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Kamilaroi Contrasts.

Details

Open leg route
879.2KM / 546.3MI (Est. travel time 11 hours)

Take a journey of contrasts along the historic Kamilaroi Highway. Enjoy a road trip of differing colours, cultures, history, landscapes and Aboriginal heritage through Outback NSW.

Absorb the vibrant, contrasting colours of the seasons and crops as you drive through some of the richest agricultural land in Australia – the Liverpool Plains. A summer drive in the Quirindi and Tambar Springs districts can reveal hectares of sunflowers greeting the sun’s morning rays while further west around Australia’s Cotton Capital, Wee Waa and nearby Narrabri, are vast paddocks of snow-white cotton ready for picking.

Throughout the Kamilaroi land, you’ll discover the timeless Dreamtime history of the traditional land owners contrasting with the more recent European settlement.

Admire the majestic sweeping plains of Wee Waa and Pilliga to the rugged mountain ranges at Narrabri’s Kaputar National Park and Willow Tree, and understand what inspired poet Dorothea Mackellar to write My Country.

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Day 1: Willow Tree
Begin in Willow Tree, a charming small town in the Liverpool Plains.
Liverpool Plains Visitor Information Centre
Visit the Liverpool Plains Visitor Information Centre, where you will find 'Kamilaroi Highway, A People'.
Willow Tree Inn
Enjoy lunch at Graze at Willow Tree Inn, renowned for its award winning Colly Creek steaks.
Drive – 19KM
Drive 18km to Wallabadah
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Day 1: Wallabadah
Take a detour off the highway to the small town of Wallabadah.
First and Second Fleet Memorial Garden
The Memorial Garden pays tribute to the travellers on the first fleet to Australia, from Portsmouth.
Drive – 16KM
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Day 1: Quirindi
Head back toward the Kamilaroi Highway to the town of Quirindi.
Who'D A Thought It Lookout
Located on Who'd-A-Thought-It Hill, 508m above sea level.
Bob's Shed
Half-way to the The Who’d A Thought It Lookout, you will find Bob’s Shed.
Drive – 19KM
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Day 1: Werris Creek
Discover NSW's historic railway town, Werris Creek.
Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum
Learn about “the town that never slept” at the Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum.
Drive – 96KM
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Day 1: Tambar Springs
Cross the Kamilaroi Highway and end your day in Tambar Springs.
Tambar Springs War Memorial
Made of Italian marble, the memorial was erected in December 1918, a month after the end of World War I.
Diprotodon Drive - Tambar Springs
In 1987 a local Tambar Springs farmer, Louise Friss, discovered the remains of a 'Diprotodon Optatum'.
John Oxley Monument
The John Oxley Monument pays tribute to the great British explorer.
Royal Hotel
Spend the night at the Royal Hotel. Built in the early 1900s nestled on the side of Tambar Mountain with views of the plains.
Drive – 67KM
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Day 2: Gunnedah
Wake up early and drive to Gunnedah.
Gunnedah Visitor Information Centre
Located on Chandos Street in the Cultural Precinct.
Poets Precinct
Poets Precinct pays tribute to poet Dorothea Mackellar, who penned the much loved poem ‘My Country’.
Heritage Sculptures at Pensioners Hill Lookout
Illustrating aspects of Gunnedah's rich cultural heritage, four stones depict a coal miner, pioneer women, agriculture and the Red Chief.
Gunnedah Rural Museum
The Gunnedah Rural Museum has one of Australia’s largest collections of early agriculture and transport memorabilia.
Drive – 39KM
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Day 2: Boggabri
Drive along the Kamilaroi Highway to the rural town of Boggabri.
The Tractor Shed
The Boggabri Tractor Shed is a community operated display of tractors and machinery.
Gin's Leap
Located five kilometres outside of Boggabri, Gin’s Leap is a stunning sheer rock face.
Drive – 57KM
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Day 2: Narrabri
local government area in New South Wales, Australia
Narrabri Region Visitor Information Centre
Head to the Narrabri Region Visitor Information Centre to find out more about Narrabri, and get walking guides, maps and more.
Sawn Rocks Picnic Area
The Sawn Rocks are a stunning rock formation that look like giant organ pipes.
Drive – 2KM
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Day 3: Narrabri
Continue exploring the exciting attractions of Narrabri.
Narrabri Old Gaol and Museum
Located in the centre of town, and part of a complex of colonial government buildings.
CSIRO Australia Telescope Narrabri
Marvel at six 22m antennas weighing 270 tonnes each, 25km west of Narrabri.
Drive – 34KM
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Day 3: Wee Waa
Visit the cotton capital of Australia.
Tulladunna Aboriginal Reserve
The Tulladunna Reserve is home to a number of cultural sites including a Bora Ring, Scarred Trees and burial sites.
Drive – 59KM
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Day 4: Pilliga
Enjoy the beauty of Pilliga Forests and relax in the town's artesian bore baths.
Pilliga Artesian Bore Baths
Relax in the naturally heated thermal waters of the Pilliga Artesian Bore Baths.
Drive – 39KM
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Day 4: Burren Junction
Make a stop in the small town of Burren Junction.
Burren Junction Bore Baths and Camp Ground
Containing naturally heated water from the Great Artesian Basin.
Drive – 93KM
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Day 4: Walgett
Spend the night in the Outback town of Walgett.
Norman Tracker Walford Walkway
The Tracker Walford Walkway extends for 1.5 kilometres along the beautiful Namoi to the cattle crossing.
Walgett Artesian Bore Baths
With a temperature of 41.5 degrees, the naturally heated Walgett Bore Baths is a great spot for a long soak.
Walgett Historical Society
Stop into the original Walgett Shire Building, built in 1913 which is home to the Walgett Historical Society.
Drive – 78KM
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Day 5: Lightning Ridge
Spend two days in the exciting outback town of Lightning Ridge.
Australian Opal Centre
Marvel at the world’s largest public collection of opalised fossils from the age of Dinosaurs at the Australian Opal ...
Car Door Tours
Take a self-drive tour out on the Opal Fields.
Lightning Ridge Bore Baths
The water found in the Bore Baths at Lightning Ridge comes from the Great Artesian Basin and is approximately two million years old!
Drive – 1KM
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Day 6: Lightning Ridge
Continue exploring the exciting attractions of Lightning Ridge.
Chambers of the Black Hand
Ron Canlin has created an amazing art gallery at Chambers of the Black Hand. The first level is 11 metres underground with images carved and
John Murray Art Gallery
The contrasting landscapes of the Australian Outback are portrayed in photo realistic detail at John Murray Art Gallery in Opal Street.
Drive – 163KM
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Day 7: Brewarrina
Located alongside the Barwon river, the Outback town of Brewarrina has a fascinating Aboriginal heritage.
Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps Guided Tour
An elaborate network of rock weirs and pools called the Ngunnhu.
Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum
The Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum tells Australia’s indigenous history.
The Historic Barwon Bridge
Situated next to the Barwon River Bridge, The Historic Barwon Bridge is one of two remaining lift-span bridges in NSW.
Four Mile Camping Reserve
The Four Mile reserve is a popular camping site along the Barwon River.
Fishing
Brewarrina is known as the ‘Fishing Capital of the West’ and fishing enthusiasts from all over Australia travel to th...
Drive – 97KM
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Day 8: Bourke
End your road trip in the exciting outback town of Bourke.
Bourke's Historic Cemetery
Bourke cemetery is a true window to the past and was the setting for two of Australia's most famous funerals.
Historical Crossley Engine
The Crossley Engine in Bourke is an oil-fuelled stationary engine manufactured by the Crossley Brothers in 1923.
Back O' Bourke Information and Exhibition Centre
Experience a journey through life in the backcountry.
North Bourke Bridge
North Bourke Bridge is Australia's oldest movable span bridge and one of the most historic bridges in New South Wales.
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