One thing we absolutely love about travelling is finding awesome, out-of-the-way towns to visit. After staying for a few nights in Mudgee, it was time to start making our way back towards the Gold Coast. We headed northeast until we hit the New England Highway at Scone and then started on our way north. But instead of staying on the highway, we veered off to explore a few little towns along the way. And we’re glad we did, as we found these 7 towns to visit in North West NSW.
MURRURUNDI
Our first overnight stop was the small town of Murrundi, which is about 40 kilometres north of Scone. Here we decided to spend the night at the local sports ground, which permits free camping.
We couldn’t resist heading into town and having a couple of beers at the historic White Hart Hotel. The hotel’s original section, now the dining room, was built in 1842. It is a big pub with a great beer garden that overlooks a lovely green grass area. It was a gorgeous spot to end the day.
Murrurundi is an historic little town so there is lots else to see. It also has links to our bush rangers – namely Ben Hall. Check out Rosebank House, St Josephs Catholic Church and Settlers Cottage or take a drive out of town to Wallabadah Rock. Wallabadah Rock is supposedly the largest monolith after Uluru.
WILLOW TREE
We first stopped in Willow Tree to watch a coal train pull into the station. We had travelled alongside the train track for most of the trip from Murrurundi, with an empty coal train racing alongside us. It wasn’t long before a loaded train pulled into the station and stopped for a while. We stood and watched it as it built up engine pressure to get going again. It must have been pulling at least a hundred coal trucks behind it, so it took a while.
Just in front of the rail line is the Liverpool Plains Visitor Information Centre, which includes a display of the area. Next door was a lovely park, with a small playground and clean toilets. Across the road from the park stands the Willow Tree Inn, which was built in 1913. It has been fully renovated in recent years and is home to the award-winning Graze restaurant, as well as providing accommodation. Shame it was a little too early in the day for a visit!
Across the road, I found a couple of lovely shops to wander through. One of these is the Little Willow Lavender pop-up Shop, which has the most amazing array of lavender products. Next door was a small craft shop and a little further down the road was a gorgeous home wares, clothing and gift shop. Called La Chikky Cottage, it is set up in an old weatherboard cottage, each room is beautifully set out. As a bonus they also have coffee and food available, and I can, of course, recommend the coffee!
QUIRINDI
Our next stop was at the quaint little town of Quirindi. I spotted a sign for the Who’d A Thought It Lookout as we were coming into town. We weren’t sure if we could get up there with the van on, but as it turned out, we could easily.
We were so pleased we did because not only does the lookout offer spectacular views of the town and surrounding countryside, we were also lucky enough to spot a koala nestled high up in one of the gum trees. A sight we certainly weren’t expecting.
The town itself has a lovely tree-lined main street. There is also a walking or cycle track that takes you along the edges of Quirindi Creek.
WERRIS CREEK
Not much more than a dot on the map, Werris Creek has one of the largest and most impressive railway stations that we have seen outside of Central Station in Sydney. Werris Creek began life when a camp for railway workers building the northern line from Quirindi to Tamworth was set up there. With that, Werris Creek became Australia’s first railway town. The station was built in 1879 and today, Werris Creek is still a major rail junction for northern and northwestern NSW.
At the Werris Creek Railway Station, you will find a comprehensive museum which is housed in the old Refreshment Rooms. Staffed by volunteers, this museum is one of the best we have seen. Werris Creek was a major stop for troop trains during WWII, and thousands of troops would have been fed out of the Refreshment Room. Entry will cost you a gold coin donation.
Also located at Werris Creek is the Australian Railway Monument. This is a memorial to the more than 3000 rail workers who lost their lives whilst on the job.
BARRABA
Barraba was just an overnight stop for us, but it was an interesting one. We pulled into the Barraba Caravan Park almost dark, and we were greeted by owner and long-time Barraba resident Richo. Now Richo doesn’t mind a chat, and he can tell you all about Barraba and his caravan park, which he has owned for 14 years but lived in for much longer.
In his 70s, this bloke would run rings around fellows half his age. His park is as neat as they come, and he constantly strives to improve it, adding gardens, renovating cabins, etc. A nicer bloke you won’t find, so I didn’t mind spending the $25.00 it cost to stay there for the night. The drive-through sites are generous in size, and the park is quiet and peaceful. There are also many shady trees and a great camp kitchen area.
Just a few k’s out of Barraba, you will find Split Rock Dam, or if you head west, you will find yourself in Mount Kaputar National Park. Four-wheel drive tracks are plentiful in this area.
BINGARA
Bingara was our first stop after leaving Barraba. It is a gorgeous little town, and I loved wandering along the lovely, shady main street. With a population of only 1300, this town offers a lot, including an IGA supermarket, chemist, bakery and a few interesting craft shops. It also has two lovely old pubs with coffee shops attached to them. I grabbed a coffee at the Imperial Hotel, and it was lovely sitting in the shade and watching the world go by.
Another spot that caught my eye was Peter’s Milk Bar, located next to the Roxy Theatre. This milk bar has been fully restored and was a real look back at how cafes looked in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
The main street also features many murals painted on walls, all of which depict life in times gone by. On the outskirts of Bingara, you will also find the remnants of the All Nations Gold Mine, which operated between 1860 and 1948.
Perhaps the best thing about Bingara is its awesome free camp. Located on the northern bank of the Gwydir River, this super popular spot is one of the best we have seen. All that is asked of you is to deposit any receipts from your shopping in town in the box at the IGA. An easy way to keep this camp open. Although we didn’t stop there this time, we most certainly will in the future.
WARIALDA
The last little town that we visited was Warialda. Meaning ‘Place of Wild Honey’, the area is abundant in Tumbledown Gums, which bees swarm to, hence its name. The area also has a rich history, and there are several historic buildings in the town, including the local Courthouse, the Convent and Carinda House, which dates back to 1880.
But the definite stand-out spot to visit is Cranky Rock Recreation Reserve. Located just 5 kilometres east of Warialda, this is an awesome spot to camp or go for a bush-walk. There is a full-time caretaker on site along with a kiosk, and there are powered and un-powered sites available.
There are also barbeques, picnic tables and a children’s playground. But the best part is definitely the short climb up to the Cranky Rock lookout. The view and the rock formations are just incredible. Below is a river with what appeared to be a deep swimming hole. Although there was not a lot of water flowing, it would be a lovely spot for a picnic and is easily accessible from the car park. It’s another awesome spot for us to return to one day.
We loved our travels through this area of New South Wales and how diverse these small towns are. We highly recommend taking the road less travelled so that you can experience the delights of these small places as well. So many of them, we can’t wait to come back to.
Werris Creek Rail Museum is a must see…you can spend many hours there. Add to this the rail museum at Junee not far south of the first town mentioned in this group of towns and wow….for rail enthusiasts a picnic is in front of you
Thanks David!
I’ve never been to these places. I must admit I loved the first photo of beers and green grass. It’s nice to find a lovely watering hole at the end of a long day travelling. I shared this on my Australia and New Zealand Pinterest Page as a lot of people are interested in outback Australia.
Yes I love a good country pub…especially on a hot day!
These are places I’ve never heard of, apart from Warialda. When we were on our recent trip we returned to the Gold Coast via the Newell Highway and I was busting to leave the highway to explore some more, but time did not permit. We have promised ourselves we’re going to return to remedy this. All these places look fascinating.
A lot of the places I’d only heard of, never visited. I absolutely loved the feel of Bingara. The best free camp on the river that we will be returning to.