blue) is another short quick walking trail along the self-drive tour, and is only a mere walking track and should take 15 minutes at best, and 45 minutes to walk at worst. The trail passes through one of the few grassy areas of the park.

Zanci Pastoral Loop
Zanci Pastoral Loop (coloured purple and green on the map) is a cycle path, and takes about 1.5 hours to do. As the name of the trail suggests, it passes the historic Zanci Homestead site, so if you do have the chance to stop and visit the site, it's well worth the visit.

The path can be walked, but do remember that 10 kilometres in summer can sometimes burn you out. There are no rental bikes available at the park either, so you'll need to bring a bike along with you.

Photography
The park offers any photographic enthusiast some views seen nowhere else, due to its incredible landscape with different colours and textures. Wildlife photography is a thing in the park, but there's not so much unique wildlife here apart from the typical Australian wildlife that would generally be found elsewhere.

If you want to do some commercial photography in the park (i.e. for sale, hire/rent, or profit), you'll need a licence. Full, up-to-date details of licensing can be found at the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment website, including on applying for a licence. However, there are no issues with photography for personal, non-commercial use.

Buy
The visitor centre has some books and other small souvenirs to buy in the park, but apart from that, there's nothing to buy. The nearest shops are in either Buronga or Mildura. This is also where the closest service station (gas station) is, and so if you need fuel or anything, that's where you'd need to go.

Eat
There is only one restaurant in the entire area, a kilometre west of the park. Otherwise, you will need to bring your food. The food here is likely to be about much more expensive than the food you'll typically get in the capitals of either Sydney or Adelaide and much more than Melbourne, but that should be no surprise given the sheer isolation of this park.

Drink
There are no bars, pubs or anything like that. The only cafe is at the Mungo Bar and Bistro (listed under eat). Tap water in the park is best avoided, and it's hard to filter the water in the outback, hence why bringing bottled water is a must. Although water is sold at the bistro, and the chances of running out of stock are unlikely, it's still good to be prepared though.

Sleep
Unlike other parks, Mungo National Park has fewer options when picking a place to rest your head. There are two lodging sites, one in the park, which is slightly less expensive but cannot accommodate much, while the other is a kilometre out west, but has more options and more availability. Camping can only be done in certain designated areas of the park; there are only two camping sites – bookings must be made on the NSW Parks website. If all those options are unavailable, you can visit the park on a day trip or two across the border from Mildura, which has many more options.

As with every national park in New South Wales, there are basic cooking facilities. If you want more than just basic cooking facilities, only the lodging sites have them.

Camping
There are two campgrounds in the park, both quite some distance from each other. Remember that camping fees apply and should be paid off at the visitor centre; $5 per adult and $3 per child (see the &sect; Fees and permits section for more about camping fees). Bookings must be made online.

Backcountry
Backcountry camping in Mungo National Park isn't possible since camping anywhere in the park can only be done at the two designated camping sites.

Respect
Unlike most other parks in Australia, for anything to happen in Mungo National Park, permission needs to be granted by the indigenous elders. And yes, it means everything, including small minor things like repairing a footpath (sidewalk or pavement). What may seem appropriate elsewhere may not be in Mungo National Park.

The subject of Jim Bowler, the geologist who found Mungo Man and numerous other bodies in the park can be a controversial one. Avoid bringing it up when with the indigenous elders.

Stay safe
This park is in a really isolated location and by today's standards, much of the park would be considered "unlivable" – so be sure to let someone know when coming to this park. Additionally, the only place there's mobile coverage is a small section in the southwestern areas of the park, and only via Telstra; Optus and Vodafone don't have coverage at all. If you happen to use Optus or Vodafone, there is free Wi-Fi in the visitor centre if needed.

The nearest service station from Mungo National Park is over away in Mildura or Buronga. Make sure you fill up before coming to this park. Also make sure that your tyres are pumped up, and that applies to your spare tyres too.

Make sure to drink lots of water, and stay hydrated. It get's really hot here, and it's easy to underestimate the heat. If you have an esky, be sure to bring it, along with at least three bottles of water. If you didn't bring water or forgot to bring water, you can buy one at Mungo Bar and Bistro.

And something a lot less concerning, remember that if you are calling anywhere from a landline number in New South Wales, make sure to put in a "03" before the number, as the park does not use "02" or "08" like most other parts of the state.

Go next
But for more parks in the Outback, they include:
 * The only way you can go, is to head back to head back to civilization to
 * – a park not too far north, known for its lakes near the Darling River
 * – a somewhat canyon like park
 * – the northwestern-most point in New South Wales
 * Mallee Cliffs National Park is also quite a park, but it's now only open for research and education purposes, and can no longer be visited for recreational travel
 * On the other side of the border, there's Murray Sunset National Park, but whether Victoria is in the outback or not is up to you to decide

Otherwise, Mungo National Park sits somewhat between the three state capitals of Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne and driving only takes a day while other cities in New South Wales such as Wagga Wagga and Broken Hill only take about half a day's drive.

However, for a shorter journey, the other dried-up lakes north of the park are also well worth a visit, especially since you've travelled this far. However, as most of the other lakes would require you to drive on the Mungo loop track again, and as most of the track is one-way, you will have to redo the loop if you happened to already drive the loop when exploring the park.