Dubbo to Newcastle road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time

The best stops on a Dubbo to Newcastle road trip include Dunedoo, Merriwa and Branxton. By car along sealed roads, the distance from Dubbo to Newcastle is 379km, with a driving time of around 4h28m.

A Dubbo to Newcastle road trip will take you from one of Australia’s most fascinating inland cities to the second largest city in New South Wales.

Dubbo is best known for the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, where you can stay overnight and do safari-style tours. To find good quality Dubbo accommodation that suits your tastes, explore the options here.

Newcastle offers plenty of activities, including adventure boat cruises along the coastline, architecture and street art walking tours and whale watching cruises. For a big menu of Newcastle tours and experiences, explore here. To fix up one of Newcastle’s best accommodation options, book here.

This guide should help you plan your perfect Dubbo to Newcastle road trip itinerary.

Click through on the individual places and attractions for more detailed, specific information – and remember to stock up on your road trip essentials before setting off.

Dubbo to Newcastle distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Dubbo to Newcastle is 379km. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 28 minutes.

Good stops to add to a Dubbo to Newcastle road trip itinerary include Dunedoo, Merriwa and Branxton.

Dubbo has a surprisingly strong hand when it comes to attractions. Top of the list are the Dubbo Observatory and Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Book tickets for the latter online to skip the queue.

Other things to do in Dubbo include spooky ghost tours at the Old Dubbo Gaol.

Dubbo accommodation picks

Australia specialist booking site Wotif offers Dubbo accommodation for from $80 a night. To search through the options, visit the top deals page.

However, the following well-reviewed Dubbo accommodation options are particularly worth considering.

For families: Discovery Parks Dubbo holiday park.
For business travellers and anyone who wants a bit more space: The Quest apartments.
For good value in a central location: Surestay Hotel.
For a high quality motel with indoor AND outdoor pools: Cattlemans Country Motor Inn.

Dubbo to Newcastle road trip: Dubbo to Merriwa

Leaving Dubbo along the Golden Highway/B84, the first realistic stop is an hour away in Dunedoo. There’s nothing to get massively excited about here, but there are a few places to eat, plus a swimming pool and golf course. The highlight for visitors is likely to be the silo art – massive murals have been painted on Dunedoo’s grain silos.

Beyond Dunedoo, the Golden Highway passes through more-or-less uninhabited stretches of New South Wales. Uarbry and Cassilis are tiny, with nothing to detain visitors.

However, before you reach Merriwa, there’s the turn off for the western section of Goulburn River National Park. If just dipping in, the Lees Pinch Lookout Walking Track is the best bet. The track is about 1km long, and there are expansive views of the national park from the top.

Dubbo to Newcastle drive: Merriwa to Branxton

Merriwa, once you arrive, has a few places to stay. There’s also more silo art to admire, and the Merriwa Tourist Welcoming Centre. This is essentially the obligatory regional history museum, but locally-made arts and crafts are also showcased here.

Beyond Merriwa, there are plenty of farms and horse studs, but Denman on the Hunter River is the first town. There are a couple of hotels, a pub, an RSL club and bowling club here.

The Golden Highway then largely follows the Hunter River towards Jerrys Plains, Warkworth and Mount Thorley before you reach the Australian Army Infantry Museum just south of Singleton.

Shortly afterwards, it merges into the New England Highway.

Then Belford National Park comes just before you reach Branxton. Alas, this is not a national park with visitor facilities – it is set up primarily for conservation and regeneration. You can walk around the perimeter fire trails if you really must, however.

Branxton, though, is one of the gateways to the Hunter Valley wine region. The smart move here is to duck south towards the wineries.

Attractions on the edge of Newcastle

Should you keep going towards Newcastle, however, the drive leaves the New England Highway and joins the Hunter Expressway (aka the M15). There’s not much to see near the motorway, although the Heddon Greta Drive In might interest those who like their movies the old-fashioned way.

On the outskirts of Newcastle, you may wish to branch off to the Mt Sugarloaf Lookout or Treetops Adventure Newcastle in the Blue Gum Hills.

Good things to do in Newcastle include admiring wildlife at Blackbutt Reserve, whale-watching tours and enjoying the city’s museums.

9 cool Newcastle experiences you need to book in advance

An Adventure boat cruise along the Hunter coast – with thrills and scenery.
A mobile phone-based scavenger hunt – explore the city differently.
An architecture and street art walking tour – see all the best murals.
A whale-watching tour – get close to the migrating humpback whales.
A two hour city highlights tour by bus – get orientated when you first arrive.
A scenic helicopter flight – see the spectacular coastline from above.
A three hour craft beer and food-matching tour – get a taste of the drinking and dining scene.
A food, drink and history walking tour – hear stories and indulge at the same time.

Newcastle also has coastal boat tours, street art walks and evening true crime tours.

The best way to enjoy Newcastle’s beaches is the 6km Bathers Way walk from Nobbys Beach to the Merewether Ocean Baths. This goes past Newcastle Beach and Bar Beach along the way, and you can tackle the short but visually impressive Newcastle Memorial Walk too.

Newcastle accommodation favourites include the lavish Crystalbrook Kingsley, the peppy QT Newcastle and the heritage-drenched Grand Hotel.