Gunnedah

Gunnedah is a large service town with a population of 9,726 (2016) in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It has everything for the traveller passing through, with a couple of supermarkets, a choice of pubs and bistros, an upmarket restaurant or two, and a few great parks to stretch your legs. There is plenty of accommodation, and a few additional attractions in case you want to stretch your break for a day or two. It's a six block town, with one (somewhat unnecessary) single traffic light.

Understand
The indigenous Kamilaroi (Gamilaraay) people were the original inhabitants of the district. The site of the town was settled by sheep farmers in the early 1830s. The poet Dorothea Mackellar wrote her best known poem "My Country" (I love a sunburnt country ...) about her family's farm near Gunnedah and published it in 1908. Coal was discovered nearby in 1877. Wool, cotton, beef, lamb, pork, cereal, and oilseed are the main agricultural industries, with approximately 80% of the shire's land under some kind of agricultural production. Gunnedah is home to Agquip, an annual agriculural exposition.

Gunnedah is the main centre of the Gunnedah Shire Local Government Area.

By car
Gunnedah is at the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway (B51) and the Oxley Highway (B56).

It is 39.5 km south-east of Boggabri and 83 km north-west of Quirindi on the Kamilaroi Highway. It is 97 km south-east of Narrabri via Boggabri.

Gunnedah is 107 km north-east of Coonabarabran and 77.5 km north-west of Tamworth on the Oxley Highway.

By train
Trains run from Sydney to Moree daily (Route 243), departing Central Station in Sydney at 9:30AM, arriving at Werris Creek at 14:57PM, at Gunnedah at 3:15PM, at Boggabri at 4:10PM, at Narrabri at 4:52PM, and arriving at Moree at 6PM.

The train departs Moree daily (Route 244) at 8:05AM, arriving at Narrabri at 8:45AM, at Boggabri at 9:47AM, at Gunnedah at 10:14AM, at Werris Creek at 11:05AM, and arriving at Central Station in Sydney at 4:39PM.

It is possible to change trains at Werris Creek for services to Tamworth and Armidale, however bookings are not available from Werris Creek Railway Station itself, so reservations need to be made long before departure. The service (Route 233) departs Werris Creek daily at 2:57PM, arrives at Tamworth at 3:37PM, and arrives at Armidale at 5:35PM. The service (Route 224) departs Armidale at 8:19AM, arrives at Tamworth at 10:06AM, and arrives at Werris Creek at 11:07AM before continuing on to Sydney.

A timetable and map can be downloaded here. Bookings are essential.

By plane
Gunnedah has an airport that's around 3 km from town - but there is no regular passenger service. The closest airport with scheduled commercial flights is at Tamworth, and you can hire a car easily from there.

Get around
Gunnedah has three taxi services and two local bus route loops. The town itself (from the museum, to the airport, to the river, to the shops) is probably less than an hours walk if you arrive by train (although it can get hot in summer). Most people in Gunnedah would have a car.

By rental car
There is a car rental agency in Gunnedah.

Do




Buy
A true country service town, Gunnedah has a large Woolworths, a Target Country, bakery, camping supplies, bike shop, multiple service stations, banks and ATMs. You can also buy a combine harvester from one of the two farm supplies if you're in the market for some serious machinery.

There are a few gift and speciality shops in town that make a shopping stroll down the main street worthwhile.

Bear in mind that like many similar towns, most of the town will be closed Saturday afternoons, Sundays and public holidays. Woolworths keeps city hours (only closed on major public holidays), but expect the town to be otherwise quiet on weekends.

Drink


You have a choice of pubs and clubs in Gunnedah.

The pastel pink Bowling and Services Club is the most eclectic. With a bar and bistro next to the bowling greens, and another upstairs in the main building. On a summer's weekend afternoon, the beers flow directly from the bowling club bar out on to the green. A country institution a little frozen in time. Your house wine will be a choice of red or white. Your beer will be Tooheys or Carlton.



Sleep
''Accommodation may be hard to get during AgQuip and the Gunnedah Show. It is advisable to make reservations, and make them well in advance.''

Connect
Good coverage of the town with all the mobile networks. WiFi is available in most motels, but no shops or cafes. Telstra Air (Fon) hotspots are available around the public telephones for members and at a fee. There is also free WiFi at the library, if you're in need of a more serious Internet fix.

Go next

 * Boggabri - north-west of Gunnedah: 39 km via Kamilaroi Highway (B51) northbound (29 min)
 * Narrabri - north-west of Gunnedah: 98 km via Kamilaroi Highway (B51) northbound, through Boggabri, through Baan Baa, at the roundabout take the third exit onto the Newell Highway, cross the Narrabri Creek bridge (1 hr 9 min)
 * Wee Waa - north-west of Gunnedah: 138 km via Kamilaroi Highway (B51) northbound, through Boggabri, through Baan Baa, at the roundabout take the third exit onto the Newell Highway, cross the Narrabri Creek bridge, at Narrabri cross the Narrabri Creek bridge then turn left onto Tibbereena Street then turn right onto Killarney Street then left onto Barwan Street, turn left/west onto Wee Waa Road/Kamilaroi Highway, continue into Wee Waa (1 hr 39 min)
 * Walgett - north-west of Gunnedah: 281 km via Kamilaroi Highway (B51) northbound, through Boggabri, through Baan Baa, at the roundabout take the third exit onto the Newell Highway, cross the Narrabri Creek bridge, at Narrabri cross the Narrabri Creek bridge then turn left onto Tibbereena Street then turn right onto Killarney Street then left onto Barwan Street, turn left/west onto Wee Waa Road/Kamilaroi Highway, through Wee Waa on the Boolcarrol Road/Kamilaroi Highway, cross the Namoi River Bridge, through Burren Junction on the Kamilaroi Highway, turn left/south onto the Castlereagh Highway (B55), cross the Namoi River bridge and continue into Walgett (3 hr 11 min)
 * Lightning Ridge - north-west of Gunnedah: 349 km via via Kamilaroi Highway (B51) northbound, through Boggabri, through Baan Baa, at the roundabout take the third exit onto the Newell Highway, cross the Narrabri Creek bridge, at Narrabri cross the Narrabri Creek bridge then turn left onto Tibbereena Street then turn right onto Killarney Street then left onto Barwan Street, turn left/west onto Wee Waa Road/Kamilaroi Highway, through Wee Waa on the Boolcarrol Road/Kamilaroi Highway, cross the Namoi River Bridge, through Burren Junction on the Kamilaroi Highway, turn right/north onto the Castlereagh Highway (B55), pass the Gwydir Highway turn-off on the left, turn right/east onto Bill O'Brien Way and continue into Lightning Ridge (3 hr 51 min)
 * Moree - north-west of Gunnedah: 198 km via Kamilaroi Highway (B51) northbound, through Baan Baa, at the roundabout take the third exit onto the Newell Highway (A39), at Narrabri cross the Narrabri Creek bridge then turn left onto Tibbereena Street then turn right onto Killarney Street then left onto Barwan Street, pass the Wee Waa Road turn-off on the left (the road to Wee Waa) and continue out of town on the Newell Highway (A39), through Edgeroi, through Bellata, through Gurley, pass Moree Airport on the left, continue into Moree (2 hr 14 min)
 * Goondiwindi (Queensland) - north of Gunnedah: 321 km via Kamilaroi Highway (B51) northbound, through Baan Baa, through Baan Baa, at the roundabout take the third exit onto the Newell Highway (A39), at Narrabri cross the Narrabri Creek bridge then turn left onto Tibbereena Street then turn right onto Killarney Street then left onto Barwan Street, pass the Wee Waa Road turn-off on the left (the road to Wee Waa) and continue out of town on the Newell Highway (A39), through Edgeroi, through Bellata, through Gurley, pass Moree Airport on the left, continue through Moree, at Boggabilla turn left/north onto North Street/Newell Highway, pass the Gundsynd Way turn-off on the left, cross the state border and the Macintyre River bridge, at the big roundabout turn left onto Marshall Street (3 hr 31 min)
 * Barraba - north-east of Gunnedah: 92 km via Chandos Street northbound, cross the Namoi River bridge and continue as O'Keefe Avenue, pass the Wean Road turn-off on the left and continue as Kelvin Road, turn right onto Rangari Road then left onto Kelvin Road again, pass the Hobden Road turn-off on the right and continue as Longarm Road, turn left/north onto Manilla Road/Fossickers Way (B95) and continue into Barraba (1 hr 18 min) Alternative route: 117 km via Oxley Highway (B56) eastbound, Rushes Creek Road at Manilla turn left/north onto the Fossickers Way/Manilla Road (B95) and continue to Barraba (1 hr 25 min)
 * Manilla - north-east of Gunnedah: 66 km via Kamilaroi Highway eastbound, continue ahead through the first roundabout, at the second roundabout take the first exit onto the Oxley Highway (B56) and cross the Mooki River bridge, through Carroll, turn left/north onto Rushes Creek Road, cross the Peel River bridge, pass Lake Keepit on the left, continue ahead into Manilla (45 min)
 * Tamworth - east of Gunnedah: 76.5 km via Kamilaroi Highway eastbound, continue ahead through the first roundabout, at the second roundabout take the first exit onto the Oxley Highway (B56) and cross the Mooki River bridge, through Carroll, pass the Rushes Creek Road turn-off on the left, through Somerton, pass the Tamworth Regional Airport on the right, continue into Tamworth (56 min)
 * Armidale - north-east of Gunnedah: 188 km via via Kamilaroi Highway eastbound, continue ahead through the first roundabout, at the second roundabout take the first exit onto the Oxley Highway (B56) and cross the Mooki River bridge, through Carroll, pass the Rushes Creek Road turn-off on the left, through Somerton, pass the Tamworth Regional Airport on the right, in Tamworth cross the Peel River bridge and turn right onto Marius Street, continue ahead through the first roundabout then continue ahead through the second roundabout, continue ahead out of Tamworth on the Armidale Road/Oxley Highway/New England Highway, through Nemingha, through Kootingal, through Moonbi, through Bendemeer and continue ahead on the New England Highway (A15), through Uralla, at the roundabout turn right onto Uralla Road (B78), pass The Bicentennial Arboretum on the right, at the first roundabout take the first exit onto Dangar Street and cross the railway line (2 hr 7 min)
 * Quirindi - south-east of Gunnedah: 82.5 km via Kamilaroi Highway (B51) southbound, through Curlewis, through Breeza, continue into Quirindi (53 min)
 * Willow Tree - south-east of Gunnedah: 97 km via Kamilaroi Highway (B51) southbound, through Curlewis, through Breeza, at Quirindi turn right/south onto Loder Street and continue out of town, at the intersection with the New England Highway turn right/south and continue into Willow Tree (1 hr 2 min) Continue south of Willow Tree to head towards Murrurundi and the Hunter Region.
 * Coolah - south-west of Gunnedah: 125 km via Oxley Highway (B56) westbound, at Mullaley turn left/south onto Black Stump Way, through Tambar Springs, cross through the four-way intersection with Purlewaugh Road, pass the Warrumbungles Way turn-off on the right, continue into Coolah (1 hr 22 min)
 * Dunedoo - south-west of Gunnedah: 171 km via Oxley Highway (B56) westbound, at Mullaley turn left/south onto Black Stump Way, through Tambar Springs, cross through the four-way intersection with Purlewaugh Road, pass the Warrumbungles Way turn-off on the right, through Coolah, turn right/west onto Golden Highway (B84), pass the Castlereagh Highway turn-off on the left, continue ahead into Dunedoo (1 hr 56 min)
 * Dubbo - south-west of Gunnedah: 261 km via Oxley Highway (B56) westbound, at Mullaley turn left/south onto Black Stump Way, through Tambar Springs, cross through the four-way intersection with Purlewaugh Road, pass the Warrumbungles Way turn-off on the right, through Coolah, turn right/west onto Golden Highway (B84), pass the Castlereagh Highway turn-off on the left, continue through Dunedoo on the Golden Highway and continue ahead to Dubbo (2 hr 52 min) Alternative route: 266 km via Oxley Highway (B56) westbound, through Mullaley, pass the Newell Highway turn-off to Narrabri on the right and continue ahead on the Newell Highway (A39), through Coonabarabran, pass the Castlereagh Highway turn-off on the left, at Gilgandra cross the Castlereagh River bridge and turn left onto the Newell Highway to continue out of town, through Brocklehurst, continue ahead to Dubbo (2 hr 57 min)
 * Coonabarabran - south-west of Gunnedah: 106 km via Oxley Highway (B56) westbound, through Mullaley, pass the Newell Highway turn-off to Narrabri on the right and continue on the Newell Highway (A39), continue ahead into Coonabarabran (1 hr 10 min)
 * Gilgandra - south-west of Gunnedah: 201 km via Oxley Highway (B56) westbound, through Mullaley, pass the Newell Highway turn-off to Narrabri on the right and continue on the Newell Highway (A39), through Coonabarabran, continue into Gilgandra (2 hr 14 min)