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TravelTips24 :

New England Highway

This article is an itinerary.

The New England Highway is one of the main road links between Sydney and Brisbane. The highway is an inland route connecting Newcastle (in New South Wales' Hunter Valley) and Warwick, Queensland.

Culture and History

The New England Highway is an alternative route to the Pacific Highway and Thunderbolts Way that links Sydney and Brisbane. Whilst a slightly longer route than it's coastal cousin (by approximately 50km), the New England is often less busy and hence an easier and safer drive. Allow 10 - 12 hours to complete the entire Sydney - Brisbane drive, depending upon traffic conditions.

Prepare

See: Tips for road trips and Driving in Australia.

Travel to New England Highway & Visa Requirements

Drive

(Brisbane to Warwick)

Not strictly part of the New England Highway, the Cunningham and Ipswich Highways form the first leg up from Queensland's capital. Note there is a steep, windy section at the Cunningham Gap.

Warwick to Glen Innes

Glen Innes to Armidale

Glen Innes is renowned for its Celtic population who celebrate their heritage accordingly.

Armidale to Tamworth

Tamworth is famed for its country music festival and its Big Golden Guitar.

Tamworth to Scone

Scone is the horse breeding center of the state.

Scone to Newcastle / Maitland

The drive between Scone and the coast at Newcastle follows the course of the Hunter Valley, the famed New South Wales wine region. The highway passes through coal mining centers such as Singleton and Muswellbrook, which though not in the wine region do provide cheaper accommodation options than many of the hotels that are around the vineyards themselves.

(Newcastle / Maitland to Sydney)

See the equivalent section under the Pacific Highway as this part of the route is common to both.

Stay safe

Most of the route is single carriageway with a 100km/hr speed limit. Do not be tempted to speed - the police have the route well covered and there are plenty of static cameras, particularly in NSW. When passing through towns en route, it is necessary to slow down to sometimes as little as 50km/hr.

Overtaking opportunities in the form of an extra lane are plentiful along the route - be patient when stuck behind traffic as an overtaking lane is never more than a few kilometers away!

Pay attention to the wildlife warning signs - kangaroos are very common in the Tamworth area and venture on to the highway particularly around dusk.

New England Highway cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

The main towns along the route are studded with motels and caravan parks that cater for the holiday traffic on this popular route. Prices are highest in the holiday season. See under the individual destinations for more detail.

New England Highway Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

As with sleeping options, eateries are plentiful in the towns passed en route. See under the individual destinations for more detail.

This page was last edited at 22:24, on 16 June 2008 by Wikitravel user Cgoodwin. Based on work by Evan Prodromou, Julian Schwarzenbach, David and Stuart Edwards, Wikitravel user(s) Abstraktn and Hypatia and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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