Cycle Rides Around Armidale

This route is under evaluation as a possible marked cycle tourist trail. The 359 km ride runs from Armidale in the high Northern Tablelands, through the historic small towns of Uralla and Walcha, then descends via the Cockburn and Peel valleys to Kootingal and Nundle. From there it crosses the hills via Wallabadah to Quirindi and Werris Creek on the edge of the Liverpool Plains before circling north again to finish in Tamworth. I have divided it into 7 stages, but fit, experienced cyclist tourists would be able to do the route in less than a week. There are both indoor accommodation and camping options at the end of each stage, as well at some intermediate points, allowing for flexibility. There is also a wide variety of points of interest along the way. Most of the roads are quiet to very quiet. More than half of the route is paved, but there is some gravel, the condition of which varies with the weather and how recently it has been graded. Main sections to beware of traffic are: 25 km from Walcha to Woolbrook along the Oxley Highway on stage 4, and 6 km of the New England Highway on stage 6. It is possible to ride all year round but the high areas around Armidale can be very cold in winter, particularly in July. High temperatures may make summer riding unpleasant down around Tamworth. The recommended times of year for this ride are spring (August to November) when the flowers are out, or from March to May; autumn colours are at their peak in late April. There are extended distances without shops, cafes or drinking water, so be prepared. Stage 1 Armidale to Uralla 35 km, 330 m ascent, all paved Stage 2. Uralla to Walcha 62 km 630 m ascent, 37 km gravel Stage 3. Walcha to Kootingal 69 km, 320 m ascent, 30 km gravel Stage 4. Kootingal to Dungowan 31 km, 170 m ascent, mostly paved but with an adventurous dry weather short-cut (Condons rd). Stage 5. Dungowan to Nundle 36 km, 229 m ascent,  23 km gravel. Optional side trip up to Hanging Rock Lookout is fun and challenging. Stage 6. Nundle to Wallabadah or Quirindi 41 km or 56 km, 430 m ascent, Old Wallabadah Rd has approx 18 km of gravel. Stage 7. Quirindi to Tamworth 65 km, >500 m ascent, approx. 15 km gravel and mud (dry weather route). We recommend finishing the ride at Werris Creek as the road from here to Duri is narrow with significant traffic. Return to Armidale from Tamworth or Werris Creek by train; bikes need to be packed in pre-ordered box

A lovely half-day coffee ride on quiet, scenic and mostly sealed roads. Head out of town on Bundarra road, turning at about 15 km towards Invergowrie. At Invergowrie there is a small shop selling coffee, but its too early to stop yet. Bundarra Rd has some fast traffic and lacks a shoulder so we avoid it at the busiest times (~9 am or 5 pm). There is a quieter/hillier alternative route via Booroolong Rd/Dumaresq Rd. Once off Bundarra rd there is generally very little traffic and the route is very scenic. Thunderbolts way has a great swooping downhill, which if taken at maximum speed can get you most of the way up the other side. Uralla has a great choice of cafes, so a stop is compulsory. It is possible to head back to Armidale via Barley fields Rd and join up with the outward route on Rocky River/Hawthorne drive corner. However, the route mapped here is more interesting (and about 10 km longer). Heading out of Uralla along Gostwyck rd involves a little climbing before you are on a ridge with fabulous views. There is then a long descent down to Gostwyck station and the picturesque Gostwyck chapel, DRG woolshed. There is a ~8 km section of dirt along Gostwyck Rd/Mihi Rd. This can get a bit bumpy when not recently graded. However, we regularly do this ride on road bikes. The seal is reached again at Enmore Rd for a very pleasant if a bit hilly ride back to Armidale. All roads on the return trip are very quiet.

This route provides an alternative to Thunderbolts Way which is rather too narrow for the traffic it takes. In contrast, this route is entirely on quiet roads although about 37 km is unsealed. We have ridden the route in both directions have decided it is easier in the northerly direction. On the occasion we rode south we had left rather later than intended, with luggage for a long distance trip and were tired and hungry by the time we reached the hills heading into Walcha. From Armidale, take Dangarsleigh Rd turning onto Mihi Rd/Gostwyck Rd at approx. 15 km out. About 7-8 km of this is unsealed. At Gostwyck turn onto Hillview Rd. There is a steep hill in this direction coming out of Mihi creek at about 47 km. The turn onto Blue Mountain Rd is an acute angle on a downhill, which we nearly missed on one occasion. The latter is the highest point of the ride with extensive views. Both Hillview Rd and Blue Mountain Rd are unsealed but generally quite well maintained. For much of the way they are also accompanied by a TSR which has lovely mature bush with lots of birds. If travelling south the seal is reached at Winderborne Rd aboiut 71 km. However, there are two solid climbs before reaching Walcha as mentioned previously. These climbs are less steep when travelling north. On the other hand, in this direction you have a big climb out of Salisbury waters about 20 km before your destination. Don't believe the elevation data on this mapping tool, actual climbing closer to 900 m.

This is just one of multiple circuits from Armidale to Guyra. It is hilly because, the terrain around here is always hilly! and because Guyra is significantly higher than Armidale. This mapping tool considerably underestimates the climbing, which is actually around 1100 m. We choose to do the harder section via Booroolong creek first and return via Black Mountain. The road is sealed up to the turn off onto Old Armidale road at about 28 km. From there until Baldersleigh Rd (42 km) it is unsealed, including a steep climb out of Booroolong creek and sometimes significant corrugations in places. On the return trip, the road is sealed apart from about 8 km along Toms Gully Rd. This road is mostly kept in quite good condition, but we have encountered bad corrugations on corners at times. The route is pleasant at most times of year but is particularly delightful in Spring, when the road can be lined with flowers in places. Don't forget to stop in Guyra for a coffee and cake.

A nice ride that is a bit shorter than the full Guyra loop. Take the hilly  but scenic Boorolong Rd out of Armidale and turn off at Toms Gully Rd. This is unsealed for about 7-8 km. Check out the nicely maintained Black Mountain station (no services unless someone is using the building and they have unlocked the loos). If doing this loop we carry a snack to have at the station, but the roadhouse on the highway does actually sell food. After crossing the highway turn left then onto SpringMount rd. This also has an unsealed section but good views. Turning onto Hoys Rd just before reaching the highway means you can avoid all but a very short section of the latter before reaching town

This route from Glen Innes to Armidale or the reverse avoids the New England Highway and provides a very scenic ride across the tablelands. Make sure you stop and look at Backwater Post Office

This ride is a hilly workout, best done on a gravel bike as there is a significant sealed section, from the Lyndhurst Rd turnoff until about 7 km before Chandler Rd meets Rockvale road again. There is usually very little traffic apart from some commuter traffic morning and evening closer to Armidale. However, watch out for the odd B-double cattle truck as the road is narrow. Great views.

This is a stunning route best taken in anticlockwise direction to get the best of the views from Green Hill rd. In the opposite direction, the climb up green HIlls Rd would be a serious challenge requiring low gears. I rode on a fairly heavy duty touring bike with fat tyres. Optimal bike would be a fast gravel bike. Sections of Rockvale Rd from Wollomombi crossing to Guyra Rd are good quality gravel, steepest sections of this rd have now been sealed. 30+ kms of Green HIlls Rd/Herbert park rd are unsealed but in pretty good shape when I rode. Views from Green Hills rd are just amazing. Actual climbing 1460 m

This was a really fun ride, done on a day when I just needed to escape from life! I had ogled the road that follows the railway line on a train trip shortly beforehand and decided that I needed to ride that road. From Armidale I took one of the standard cycling routes to Uralla following Bundarra road and Hawthorne drive. Instead of going across to Thunderbolts way for the ride into Uralla, I took Barleyfields Rd, as this was a "railway line ride". After a quick coffee and cake in Uralla (I needed plenty of fuel to make it all the way to Kootingal), I headed up the NE highway. This has a decent shoulder but the traffic is fast and I don't like riding this road. However, the 12 k to the Kentucky turnoff was soon knocked off and I had quiet roads for the rest of the day. Noalimba and Wollun Rds are a lovely ride; paved and scenic although the route is increasingly undulating towards Woolbrook. The short section of the Oxley highway has a bit more traffic but does have a narrow shoulder and visibility is mostly good. I stopped to have lunch at the picnic area at Woolbrook, expecting to also be able to top up on water. ALthough it was a lovely place to stop, the loo is a long drop, no tap, what a pity there isn't a rainwater tank. I was a little concerned about water as I had already drunk most of my water on a warm day. These days I always carry more water. Neverthless, the next section was downhill. From Woolbrook the seal runs out and there are 30 km of dirt to Limbri. At first this was badly corrugated; by the time I got to the end I was minus my back light and I assume it rattled off on this section. However, after a short distance the road use must drop dramatically because the surface was much better. Apart from some corners with corrugations and loose gravel it was fine to ride on 35 mm tyres. I saw about 2 cars the whole way down and had a really fun descent. I was pleased to see the seal again at Limbri, where I was also able to get some more water from a local. From Limbri the road follows the Cockburn river, which at that time was flowing clear and strong. I stopped for a snack at the Cockburn river camping/picnic area, a bit run down but by a lovely swimming hole - wished I had packed my swimmers. Almost too soon I was out of the narrow valley and approaching Kootingal. I had prebooked a train seat and bike box by phone so then had to proceed to partially dismantle my bike. This was a fiasco because my old dumbell aluminium spanner broke and the train came with the bike only partly dismantled. Fortunately the guard didn't mind, nor did they care whether the bike actually went in the box as the luggage section of the train was almost completely empty. Although I was able to get a train ride back home quite easily on this occasion, I was not able to repeat this more recently. NSW rail refused to send a box on the train, requiring the bike to be boxed before the train arrived - impossible at an unmanned station. It's a great pity NSW trainlink is not more bike friendly.

This circuit from Armidale to Wollomombi falls and back via Hillgrove and Bakers creek falls could be undertaken in one longish day. Instead, we chose to take our tent and a barbecue tea and camped out in the National Park. This meant that we not only had a leisurely ride in both directions, but we were able to experience much more of the park. We saw a squirrel glider and a couple of squabbling possums as we cooked our barbecue at Edgars lookout while the sun set colours lit up the sky in one direction and the full moon rose in the other direction. Later we rode our bikes around to the main lookout to photograph the gorge by moonlight, seeing a bonus brush tailed rock wallaby as well as an owl. While eating breakfast we watched and listened to the resident lyrebird displaying. The route is a hilly one, the seal runs out about 7 km along Chandler rd and the road is gravel until Kilcoy rd meets Fassifern rd nearly at Wollomombi village. We returned via Waterfall Way. This is a highway with a fairly low volume of fast traffic. It has a shoulder much of the way, but this is usually very narrow. So, it’s OK to ride but not that pleasant. We took a detour off the main road to visit the old mining village of Hillgrove, as well as Baker’s creek falls. This was mostly a pleasant ride though old Hillgrove rd was pretty corrugated and rough. It also misses one of the narrower sections of the highway.

This is a hard work road loop that can be done in either direction, depending on the wind. The roads are all paved but have no shoulder. The traffic is usually light but fast along Thunderbolts Way and Bundarra rd. Climbing up the pinnacles from Yarrowyck is hard work but I thinks easier than the climbing along Thunderbolts way towards Uralla if the ride is done in the opposite direction. The photo is taken at the Yarrowyck pcinic area, the start of a short walk to some aboriginal cave paintings.

I did this ride with a (tough and energetic) 14 year old girl, several years ago. The trip, particularly the first day, was a quite a challenge but one we thoroughly enjoyed. We took it in three days. Day 1. Armidale to via Rockvale Rd Ebor, 92 km, mostly sealed roads apart from about 10 km of Rockvale Rd. Traffic was light but fast. Day 2 was a half day ride from Ebor to Dorrigo 51 km so we added a short side trip to Dorrigo NP. We followed the Waterfall Way as there is no quieter alternative, again traffic was light but fast; we got off the narrow road when there was a truck coming behind. On Day 3 we rode to Coffs and then Sawtell via Coramba 80 km. The road as far as Coramba was very quiet, beautiful scenery, with a couple of unsealed sections that were is good shape. Coramba Rd into Coffs Harbour was not so pleasant with significant traffic and no shoulder for much of the way. There is an excellent bike path for most of the way from Coffs Harbour to Sawtell.