Oxley Highway: route guide

The Oxley Highway runs across northern New South Wales, linking the flat inland plains at Nevertire with the Tasman Sea at Port Macquarie. It joins the Mitchell Highway at the western end and crosses the Great Dividing Range at Walcha before dropping through the Hastings River valley to the coast.

There is no single official map for the whole route; use a state road map or an offline navigation app and download the tiles before you leave, because mobile coverage thins out between Coonabarabran and Walcha. The mapframe reference point for the middle of the route is roughly 31.66°S, 150.46°E (approximate).

The western third is wheat and sheep country: straight, open and quick. Nevertire and Warren are small service towns, and Gilgandra is the first place with a full range of fuel, food and motels. Coonabarabran is the natural overnight stop if you started late, and it sits under the Warrumbungles, a dark-sky area worth a detour if you have a night to spare.

The middle section through Gunnedah and Tamworth is the busiest. Tamworth is the largest town on the route and a good place to break for a proper meal, fuel and a supermarket shop. From Tamworth the road climbs, and the country changes fast from open plains to granite and eucalypt.

The eastern third is the scenic part. Walcha is a small high-country town and the last reliable stop before the range. Beyond it the highway winds down through Yarrowitch, Ellenborough and Long Flat, with lookouts and rainforest, then reaches Wauchope and the coast at Port Macquarie. This descent is the slowest stretch and the one to drive in daylight.

Autumn (March to May) and spring (September to November) give the most comfortable driving: mild inland days and clear views from the range. Summer inland can push past 35 °C, which makes long stretches between towns tiring, and the coast end is busy with school-holiday traffic in December and January.

Winter brings cold nights and possible frost or ice on the Walcha plateau, plus fog in the valleys early in the morning. If you drive in winter, start the range descent after the sun is up. Whatever the season, avoid driving the rural sections at dawn and dusk, when kangaroos are most active.

Break the trip at Coonabarabran or Tamworth if you are doing it in two days. Coonabarabran has motels and caravan parks and puts you close to the Warrumbungles; Tamworth has the widest choice of hotels, motels and campsites and the best food options. Walcha has a handful of country pubs and motels if you want to start the range early.

At the coast, Port Macquarie has the largest range, from beachside apartments to holiday parks, and it is the obvious place to finish. Book ahead for long weekends and school holidays, when inland towns fill with events and the coast fills with everyone else.

Fill the tank whenever you can. Fuel stops are spaced out between Coonabarabran and Walcha, and some small stations close early or on Sundays. Carry water, food and a charged phone, and download offline maps before the range, where coverage drops.

The road is mostly single carriageway with a 100–110 km/h limit outside towns and as low as 50 km/h through them. Overtaking lanes appear regularly, so wait for one rather than passing on a blind bend. Watch for kangaroos at any time of day, and for livestock and trucks on the inland sections. In summer, check for bushfire warnings and road closures before you set out.