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Territory capital · Australia

Barraba

Give Barraba one night, two at most: silo art, a lookout and fossicking country. Without a car, skip it — no taxi, no local bus.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
AUD
Best months
Mar–May, Sep–Nov
avoid Dec–Feb (heat, 35°C+ days)
Airport
TMW
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
  • Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
  • Australia and New Zealand ↗Both countries drive on the left, with long distances between fuel stops in the outback and on New Zealand's back roads; fatigue causes more visitor crashes than speed.
  • Australia ↗Almost every visitor needs a visa or an electronic authorisation (ETA or eVisitor, depending on passport) before boarding: apply only through the official Department of Home Affairs site or the official AustralianETA app, and check the rules for your passport.
  • Australia ↗Declare all food, plant material, seeds, wood and animal products on your arrival declaration; undeclared items can bring on-the-spot fines or visa cancellation. When unsure, declare it.
  • Australia ↗Drive on the left. An overseas licence in English (or with an official translation or International Driving Permit) is accepted for visitors; check the state rules and your rental contract.
  • Australia ↗Swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches; rip currents cause most beach drownings.

Barraba is a village of about 1,400 people in the Nandewar Ranges, on the Fossickers Way (B95) between Tamworth and Bingara. It is a stop for self-drive travellers working the New England back roads, not a destination you fly to: the nearest scheduled airport is Tamworth (TMW). One night covers the town; two or three let you add the gorges, dams and fossicking reserves that surround it.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Barraba, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeA$4–6 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Street or quick mealBakery pie or sandwichA$6–12 (≈ US$4–8)
  • Beerschooner at the pub / six-pack at the bottle shopA$7–10 (≈ US$5–7)A$18–25 (≈ US$12–17)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Nandewar Historical Society)Open by request.A$2 (≈ US$2) adults, 50c children
  • Budget bedPowered campsite (Split Rock or Copeton), a night, per roomA$25 (≈ US$17)
  • Mid-range bedPub or motel room, a night, per roomA$160 (≈ US$110)
  • High-end bedPub or motel room, a night, per roomA$240 (≈ US$160)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget A$90 (≈ US$60) · Mid A$150 (≈ US$100) · High A$250 (≈ US$170)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Barraba Silo ArtFossicking for gemstones and petrified woodRegent honeyeater birdwatchingMount Kaputar and Waa Gorge country
Airports
TMW Tamworth Regional Airport (Nearest scheduled airport, about 90 km south via the B95; hire cars here, not in Barraba.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Barraba: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

32°C

19°C

8 rd

Feb

31°C

19°C

7 rd

Mar

29°C

16°C

6 rd

Apr

25°C

12°C

4 rd

May

20°C

8°C

4 rd

Jun

16°C

5°C

4 rd

Jul

16°C

4°C

4 rd

Aug

18°C

5°C

4 rd

Sep

22°C

8°C

4 rd

Oct

26°C

12°C

5 rd

Nov

28°C

15°C

6 rd

Dec

31°C

17°C

7 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Private transport is essential. There is no taxi and no local bus; the town centre itself is walkable in 10–15 minutes. Rental cars come from Tamworth, Gunnedah or Narrabri. The B95 is sealed end to end; most side roads to the gorges and reserves are unsealed for part or all of the way and are usually fine for a 2WD in dry conditions.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Sawn Rocks, Mount Kaputar National Park

go

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min each way

Drive west via Killarney Gap Road, about 91 km

Natural rock formation; the same road reaches Rocky Creek Glacial Area and Waa Gorge.

Copeton Dam

go

Door to door: About 1 h 45 min each way

Drive northeast via Bingara and Copeton Dam Road, about 116 km

Camping, fishing, boat ramps and a kiosk; a full day or an overnight.

Myall Creek Massacre Memorial Site

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min each way

Drive north via Bingara, about 85 km

1838 site; the first time settlers were punished for killing Aboriginal people.

Split Rock Dam

go

Door to door: About 40 min each way

Drive southeast via the B95 and Split Rock Dam Road, about 41 km

Fishing, camping and picnic areas on the Manilla River system.

Three Creeks Gold Mine

caution

Door to door: About 50 min each way

Drive north along the B95, turn off at Dinoga, about 55 km

Fossicking and panning, cash only, weekdays 9:00–17:00 (check).

Tamworth

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min by car

Drive south on the B95, about 90 km; NSW TrainLink coach also runs to Tamworth

The regional hub for hire cars, supermarkets and long-distance trains.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Queen Street centre

Pub rooms, motel and the bakery, café and fuel within a short walk; the only place with services.

Split Rock Dam and Glen Riddle Reserve

Camping and fishing 41 km southeast; bring everything, including water.

Copeton Dam

Camping, showers and boat ramps 116 km northeast near Bingara; a base for the gorges.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
A$90–140 (≈ US$60–95) excl. bed
Mid
A$140–220 (≈ US$95–150) excl. bed
High
A$220 (≈ US$150)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Pub or motel room1 × 1 night × A$160A$160
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × A$150A$300
Fuel, 200 km of back-road driving1 × A$45 · checkA$45
Fishing licence, one week2 × A$35 · checkA$70
eSIM, about a week of data2 × A$25A$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeA$63
Trip total≈ A$344 per person per day, bed includedA$688≈ US$500

2026 estimate in Australian dollars; fuel and long-distance travel excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeA$4–6 (≈ US$3–4)
Bakery pie or sandwichA$6–12 (≈ US$4–8)
Pub counter mealA$22–35 (≈ US$15–25)
Beer: schooner at the pub / six-pack at the bottle shopA$7–10 (≈ US$5–7) / A$18–25 (≈ US$12–17)
Fuel, per litrecheckA$1.80–2.10 (≈ US$2)
Camping fee, unpowered sitecheckA$10–25 (≈ US$7–17) per night
Museum entry (Nandewar Historical Society)Open by request.A$2 (≈ US$2) adults, 50c children

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Barraba is a small, quiet town and personal safety is not the issue. The real risks are distance, heat, unsealed roads after rain and no mobile signal in the ranges: tell someone your route and carry water.
  • No fuel, no taxi and no bus after hours: fill up in Tamworth or Manilla before you arrive.
  • Side roads to Waa Gorge, Sawn Rocks and the fossicking reserves are unsealed and can be cut off after rain.
  • Mobile coverage is limited to none at Terry Hie Hie and parts of Mount Kaputar.
  • Summer days regularly pass 35°C; carry water and start walks early.
  • The NSW TrainLink coach does not take payment on board: book ahead, or you are not travelling.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
000
From mobiles
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

BarrabaBarraba

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Can you take me to this address?To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From mobiles112

Embassy

No consulates in Barraba; the nearest are in Sydney. US, UK, Canadian and other embassies are in Canberra.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • NSW TrainLink coach, Barraba → Tamworth: departs Alice Street 08:48, book ahead (check)
  • NSW TrainLink coach, Barraba → Inverell: departs Alice Street 17:08, book ahead (check)
  • Mount Kaputar Barraba Track permit: A$10 (≈ US$7) fee plus A$40 (≈ US$30) refundable deposit, paid in advance (check)

Say or show

  • Thanks — Thank you
  • Where's the servo? — Where is the fuel?
  • Is it bitumen all the way? — Is this road sealed?
  • Do you take card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Where's the loo? — Where is the toilet?

Fuel, food and phone signal are all in the Queen Street block. Fill up and download offline maps before you leave the sealed road.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Barraba. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · avoid Dec–Feb (heat, 35°C+ days) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for TMW: last hire-car desk hours, coach fallback, overnight rung in Tamworth.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Queen Street, the silo art and swimming pool, Adams Lookout, the fossicking reserves.
  3. Place pages with verified access rules (Sawn Rocks, Waa Gorge, Copeton Dam, Myall Creek) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Wet-weather and fire-ban fixtures so the unsealed-road day trips can go green or red.

Meanwhile

Back to Australia

Sources