Fossickers Way
Fossickers Way | |
---|---|
Bridge over the Namoi River in Manilla | |
General information | |
Type | Highway |
Length | 379 km (235 mi)[1] |
Route number(s) | None Nundle – Tamworth ![]() Tamworth – Warialda ![]() Warialda – Glen Innes |
Former route number | ![]() |
Major junctions | |
North end | ![]() Glen Innes, New South Wales[2] |
![]() ![]() | |
South end | Nundle, New South Wales[2] |
Location(s) | |
Major settlements | Tamworth Bingara, Barraba, Manilla, Inverell |
Highway system | |
The Fossickers Way is a series of country roads located in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia that, when joined together, come to form a 379-kilometre (235 mi) scenic and tourist drive.[1] The road's southern terminus is located in Nundle[2] with its northwest terminus in Warialda; thereafter the road joins the Gwydir Highway and heads east to Inverell before reaching its eastern terminus in Glen Innes.[2][3] The majority of the Fossickers Way is designated as B95.[4]
The scenic route draws its name of Fossickers Way due to the many deposits of gold and the variety of gemstones that have been found in the area (mostly by Europeans) since the early 1850s. Prior to this time, local Aboriginal tribes such as the Werawai people of Nundle and its surrounds were known to use local minerals and stones for the purpose of making tools, such as axe heads. Fossickers Way transverses the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands and passes through some of the world’s richest gem areas. In these parts, sapphires, zircon, jasper, prase, rhodonite, crystals and even gold may be found. The highway passes through open wheat and grazing lands and deeply wooded slopes, through country towns rich in gold rush history.
Route
Towns along the Fossickers' Way include Nundle, Tamworth, Manilla, Barraba, and Bingara, Warialda, Delungra, Inverell and Glen Innes. The Fossickers Way, a scenic drive that incorporates seven shires in northern NSW[5], is an alternate route between Sydney and Brisbane.[6]
In this area, sapphires, zircon, jasper, prase, ridonite, crystals and even gold may be found along various quarries, rivers and creeks, such as Swamp Oak Creek, just out of the town of Nundle where gold was discovered in 1851 by a local squatter, Nathan Burrows It has been reported that he made the discovery, then immediately informed folks in nearby Tamworth and the gold rush began thereafter. The Gwydir Highway passes through open wheat and grazing lands and deeply wooded slopes through country towns, rich in gold rush history.
Major junctions
LGA | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tamworth | Nundle | 0 | 0.0 | Jenkins Street / River Road | 4-way intersection; southern terminus; Fossickers Way continues north as Nundle Road[2] | |
Peel River | Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown) | |||||
Peel River | 12 | 7.5 | Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown) | |||
Tamworth | Bowling Alley Point | 12 | 7.5 | River Road | T-intersection; Fossickers Way continues north as Nundle Road | |
Dungowan | 34 | 21 | Ogunbil Road – Gloucester | T-intersection; Fossickers Way continues north as Nundle Road | ||
Cockburn River | 51 | 32 | Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown) | |||
Tamworth | Nemingha | 51 | 32 | ![]() ![]() | T-intersection; southeastern concurrency terminus; Fossickers Way continues northwest as the New England Highway / Oxley Highway | |
Tamworth | 57 | 35 | ![]() | Roundabout; concurrency with the New England Highway terminates; Fossickers Way continues northwest as the Oxley Highway | ||
58 | 36 | ![]() | T-intersection; Northwestern concurrency terminus with the Oxley Highway; Fossickers Way continues northwest as ![]() | |||
![]() | Southern terminus of ![]() | |||||
Namoi River | 104 | 65 | Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown) | |||
Manilla River | 116 | 72 | Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown) | |||
Manilla River | 150 | 93 | Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown) | |||
Gwydir | Bingara | 210 | 130 | Finch Street / Maitland Street | 4-way intersection; Fossickers Way continues northeast as ![]() | |
Link Street / East Street | T-intersection; Fossickers Way continues north as ![]() | |||||
Gwydir River | 211 | 131 | Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown) | |||
Myall Creek | 218 | 135 | Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown) | |||
Gwydir | Warialda | 248 | 154 | ![]() ![]() | T-intersection; western concurrency terminus of the ![]() Fossickers Way continues east as the ![]() ![]() | |
251 | 156 | ![]() | T-intersection; eastern concurrency terminus of the ![]() Fossickers Way continues east as the ![]() | |||
Macintyre River | 311 | 193 | Bridge over the river (bridge name unknown) | |||
Inverell | Inverell | 312 | 194 | Otho Street | Roundabout; Fossickers Way continues southeast as the ![]() | |
313 | 194 | Tinga Road to Thunderbolts Way (no shield) – Uralla, Walcha, Gloucester | T-intersection; Fossickers Way continues southeast as the ![]() | |||
Glen Innes Severn | Glen Innes | 379 | 235 | ![]() ![]() | T-intersection; eastern terminus; ![]() | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
|
Tourism
Many events occur along Fossicker's Way throughout the year, including the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. The Fossicker's Way Treasure Hunt[7] is also an annual event which takes participants through all eight towns on the trail.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "29 Oakenville Street, Nundle NSW 2340 to 273 Ferguson Street, Glen Innes NSW 2370" (Map). Google Maps. 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Fossickers Way Scenic Drive". Travel In. Bauer Xcel Media. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- ^ "The Fossickers Way". New England North West. 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ^ "NSW State Route 95". OzRoads. Retrieved 16 August 2010.[self-published source]
- ^ "The Fossickers Way". northnet.com.au. Retrieved 23 August 2010.[self-published source]
- ^ NSW Open Road Fossickers Ways Retrieved 2010-8-16
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
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