Fossickers Way
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]
Fossickers Way | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Bridge over the Namoi River in Manilla | |
| General information | |
| Type | Highway |
| Length | 379 km (235 mi)[1] |
| Route number(s) |
|
| Former route number |  State Route 95 (1974-2013)(Tamworth-Warialda) |
| Major junctions | |
| North end |  New England HighwayGlen Innes, New South Wales[2] |
| South end | River Road Nundle, New South Wales[2] |
| Location(s) | |
| Major settlements | Tamworth Bingara, Barraba, Manilla, Inverell |
| Highway system | |
History
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.
Route
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.
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) Oakenville Street (Nundle Road) | 4-way intersection; southern terminus of Fossickers Way Fossickers Way continues west along 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 | |
| Dungowan | 34 | 21 | Ogunbil Road – Gloucester | Roundabout | ||
| Cockburn River | 51 | 32 | Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown) | |||
| Tamworth | Nemingha | 51 | 32 |  New England Highway/Oxley Highway (A15/B56 east) – Tamworth, Armidale | 4-way intersection; south-eastern concurrency terminus with routes A15/B56 Fossickers Way continues west along New England Highway/Oxley Highway, south along Nundle Road | |
| Tamworth | 57 | 35 | Murray Street (New England Highway) (A15 west) – Muswellbrook, Singleton, Newcastle | Roundabout; north-western concurrency terminus with route A15 | ||
| 58 | 36 | Oxley Highway (B56 west) – Gunnedah, Coonabarabran | T-intersection; north-western concurrency terminus with route B56; southern terminus of route B95 | |||
| 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 (west) – Bingara Maitland Street (north) – Bingara | 4-way intersection; Fossickers Way continues east along Finch Street, south along Maitland Street | |
| Link Street (south) – Bingara | T-intersection; Fossickers Way continues north along East Street, west along Finch Street | |||||
| 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 |  Gwydir Highway (B76) – Moree, Inverell | T-intersection; northern terminus of route B95 Fossickers Way continues east along Gwydir Highway, south along Alan Cunningham Road | |
| 251 | 156 | Warialda Road – Yetman, Boggabilla | T-intersection | |||
| Macintyre River | 311 | 193 | Bridge over the river (bridge name unknown) | |||
| Inverell | Inverell | 312 | 194 | Byron Street (north-east) – Inverell | Roundabout; Fossickers Way continues south-west along Byron Street, south-east along Otho Street | |
| 313 | 194 | Tinga Road, to Thunderbolts Way – Uralla, Walcha, Gloucester | T-intersection | |||
| Glen Innes Severn | Glen Innes | 379 | 235 | Church Street (New England Highway) (A15) – Armidale, Tamworth, Stanthorpe, Warwick (QLD) | T-intersection; eastern terminus of Fossickers Way Gwydir Highway (B76) continues south along Church Street[2] | |
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.
References
- "29 Oakenville Street, Nundle NSW 2340 to 273 Ferguson Street, Glen Innes NSW 2370" (Map). Google Maps. 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- "Fossickers Way Scenic Drive". Travel In. Bauer Xcel Media. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- "The Fossickers Way". New England North West. 2013. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- "NSW State Route 95". OzRoads. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- "The Fossickers Way". northnet.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- NSW Open Road Fossickers Ways Retrieved 2010-8-16
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
