Multi-day cycle rides in Northern NSW

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 four-day mini tour, camping at Yarrowyck crossing, Bendemeer and Walcha. The route is hilly with substantial unsealed sections but generally very light traffic apart from the section from Woolbrook to Walcha on the Oxley highway. Day 1 was a half day ride of about 40 km, net downhill from Armidale to the very basic campsite at Yarrowyck crossing on the Gwydir river. This is sealed apart from the bumpy corrugated ~ 5km from Thunderbolts way to the campsite. On day 2 we started by wading across the creek. There is a short rough track to a driveway up to the road which was shorter and easier going than returning the way we came in. The ride from Yarrowyck to Kingstown (~27km) is exceedingly pleasant, sealed, gently undulating and almost no traffic. The seal runs out just past Kingstown. However, the surface up to the border between Uralla and Tamworth councils was good even though it included the biggest climb of the day. The road surface took a turn for the worse in the Tamworth council section with a thick later of course gravel. The was quite unpleasant to ride. We also had to jump a barded wire fence and ignore no trespassing signs to reach what surely is a road reserve under the bridge across the MacDonald river at Retreat. This put us on edge for what would otherwise have been a lovely picnic lunch. We were very pleased when the gravel ended and the final section of ride for the day following the MacDonald river up to Bendemeer was generally pleasant, though we were disappointed about the lack of access to the river. Day 3 started with a major adventure. We had decided to attempt the climb up Bendemeer Station Rd rather than follow the Oxley highway the whole way to Walcha. Bendemeer Station Rd leaves just south of Bendemeer after a few 100 m of shoulder on the NE highway. After a couple of creek crossings it heads steeply up hill. There was a lot of pushing done and the road is more of just a rough track across the top However we were rewarded with fantastic views across the edge of the tablelands. Anyone attempting this route needs to be at least as fit and as crazy as us. Fortunately, the ride down from the ridge towards Woolbrook was a much better surface and much easier gradients so that we reached the picnic area in Woolbrook for a lateish lunch. From Woolbrook there is also a major climb but as the road is sealed and the gradient quite modest it feels quite easy after the mornings adventure. The Oxley Highway has some fast traffic and the shoulder is narrow, but we have ridden this many times without feeling threatened as the visibility is generally good and the traffic gave us plenty of space. For the final day our route takes the backroads to Armidale via Gostwyck. Blue Mountain Rd and Hillview Rds are unsealed for ~37 km but the ride is reasonably straightforward with pleasant views and very little traffic.

This was ridden as a three-day loop from Armidale. Day 1 heads up the hilly Rockvale Rd, then turns off along Chandler Rd. The seal runs out after approx. 7 km. However, on both occasions we have ridden this the gravel road to Wollomobi has been in fairly good condition. After a paved short section on the Waterfall Way and the first few kms along the Kempsey Rd, the road turned to gravel again and continued to be very hilly. The 87 km ride to the Wattle Flat camping area was quite tough due to both large amount of gravel road and the hilly nature of the terrain. However, the Wattle flat camping area is a lovely spot and worth the effort. On day 2, the route climbs back up the hill to Forest way then continues climbing up to the Little Styx picnic area. This short 23 km section was hard going and took us nearly 3 h! We chose to leave the gear there and make the final push up to Point Lookout unladen. The views there are however worth every bit of the sweat required to get there. After returning to the Little Styx for lunch and to pick up our gear. There was another steep climb to negotiate. The remainder of the dirt road up to the highway was in good condition and we made much faster progress. This road can however get very corrugated by the amount of tourist traffic. The remainder of the day’s ride was far from flat but felt very easy on paved roads along Waterfall Way to Ebor then along the Guyra Rd to the Native Dog creek rest area. This is another lovely camping area. However, when we rode in the midst of the drought there was no water in the creek. A caravan owner saw us looking and kindly gave us a top up, but the larger Biscuit Creek about 200 m down the road did have water. Total distance day 2: ~60 km. Day 3: We continued along the Guyra road (paved) to Rockvale Rd (approx. 10 km unsealed) and back to Armidale ~80 km in total. This is still hilly but net downhill. The circuit was a delightful ride but rated difficult on account of large amounts of gravel road, very hilly terrain as well as total lack of shops requiring carrying enough food for 3 days of hard work. Note we have not done this ride since the fires went through in late 2019.

This was a moderately ambitious four-day ride including camping. Riding was mostly on sealed roads with light to very light traffic but hilly terrain. Day 1 was a short ride of just 41 km from Inverell to Copeton Dam all on undulating sealed roads. Copeton dam camping area is enormous with great flexibility on where you can camp as long as you don’t mind riding your bike up to the toilets. We had a gorgeous spot 100s of metres from our nearest neighbours, surrounded by granite boulders, wattles and kangaroos. The remaining days were all approximately 100 kms. On day 2 we started with a short climb up from the dam, followed by a long descent down into the Gwydir valley. The preceding weather had been quite wet so there were a number of shallow creek crossings once down in the valley. However, the ride was easy with little climbing and very pretty with the countryside green, lush and full of flowers. After lunch in Bingara we had to work a whole lot harder with climbing to do as we rode towards Warialda and Cranky Rock Reserve. The latter was interesting and pleasant but given our time again I would probably just stop in Warialda as the ride out to Cranky Rock added nearly 10 km each way. Day 3 (91 km) took us to Coolatai (nice pub) and the locality of Wallagra (no services) before turning onto Sandy Creek Rd into Kwiambal NP. We took a side trip to the caves, which were disappointing with no bats to be seen but lots of graffiti. The roads into the National Park are all unsealed and when we did the ride, there were numerous washouts due to the recent heavy rain. This with so many river crossings we lost count made the ride moderately challenging. However, the lovely grassy campground at Lemon tree flat beside the (swollen) Severn River made the effort worthwhile. On Day 4 we took a side trip to Macintyre Falls before heading out towards Ashford along roads lined with wattles and tea trees in full bloom. From Ashford the road is sealed but the 90 km total for the day combined with an undulating ride net up hill made for a solid day. We did this ride in mid-September, peak wild flower season and enjoyed spectacular displays of wildflowers at several places along the road.

A 3 day exploration of Mt Kaputar from Horton Falls via the Barraba track. On Day 1 we parked the car at Horton Falls and rode up to Dawson Springs. There was a good gravel road as far as the park boundary. From there the Barrab track is steep and if the weather is even slightly wet, the red sticky mud sticks to tyres and shoes forming a thick layer. We found the 10 km up to Dawson Springs hut hard work with lots of pushing. On the second day we did an easy loookout crawl, returning to the car on the third day. The ride down the Barraba track in dryer weather was enormous fun. Would love to return to Mt Kaputar for further exploration. Requires a Mountain bike.

We did this loop from Dungowan but of course it can be started anywhere; the original plan was to go clockwise as entered but we ended up going anticlockwise (recommended). The route to Quiridi via Werris creek is shorter (approx 77 km) and flatter than the route via Nundle (approx 89 km). The road from Dungowan is very quiet and pleasantly scenic, rolling farm land with a backdrop of hills all around. there is a short section (5km) of dirt road from the highway to Duri. The road from Duri to Quirindi was busier but not too bad Currabubula has a landscaped rest area which made a great lunch stop. We stopped overnight in Qurindi but no doubt the younger and fitter could do this in a day. from Wallabadah the route includes 6km of New England highway but early on a Sunday morning this has little traffic and there is an overtaking lane for almost the whole section. There is some pretty solid climbing from Wallabadah to Lindsay gap but this provides some great views. Nundle has plenty of distractions for a long lunch break. From Nundle we chose to follow the Peel river along river road; this is unsealed up to Bowling alley pt but compensated by being very scenic. The remaining route back to Dungowan was quiet, net downhill with a climb up past Chaffey dam wall. Route highly recommended

This was a three day ride based from Tenterfield. The Bruxner way was generally very quiet and much of it follow a ridge with great views then a fabulous descent to Mingoola. We camped the first night at Glenlyon Dam 66 km, 400 m ascent. The second day was rather harder work being a solid climb back up to Stanthorpe, 92 km, 1070 m ascent. The roads on days 1 & 2 are fully paved with only light traffic. The route retunrs to Tenterfield via Amosfield Rd then the Mt Lindsey Highway which runs past Bald Rock NP 73 km, 820 m ascent. Bald Rock NP is worth at least a stop if not a walk up the rock. At the time of riding there was 9 km of gravel road, ome of which was thick soft sand. However, the road was in the process of being sealed.

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.

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.  

Day 1. Armidale to Walcha 85 km Day 2. Walcha to Lochlorian getaway 60 km Day 3. Lochlorian  to Nundle 47 km Day 4 Nundle to Moonbi 73 km Day 5 Monbi to Manilla 66 km Day 6 Manilla to Barraba 66km Day 7 Barraba to Bundarra 69 km Day 8 Bundarra to Armidale 68 km