New England

The area known as New England starts at Newcastle and follows the Great Dividing Range upto the Queensland border. The landscape is very impressive and you get to see a bit of the real Australia and the small country towns. The area is a large farming region and has some good bushland walks. It is worth heading further inland from the Pacific Highway and travelling along the New England Highway, to see the diversity of Australia's country. There are plentiful National Parks throughout New England and some beautiful waterfalls and gorges.

Here you can find the Ayers Rock of New South Wales at the Bald Rock and Boonoo Boonoo National Park. Gibraltar Range and Walshpool offer spectacular scenery, while Guy Fawkes River is great for both bushland walks and canoeing. New England and Cathedral Rock offers great landscape, but for some amazing and beautiful waterfalls visit the Oxley Wild Rivers. Werrikimbe is another park which has a range of bushland walks which you can take. If you want to explore the area then you can get a bus from several small towns surrounding and within New England, as well as from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

Tamworth Town CentreIf you love country music then you should visit Tamworth, a town dedicated to country music. The town is country music mad, with museums and memorabilia on all aspects of country music. There is also a country music festival in January which can't be missed. There is quite a range of accommodation from camping and hostels to pub accommodation and motels, although you will need to book well in advance during the festival time.

Armidale CathedralOn the way to Armidale there are various small towns which you can visit. You can explore the Moonbi Ranges, visit the museum or craft shops in Uralla, or drive through the nearby fossicking area.

There are several places worth visiting if heading north from Armidale. Balancing Rock can be found at Stonehenge and is a perfect photo opportunity. It is close to the Celtic town of Glen Innes, where the town community is very close-knit. Also nearby is Mother of Ducks, a water sanctuary close to Guyra. The temperature does change in this region, as the towns reach a higher altitude.

Tenterfield Railway MuseumThe largest town in this region before you reach the Queensland border is Tenterfield, where you can see Thunderbolt's Hideout which was exactly that. The nearby National Parks are also worth visiting as is the Clarence region just north of Tenterfield and the famous beef town, Casino. The Clarence Region is quiet and extremely pretty, perfect for that getaway retreat. The area also offers good bushwalking, canoeing on the rivers, horse riding and gold fossicking which is great fun.



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