Hay Plains | One of The Flattest and Most Expansive Landscapes In The World

Australia is known for its dramatic landscapes, mountains, coastlines and rainforests, yet there’s a place in the Riverina which offers something much rarer.

A place with vast, horizon-stretching landscapes, where the road runs straight, the sky feels endless and space becomes the main attraction.

Here, the colours deepen, senses sharpen, and time slows to the natural rhythm of the land.

Some call it the middle of nowhere, but we call it the gateway to everywhere.

Welcome to the Hay Plains

Centred around the historic township of Hay, just five hours from Melbourne and Canberra, and a little over seven hours from Adelaide or Sydney, the Hay Plains sit on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River at the crossroads of key touring routes linking New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

This iconic stretch of country is defined by vast horizons, wide-open roads and a sense of space that’s hard to find anywhere else in Australia.

What To Do In The Hay Plains

Famous for its uninterrupted sunsets and endless skies, the Hay Plains are a favourite among campers, caravanners and road trippers keen to uncover stories of Australia’s great outback. Whether you’re travelling between capital cities or exploring the western edge of the Riverina, Hay offers a

Uncover the history

Long before it became the heart of the Hay Plains, Hay was known as Lang’s Crossing Place. A vital river crossing on the Murrumbidgee and a natural meeting point for drovers, traders and travellers moving stock and supplies across the region. Its strategic (and isolated) location shape Hay’s rich history, deeply tied to land, labour and resilience.

First stop: Shear Outback. This isn’t some dusty museum; it’s the home of the Australian Shearers Hall of Fame, where loud, live shearing demos and working dogs bring the region's intense agricultural story to life.

From here, stop into the nearby Hay Gaol Museum and the Dunera Museum to discover the stories from WWII, including the many German, Austrian, Italian and Japanese men who were detained at the local POW camps.

If you’re interested in Australian architecture and design, Bishop’s Lodge Historic House and Heritage Garden is a must-see. Constructed by iron and designed to withstand Hay’s extreme summer heat and difficult soils, the building features a range of innovative design elements, significant for its time, including sawdust insulation and raised ventilation ridges, making it one of the earliest examples of climate-responsive architecture in the region.

Get LOST & WANDER

Ditch the driving for a while and get outdoors. By foot, discover the heritage streets in town and chat to locals in the boutiques, cafes and storefronts, before dropping into the Visitor Information Centre and hiring a bike. The town has dedicated bike paths linking all major attractions, including the famous Hay Water Tower Art, a skills track and the Bidgee Riverside Walk making it even easier to explore.

Pro-Tip: Fancy a true outback detour? The nearby town of Maude is only a short drive away and a prime spot for catching some yellow belly, redfin, or Murray cod.

Take a dip in the Murrumbidgee

When the plains heat up (and they will), the Murrumbidgee River is your cool escape. Head to a shaded spot for a BBQ or picnic, or better yet, get a kayak on the water and/or go fishing. With boat ramp access at Sandy Point Beach, Murrumbidgee Vally Regional Reserve and Soap Works Bend, easy parking, plenty of camping, and even dedicated riverside walking and cycling tracks to cool down along the water’s edge, it’s one of the best ways to enjoy the 327 sunny days of the year.

Experience a cinematic sunset & stargaze like nowhere else

As afternoon fades, find an open stretch of road and settle in for sunset. The Hay Plains deliver legendary, cinematic skies; think fire-orange bleeding into soft pink and hues of purple, with silhouettes stretching endlessly across the flat horizon. Artists and poets have tried to capture the beauty of these sunsets for centuries, but have to see it to believe its magic.

Once night falls, stay put. With almost no light pollution, the stargazing here is exceptional, offering uninterrupted, crystalline views of the Milky Way and a sky that makes you feel deliciously small.

Take the Long Way (it’s worth it)

Looking for a new track to explore the outback? This might just be it.

Positioned at the crossroads of some of regional Australia’s great touring routes, the Hay Plains invite travellers into a landscape of wide-open roads, historic towns and stories etched into every kilometre.

The Long Paddock

Once an old stock route used by drovers, The Long Paddock is a web of tracks and trails, well-loved by campers and caravaners, that’s anything but ordinary.

Also known as the Cobb Highway, the scenic drive stretches more than 610 kilometres, from the riverbanks of Echuca on the VIC border, through the wide open plains of Hay in the Riverina (renowned as one of the flattest places in the Southern Hemisphere), and finishing up in the state's northwest at Wilcannia.

A gateway to Australia’s breathtaking beauty, rich history and birth of its true-Aussie character, the scenic 3-5 day drive features sculptural trails, bird watching sites, and plenty of character-filled towns to stop in at along the way including Echuca, Moama, Mathoura, Deniliquin, Pretty Pine, Wanganella, Booroorban, Hay, Booligal, Ivanhoe and Wilcannia.

An easy self-paced drive, make sure you keep an eye out for the interactive panels along the way for all your stock route insights and old drovers tales.

Weaving a tapestry of history, this is one of those driving routes you just have to add to your Australian Bucket List.

Discover Hay: More Than Just A Stop Over