Even by the standards of outback Australia, Tibooburra is remote.

Very remote. Its largest neighbour, Broken Hill, is a five-hour drive away. From Sydney to Tibooburra is a 1,504 km drive, door to door.

Tibooburra belongs not so much to one State but the whole of mainland Australia. Indeed, at Cameron Corner (its nearest neighbour),145 km away, you can stand on the intersection of three states: South Australia, NSW and Queensland.

This is the location of the world's longest fence. The famous 'dog fence' runs for 5,000 km along the South Australian and NSW border. Built to stop the spread of rabbits, it now keeps dingoes away from NSW sheep-grazing areas.

Tibooburra - an Aboriginal word meaning 'rocks' or 'heap of boulders' - is known as the hottest place in Australia and makes frequent appearances on weather bulletins. Its stark landscape of claypans, sand dunes and granite outcrops draws visitors from around the world.

But despite Tibooburra's growing popularity, accommodation in the town is extremely limited. There is only one motel and just two hotels (the Family and the Tibooburra) - look no further for some entertaining local characters and stories.

The National Parks & Wildlife Service in Tibooburra can provide you with useful information on self-drive tours to Cameron Corner, Bourke or Broken Hill.

A long history

Because of its frontier location and pioneering history, Tibooburra has a special resonance for Europeans, but its connection with the Aboriginal people has a much longer ancestry.

For 25,000 years the Wangkumara and Maljangapa groups roamed through this area. Aboriginal middens, quarries, camp sites, ceremonial sites, tool production sites and scarred trees are scattered throughout the area.

The first European to come here was Charles Sturt in 1845. Sturt was attempting to find Australia's fabled inland sea - so confident was he, he even took a boat with him. Sturt was stranded at Depot Glen, but did explore a vast stretch of the corner country.

Other explorers followed. Burke and Wills passed through here on their way from Menindee to the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1860, but the area's low rainfall (it averages only 200 mm per annum) dissuaded graziers and pastoralists from settling here until the early 1880s.

The town, originally known as The Granite or Granite Rush, really came into existence with the discovery of gold at Mt Browne and then Tibooburra itself in 1881.

Many of the old stone buildings from that era still remain, but most visitors will be drawn to the Family Hotel (renowned for its Clifton Pugh mural), the town's large School of the Air, and the surrounding landscape. Tibooburra is also a convenient base from which to explore Sturt National Park.

For those keen to learn more about the region's Aboriginal heritage, visit Mutawintji National Park (210km south of Tibooburra, almost halfway to Broken Hill).

The park has a number of galleries of ancient rock art. A tour with an Aboriginal guide is highly recommended - as is a visit to the Mutawintji Cultural Resource Centre. There is good camping available nearby.

Keen walkers can follow the trail to Wright's Cave, or take a longer excursion to Old Mootwingee Gorge, a swimming hole surrounded by high red cliffs.

In recognition of its special significance to the Malyankapa and Pandjikali people, the park was returned to traditional owners some years ago. Because of this arrangement, visitors can now view rock art dating back 8,000 years.

Touring outback NSW is not without its hazards, especially in summer. Many of the roads are still unsealed. Passing cars can be few and far between. Even if you don't intend going offroad, make sure your vehicle is well-maintained. Always carry extra food, water and fuel and keep an eye on weather conditions.

NSW National Parks can be closed at times of bushfire and bushfire danger. It is advisable to check with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service before you set off. Either phone 1300 361 967 (within NSW) or (02) 9253 4600 or visit NSW National Parks.