Most travellers arrive in Wilcannia by road along the Barrier Highway, a surfaced and well-used highway. Broken Hill is a couple of hours' drive west, and Cobar is a couple of hours' east.
A slightly more adventurous route is from the south, along the Cobb Highway. The Cobb is named for the Cobb & Co stagecoach service that travelled along the same general route in the 1800s, but it doesn't really warrant the name "highway", as it's unsealed most of the way to the tiny rail town of Ivanhoe, though sealed beyond that down to Hay. This road runs through some beautiful and bleak country, and passes through the surprising Manara Hills. The old telegraph line is still visible in places by the road, and it's likely that you won't see any other vehicles on the road at all.
It's also possible to approach Wilcannia from Bourke, to the north, along the back roads that parallel the Darling River. This route is completely unsealed and is even more isolated than the Cobb Highway. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is a good idea.
Many local roads are unsealed gravel only and can be hazardous or impassable after wet weather / flooding. Tel 08 8091 5155 for an up-to-date road condition report.
