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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Bellata
Stop for the Pluto model and a leg-stretch on the Newell Highway, 20–30 min; sleep in Narrabri or Moree, not here.
Bellata is a highway village of about 350 people on the A39 Newell Highway in the Western New England, 37 km south of Moree and 47 km north of Narrabri. It has one sight, the outermost planet of the Virtual Solar System drive, no beds and no fuel stop worth planning around. Treat it as a 20–30 minute break, or a request stop on the Moree XPL train if you are heading to Sydney or Moree.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (heat, 35 °C (95 °F)+), Jan school holidays on the highwayDec–Feb (heat, 95 °F (35 °C)+), Jan school holidays on the highway
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$80–130 excl. bed · Mid A$150–250 excl. bed · High A$300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or takeaway tea | A$4–6 |
| Roadhouse burger or pie | A$8–15 |
| Fuel, unleaded per litre | A$1.80–2.10 |
| Motel double, Narrabri or Moree | A$110–280 |
| Beer in a country pub | A$6–9 |
| eSIM, about a week | A$10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MRZ · Moree Airport
- About 40 km (25 mi) north; regional flights, check the scheduleAbout 25 mi (40 km) north; regional flights, check the schedule
- NAA · Narrabri Airport
- About 50 km (31 mi) south; check whether any scheduled service runsAbout 31 mi (50 km) south; check whether any scheduled service runs
- SYD · Sydney
- Long drive of about 6 h; most travellers fly to Moree or Narrabri instead
Typical fares
- Moree XPL, Bellata → Sydney
- booked seat, request stop; check the fare and timetable
- Drive Bellata → Moree
- 37 km (23 mi), about 30 min23 mi (37 km), about 30 min
- Drive Bellata → Narrabri
- 47 km (29 mi), about 35 min29 mi (47 km), about 35 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. Bellata is a strip on the A39 Newell Highway with the railway on the western side; everything is a short walk from the highway, but there is no local transport. Road trains use this route, so overtake only where marked.
See and do
Known for
- Pluto on the Virtual Solar System Model drive
- Newell Highway road-train country
- Request stop on the Moree XPL train
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Moree | Drive north on the A39 Newell Highway, about 37 km (23 mi)Drive north on the A39 Newell Highway, about 23 mi (37 km) | About 30 min |
| Narrabri | Drive south on the A39 Newell Highway, about 47 km (29 mi)Drive south on the A39 Newell Highway, about 29 mi (47 km) | About 35 min |
| Bingara | Via the Gwydir Highway from Moree, then back roads | About 1.5 h |
| Warialda | Via the Gwydir Highway and local roads | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Bellata itself
- No hotel or motel: the Nandewar Inn burned down in 2006 and nothing replaced it. Do not plan to sleep here.
- Narrabri (47 km south)
- The nearest real bed base: motels, pubs and a caravan park on the highway.
- Moree (37 km north)
- Bigger choice of motels and the hot springs; good if you are heading to Queensland.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thanks |
| Where is the fuel? | Where's the servo? |
| Is there a toilet here? | Any toilets here? |
| I would like to book a seat | I'd like to book a seat |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- No accommodation in Bellata: the last hotel burned down in 2006.
- The train only stops if you book: an unbooked stop is skipped.
- Police patrol the Newell Highway hard for speed and drugs; keep to 110 km/h and expect random testing.
- Road trains need long overtaking gaps; do not pull out on a crest.
- Summer heat and long empty stretches between towns: carry water and fuel up in Narrabri or Moree.
Low street crime; the real risks are the highway itself, summer heat, road trains and police drug and speed testing on the A39.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bellata yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Pluto on the Virtual Solar System Model drive
- Newell Highway road-train country
- Request stop on the Moree XPL train
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit NSW — North West and New England: www.visitnsw.com/
- Transport for NSW — regional train services: transportnsw.info/regional
- Moree Plains Shire Council: www.mpsc.nsw.gov.au/
- Wikivoyage: Bellata, revision 5310519 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5310519
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bellata
Can you take me to this address?
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates here; the nearest are in Sydney. US, UK, Canadian and other embassies are in Canberra.
No phone signal in some stretches of the Newell Highway; download offline maps before you leave Narrabri or Moree.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bellata). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.