{"id":238174,"date":"2022-05-02T18:36:14","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T08:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.australiantraveller.com\/?p=238174"},"modified":"2023-02-16T13:39:41","modified_gmt":"2023-02-16T02:39:41","slug":"new-england-where-all-the-great-road-trips-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.australiantraveller.com\/nsw\/new-england\/new-england-where-all-the-great-road-trips-lead\/","title":{"rendered":"New England High Country, where all the great road trips lead"},"content":{"rendered":"
In New England High Country, every road is a road trip to remember. No matter which route you choose, from the Waterfall Way to the Gwydir, New England and Thunderbolts Way, they are all spectacular.<\/h5>\n
\"Graphic

Every road in New England High Country leads to something to remember.<\/p><\/div>\n

Thunderbolts Way: Walcha to Inverell, 160km<\/h2>\n

A road trip along Thunderbolts Way \u2013 on two wheels or four \u2013 is the ultimate great escape. Named after Captain Thunderbolt, a charismatic bushranger who robbed many but never shot anyone, and who often used to buy his victims a round of drinks (with their own money), this is a roadie for those who like to go wild. The drive starts in the foothills of the Barrington Tops at Gloucester and winds through some of the state\u2019s most majestic wilderness between Walcha and Inverell, snaking its way along the Great Dividing Range. There are superb views at every turn, including beautiful rivers and dramatic waterfalls, but it\u2019s the charming villages along the way that really make this trip one to remember. Take a break in Walcha<\/a> at one of its motorcycle-friendly cafes or enjoy a lunch in the distillery at Kentucky or the brewery in Uralla. Pretty Bundarra is also worth a stop \u2013 the historic bridge is a great spot to see platypus in the Gwydir River. What you won\u2019t see on this trip is much traffic. The captain would approve.<\/p>\n

\"Thunderbolts

A road trip along Thunderbolts Way is the ultimate great escape. (Image: Don Fuchs; Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n

Don’t miss in Walcha<\/h3>\n

Stretch your legs in one of the largest open air art galleries in the country. There are more than 55 sculptures scattered around town and on the riverside path beside the Apsley River. Visit the easily accessible and awe-inspiring Apsley Falls in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, only a short drive east of the town.<\/p>\n

\"Open

This sculpture welcomes visitors to the town of Walcha. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n

Don’t miss in Uralla<\/h3>\n

Captain Thunderbolt might have become legendary for his ability to escape the law but there\u2019s no escaping Thunderbolt in Uralla. His grave is in the local cemetery, there\u2019s a statue of the outlaw in the main street and his rocky lookout is on the outskirts of town. Pop into the McCrossin\u2019s Mill Museum<\/a> to learn more about the famous gentleman bushranger.<\/p>\n

\"Man

Pop into the McCrossin\u2019s Mill Museum to learn more about the famous bushranger. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n

Don’t miss in Inverell<\/h3>\n

Sapphire capital of the country, Inverell is the perfect place to unearth a treasure or two. Try your luck fossicking or pop into one of the local jewellers for a ready-to-wear gem. Go back in time at Inverell Pioneer Village<\/a> and admire some of the vintage motors on show at the National Transport Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The

Go back in time at Inverell Pioneer Village. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n

New England Highway: Tenterfield to Uralla, 211km<\/h2>\n

Resist the urge to open the throttle on this road trip across the heart of the New England high country, because driving \u2013 or riding \u2013 the New England Highway<\/a> south from Tenterfield to Uralla is a true journey of discovery that deserves to be savoured rather than rushed. An Aussie version of Route 66, the friendly country towns along the way are a highlight. Spend some time exploring Tenterfield\u2019s museums, galleries and national parks.<\/p>\n

\"Scenic

Go on a scenic drive across Tenterfield. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n

South of Tenterfield you\u2019ll find Deepwater, full of beautiful historic buildings seemingly frozen in time. The Celtic heritage of Glen Innes makes it feel like Scotland but with much better weather \u2013 Stonehenge, Glencoe and Ben Lomond are just down the road. Then there\u2019s Guyra, famous for its potatoes, gracious Armidale, with its beautiful buildings and leafy parks that erupt with colour in autumn, and Uralla, with its intriguing bushranging connections.<\/p>\n

\"New

Driving \u2013 or riding \u2013 the New England Highway south from Tenterfield to Uralla is a journey that deserves to be savoured. (Image: New England Tourism)<\/p><\/div>\n

More than 1000 metres above sea level, you\u2019re cruising across a dramatic landscape where side roads and detours deliver you to yawning ravines and raging rivers that tumble over the edge of the escarpment. The countryside might be wild, but the classic country towns along the way punch way above their weight when it comes to places to see and things to eat: think New England beef and lamb, Guyra potatoes, farm-fresh stone fruit, craft beer, flavoursome gins and wonderful cool climate wines.<\/p>\n

\"Car

Visit Uralla and its intriguing bushranging connections. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n

Don’t miss in Armidale<\/h3>\n

Australia\u2019s highest city is full of surprises, including one of the greatest collections of Australian art ever given away to strangers at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM)<\/a>. Take a guided tour of Saumarez Homestead<\/a>, where nothing has changed in more than 100 years, treat yourself to a glass of bubbles at Petersons Wines<\/a>, and get an eagle-eyed view of the surrounding gorges and World Heritage-listed wilderness on a chopper joy flight.<\/p>\n

\"Interiors,

See the greatest collections of Australian art at NERAM. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n

Don’t miss in Glen Innes<\/h3>\n

Enjoy a highland fling in Celtic Country<\/a> with kilted tours, Celtic festivals, haggis and Australia\u2019s only circle of standing stones (the first to be erected outside the British Isles in the past 3000 years), and find out why they called this place the Land of the Beardies at the museum.<\/p>\n

\"Riding

Enjoy a highland fling in Glen Innes. (Image: New England Tourism)<\/p><\/div>\n

Don’t miss in Tenterfield<\/h3>\n

Birthplace of Federation, the Sir Henry Parkes Memorial School of Arts<\/a> tells the story of Australia becoming a nation, and the Tenterfield Saddler around the corner \u2013 yep, the one made famous in the song by Peter Allen \u2013 is a genuine living museum. The best-kept secret is one you can\u2019t miss because climbing Bald Rock, Australia\u2019s largest granite rock, is a guaranteed way to get a natural high.<\/p>\n

\"Steam

Explore rail history in Tenterfield. (Image: Destination NSW)<\/p><\/div>\n

Waterfall Way, Bellingen to Armidale, 156km<\/h2>\n

This classic touring route<\/a> from Bellingen, on the coast just south of Coffs Harbour, to Armidale, in the heart of New England, \u00a0is famous for its multitude of waterfalls, including Wollomombi Falls, one of the country\u2019s tallest. But it\u2019s the forests that really steal the show on this drive as New England National Park has some of the most beautiful cool temperate rainforest in NSW.<\/p>\n

\"Family

Head to Wollomombi to see one of the country\u2019s tallest waterfalls.<\/p><\/div>\n

Don\u2019t miss the beautiful short walk to Point Lookout, where on a clear day you can see all the way to the coast, some 70 kilometres away. It\u2019s not far from the village of Ebor, where you\u2019ll also find the spectacular two-tiered Ebor Falls. The teetering stacks of giant granite boulders which seem to defy gravity in nearby Cathedral Rock National Park have to be seen to be believed, and Dangars Falls in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park near Armidale is particularly impressive after rain.<\/p>\n

Gwydir Highway, Glen Innes to Inverell, 70km<\/h2>\n

If you like the road less travelled, you\u2019ll love the Gwydir. Rolling across the top of the Great Dividing Range, this historic road, built back in 1867, flies under the radar for many road trippers, which makes it relatively traffic-free compared to some of the more well-known routes. Follow the road west from the lush rainforest of Washpool National Park and the forest lookouts and riverside walks of Gibraltar Range National Park to head deep into gemstone country between Glen Innes and Inverell. If you\u2019ve got some extra time up your sleeve, continue on to Warialda or Bingara, or take a side trip south to Tingha for an authentic taste of small town Australiana. Wherever you decide to go, sit back, relax and enjoy the sweeping highland views, because this is road tripping at its finest.<\/p>\n

Get a natural high in New England High Country: newenglandhighcountry.com.au\/adventure\/drives-touring<\/a><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In New England High Country, every road is a road trip to remember. No matter which route you choose, from the Waterfall Way to the Gwydir, New England and Thunderbolts Way, they are all spectacular. Thunderbolts Way: Walcha to Inverell, 160km A road trip along Thunderbolts Way \u2013 on two wheels or four \u2013 is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":238427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"advertorial.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[5858],"tags":[7245,7222,7241,1513,4394,7148,5515,4628,5911],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNew England High Country, where all the great road trips lead - Australian Traveller<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From the Waterfall Way to the Gwydir, New England and Thunderbolts Way, every road is a road trip to remember in New England High Country.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.australiantraveller.com\/nsw\/new-england\/new-england-where-all-the-great-road-trips-lead\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New England High Country, where all the great road trips lead - 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