Armidale to Glen Innes road trip: Distance, drive time & stops

The Armidale to Glen Innes road trip along the New England Highway covers a 99km distance in a driving time of around 1h9m. The best road trip stops along the way include Thunderbolt’s Cave and the Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve.

The drive from Armidale to Glen Innes takes you north through the New England region of New South Wales. It’s a leg on the journey of the inland route from Sydney to Brisbane, and there’s some pleasant scenery to enjoy along the way.

Armidale to Glen Innes distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Armidale to Glen Innes is 99km. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and nine minutes, almost entirely along the New England Highway.

Where to stay in Armidale

For the best Armidale accommodation, book one of these:

For charm and character: Petersons Armidale Winery & Guesthouse.
For a great value motel: Alluna Motel.
For central location: Tattersalls Hotel.

There are a few road trip stops along the way that you may wish to consider as a journey-breaker.

First up is Thunderbolt’s Cave, just south of Black Mountain. This cave was used as a hideout in the 19^th century by the area’s notorious bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt. The loop walk is about 0.5km long, and should take you about ten minutes.

Armidale to Glen Innes drive: Guyra attractions

The biggest town between Armidale and Glen Innes is Guyra. Here, you can go fishing and birdwatching at the Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve.

Further north, the Little Langothlin Nature Reserve offers much of the same, plus a picnic area and a 4.8km walk circumnavigating the lagoon.

Armidale to Glen Innes road trip: Balancing Rock and Stonehenge Recreation Reserve

As you get close to Glen Innes, you’ll go past the Balancing Rock. As the name suggests, this is a big granite boulder teetering on what looks like an impossibly small pointed end.

There are more big granite rocks in the neighbouring Stonehenge Recreation Reserve.

Things to do in Glen Innes include seeing the peculiar Australian Standing Stones Monument and tackling the tough Tommy’s Rock Walking Track in the Mann River Nature Reserve.

Glen Innes accommodation

Glen Innes accommodation options are basically various iterations on the motel. The New England Motor Lodge is the strongest contender, here – it has the most central location and a surprisingly sprawling pool. The Clansman Motel on the New England Highway also has good reviews. Meanwhile the Great Central Hotel does cheap but decent rooms above a pub.