Nine must-do highlights of Broken Hill

Near Bells is the city’s most luxurious digs. Broken Hill Outback Church Stay is a restored 1911 Romanesque church with a heavenly double-height, all-white living space, limestone floors, gourmet kitchen and three master suites. For a more central, wackier stay, book the Priscilla Suite at the Palace Hotel, which starred in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (the foyer murals are a must-see). A good motel option is the freshly renovated Charles Rasp Motor Inn (Rasp was a boundary rider and prospector who struck it rich as one of the Syndicate of Seven who pegged claims for mining leases along the Line of Lode). See brokenhilloutbackchurchstay.com, thepalacehotelbrokenhill.com.au, charlesraspmotorinn.com.au

The view

Crowning the Line of Lode (the rich vein of silver, lead and zinc that Broken Hill was built upon) is a humongous mullock heap bisecting the city. The landmark is also home to the poignant Miner’s Memorial that honours the 900 miners who lost their lives here. The memorial incorporates a lookout over the city and its semi-arid surrounds. You can also take in the view from the nearby Big Bench – an oversized red park bench that makes for a fun photo.

The iconic snack

It’s a toss-up between several contenders. Oxide Street’s Ragenovich Brothers Chickens is famous for its super-crunchy, crinkle-cut hot chips dusted with chicken salt. In the takeaway shop’s fridge, you’ll find containers of cheeseslaw – a Broken Hill take on coleslaw that swaps out cabbage for grated cheese. On the Argent Street main drag, Mac’s Oven Foods can make you a cheeseslaw sanga or sell you a piping hot, slightly peppery McLeod’s pastie. Sweet tooths should swing past Sufi Bakery’s window for a sourdough almond croissant.

The gallery

Broken Hill City Art Gallery is easily one of Australia’s most atmospheric regional galleries. Housed within the 19th-century Sully’s Emporium department store building, the double-storey, timber-floored space features an ever-changing series of exhibitions that emphasise the talents of local artists (there’s a vibrant arts community here). If you don’t make it to the Pro Hart Gallery on the city’s outskirts, pay homage to Hart, one of the Brushmen of the Bush, by swinging past his Big Ant sculpture at the corner of Beryl and Bromide streets. See bhartgallery.com.au, prohart.com.au

The sunset experience

You can visit the Living Desert Sculptures – a dozen sandstone sculptures perched on a hilltop 12 kilometres from town – during the day, but smart visitors BYO drinks to toast the sunset from this magical spot. It’s also when the works, created here in 1993, glow a fiery red and look their photogenic best. See brokenhill.nsw.gov.au

The restaurant

The Old Saltbush, occupying a low-slung corner building that was formerly a pub and a Chinese restaurant, is a relative newcomer to the city’s dining scene. Chef Lee Cecchin combines bush foods with modern flair in dishes such as saltbush-dusted lamb rump and wattle-seed date pudding for dinner service four times a week. For breakfast, brunch or lunch, The Silly Goat serves the likes of corn fritters with chilli jam, huevos rancheros and chipotle chicken benedict. See theoldsaltbush.com.au

One more thing

Don’t be surprised to feel the earth move under your feet at either end of the day. Broken Hill, with a population of about 18,000 people, remains an active mining town and underground mine blasts are permitted at 6.45am and 6.45pm.

The writer’s visits were supported by Destination NSW, Qantas and the Mundi Mundi Bash.