Castlereagh Highway, Australia: Length, towns and junctions
The Castlereagh Highway connects country New South Wales to southern Queensland. It’s 790km long, with the main towns on route being Mudgee, Dunedoo, Gilgandra, Walgett and Lightning Ridge.
The Castlereagh Highway is one of the longest highways in Australia. It runs through country New South Wales into southern Queensland, and connects several sizable towns along the way. It is also known as the B55 in New South Wales and A55 in Queensland.
How long is the Castlereagh Highway?
The Castlereagh Highway is 790km long, and it begins in Marangaroo near Lithgow, New South Wales, as a branch-off of the Great Western Highway.
The first decent-sized town this Australian highway passes through is Mudgee, centre of a rapidly expanding wine region.
Things to do in Mudgee include wine tours in a classic car, opal-polishing workshops, plushorse-riding and wine-tasting combos.
Highly-rated Mudgee accommodation choices include the Horatio Suites and Motel, the Cobb & Co Court Boutique Hotel and Parkview Hotel.
Castlereagh Highway towns: Dunedoo, Gilgandra and Walgett
Further north, the Castlereagh Highway reaches the intersection with the Golden Highway at Dunedoo. It passes through Mendooran on the way to Gilgandra, where there is a key junction with the Newell Highway.
From Gilgandra, the Castlereagh Highway continues north to Walgett, and the junctions with the Gwydir Highway and Kamilaroi Highway.
Things to do in Walgett include swimming in the Artesian Baths and learning about local Indigenous culture at the Dharriwaa Elders Group Cultural Exhibition Centre.
Walgett’s patchy accommodation options include the Pink House and the Coolabah Motel.
Castlereagh Highway stops: Lightning Ridge
From Walgett, the highway runs north to opal mining town Lightning Ridge. Here, you can do an opal mine tour, see the subterranean Chambers of the Black Hand art gallery and stay at the Lightning Ridge Outback Resort and Caravan Park.
Once over the Queensland border, the Castlereagh Highway passes through Hebel and finishes at the junction with the Carnarvon Highway, just outside St George.
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