Western New England
Western New England include the western areas of New England, New South Wales. The region includes the local government areas of Inverell, Gwydir, Narrabri and Moree Plains. Perched on the edge of the outback, the area is best known for its classic rural Australian culture, but also for its rolling plains.
Cities
- 🌍 Ashford – a good base for exploring Kwiambal National Park and Pindari Dam
- 🌍 Bingara – an old gold-mining town, with a touch of art-deco
- 🌍 Boggabilla – home of the Wobbly Boot
- 🌍 Boggabri – home of the Drovers Campfire event
- 🌍 Delungra – a convenient rest stop for east-west travellers
- 🌍 Inverell – the "Sapphire City", with Copeton Dam nearby
- 🌍 Moree - sometimes referred to as the "capital" of the North West Slopes and Plains, hot water springs, cotton country
- 🌍 Mungindi – a real frontier town. Being the only town in Australia to be in two states, you could be at your hotel in one side, and go back an hour to get some food during the summer months.
- 🌍 Narrabri – home to the Australia (radio) Telescope and gateway to Mount Kaputar National Park
- 🌍 Tingha – a former tin mining town with an interesting history
- 🌍 Warialda – where north-south meets east-west
- 🌍 Wee Waa – Australia's Cotton Capital
- 🌍 Yetman – a welcome break for east-west travellers
Other destinations
- 🌍 Dthinna Dthinnawan National Park
- 🌍 Kings Plains National Park
- 🌍 Kwiambal National Park
- 🌍 Mount Kaputar National Park
Get in
NSW Trainlink trains connect Sydney to Moree passing Narrabri and Gunnedah after branching out in Werris Creek just after Quirindi. To get to towns such as Wee Waa or Burren Junction, there is a coach line from Narrabri. However, note that there is no public transport to Mungindi. There is also a coach line from Grafton, passing through major towns such as Glen Innes and Inverell.
If you're coming in by car, there are numerous roads leading into this vast region, with the key ones being the Newell Highway near Goondiwindi and Narrabri, the Carnavon Highway in Mungindi, the Gwydir Highway from Walgett and Glen Innes, and the Kamilaroi Highway from Narrabri.
See
- Visit the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial Site, 24 kilometres north east of Bingara. It was location of where the first time European settlers were punished for murdering Indigenous Australians in 1838.
- Kwiambal National Park near Ashford is a lesser known national park, known for its lookouts and walking trails
- The Old Gaol and Heritage Museum in Narrabri is one of the few former jails that now operates as a museum, but still gives you the real feel of the cells
- The water in Mungindi Swimming Pool and Hot Pool in Mungindi is from the Great Artesian Basin, and is one of the few pools in the New England region to be on top of the basin
Eat
Country food in Australia is simple and generally consists of steaks, lamb chops, beef and other basics and is the most common type of food found in this the western areas of the New England region. However, it can be difficult for a vegan or a vegetarian to find a decent meal in many towns in this region because most rural Australians just do not get this "urban affliction".
Luckily, unlike the outback, Moree has a fair bit of variety, although the variety is not much when you compare it larger towns and cities on the coast. Finding fast-food chains are not very common though, and you may only find a Maccas every now and there.