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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Bendemeer
Stop 1 night if you are driving the New England Highway and want a quiet pub bed; skip it as a base — no shops, no taxi, no bus of its own.
Bendemeer is a 492-person village on the New England Highway at the junction with the Oxley Highway, 41 km north of Tamworth and 49 km south of Uralla. It has one pub with rooms, one caravan park with the fuel bowser and the ATM, and a river. It works as a single overnight on a road trip between Tamworth and Armidale, or as a lunch and fuel pause. It does not work as a base: there is no local transport, no bank and almost no shopping.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (heat, 35 °C+ days); winter nights near 0 °CDec–Feb (heat, 95 °F+ days); winter nights near 32 °F
- Stay
- 1 night
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$60–110 excl. bed · Mid A$110–180 excl. bed · High A$180+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Pub counter meal | A$25–40 |
| Draught beer, schooner | A$7–10 |
| Coffee | A$5–7 |
| Campsite, powered site per night | A$35–60 |
| Unleaded fuel, per litre | A$1.80–2.10 |
| Tamworth Buslines route 444, adult one way | A$5.90 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TMW · Tamworth Regional Airport
- Nearest airport with scheduled flights, about 41 km south-west by road; hire cars are in Tamworth, not Bendemeer.Nearest airport with scheduled flights, about 25 mi south-west by road; hire cars are in Tamworth, not Bendemeer.
Typical fares
- Tamworth → Bendemeer, bus 444
- A$5.90 adult, about 43 min, Monday–Saturday, cash to the driver
- Bendemeer → Tamworth, bus 444
- A$5.90 adult, about 45 min, Monday–Saturday
- Brisbane → Bendemeer, Crisps Coaches
- Mondays and Fridays, arrives about 20:40; booking requiredMondays and Fridays, arrives about 8:40 PM; booking required
Get around
You need your own car. There is no local taxi and no local bus. The nearest car rental is in Tamworth. The Tamworth Buslines route 444 runs Monday–Saturday between Tamworth and Bendemeer (about 43 min, pay the driver, exact fare preferred); it stops in Caroline Street and will also stop at the petrol station/caravan park if you tell the driver. Crisps Coaches run Brisbane–Tamworth via Bendemeer on Mondays and Fridays, booked in advance.
See and do
Known for
- New England Highway junction with the Oxley Highway
- Bendemeer Hotel, an old country pub
- Macdonald River and the caravan park
- Sheep and cattle country of the Tamworth Regional Council area
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tamworth | New England Highway/A15 south through Moonbi and Kootingal | About 35–40 min each way |
| Uralla | New England Highway/A15 north | About 35 min each way |
| Walcha | Oxley Highway/B56 east | About 35–40 min each way |
| Armidale | New England Highway/A15 north through Uralla | About 50–55 min each way |
| Quirindi | New England Highway south, then the Kamilaroi Highway | About 1 h 15 min each way |
| Gunnedah | New England Highway south, then the Kamilaroi Highway west | About 1 h 45 min each way |
Sleep
- Caroline Street (village centre)
- The Bendemeer Hotel has rooms on the corner of Caroline and Havanah; you can walk to the pub bistro and the public toilets.
- Bendemeer Tourist Park, 19 Havanah Street
- Caravan and camping sites next to the petrol station; drive-through sites, small store, ATM. Cabins: check.
- Watsons Creek Road, 8 km north
- Riverside Stay, a three-bedroom cottage; self-catering, so bring food. Bookings essential.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the petrol station? | Where's the servo? |
| Is there an ATM here? | Have you got a cash machine? |
| A table for two, please | Table for two, thanks |
| Is the Oxley Highway open? | Is the Oxley open past Walcha? |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take card? |
| Where are the toilets? | Where are the loos? |
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 bank and no bank branch in the village: the only ATM is at the caravan park, and the post agency there handles some banking Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00.
- Stock up on food, fuel and medication in Tamworth or Uralla before you arrive; the village store is small.
- The Oxley Highway east towards Walcha and Wauchope can close in bad weather or after landslips: check the live road status before committing.
- Kangaroos and livestock on the highway at dawn and dusk; long empty stretches between towns.
- Summer heat and total fire bans: check the fire danger rating before a day of driving.
- Mobile coverage is patchy outside the village.
A quiet highway village and generally safe; the real risks are the drive (kangaroos and livestock at dawn and dusk, long empty stretches, heat and fire danger in summer) and having no cash or fuel plan, since there is one ATM and one bowser.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bendemeer yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- New England Highway junction with the Oxley Highway
- Bendemeer Hotel, an old country pub
- Macdonald River and the caravan park
- Sheep and cattle country of the Tamworth Regional Council area
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Destination Tamworth — visitor information: www.destinationtamworth.com.au/
- Tamworth Buslines — route 444 timetable: www.buslinesgroup.com.au/images/pdf/tamworth/timetables/444_Tamworth_web_tt.pdf
- Crisps Coaches — timetables and bookings: www.crisps.com.au/
- NSW Police — Bendemeer Police Station: www.police.nsw.gov.au/about_us/regions_commands_districts/western_region/oxley/bendemeer_police_station
- Wikivoyage: Bendemeer (New South Wales), revision 5322733 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5322733
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bendemeer
Can you take me to this address?
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in Bendemeer. For consular help, contact your embassy or consulate in Canberra or Sydney; US citizens can use the US Consulate General in Sydney.
Fuel, the ATM, the small store and the post agency are all at the Bendemeer Tourist Park on Havanah Street. Public toilets with disabled access are at War Memorial Park, open 24 h.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bendemeer-new-south-wales). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.