Gunnedah to Newcastle road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The Gunnedah to Newcastle drive covers a 305km distance in a driving time of around 3h38m. Quirindi, Scone and the Hunter Valley wine region are the best road trip stops along the way.
Planning a Gunnedah to Newcastle road trip itinerary
The drive from Gunnedah to Newcastle takes you from north-western New South Wales to the state’s second largest city.
For Gunnedah accommodation, search 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 ideal Gunnedah to Newcastle road trip.
If you need to hire a car, find the best rental deals. And don’t forget to do all your pre-road trip shopping.
Gunnedah to Newcastle distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Gunnedah to Newcastle is 305km. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 38 minutes.
In Gunnedah, you can take on the short walks to the Porcupine Lookout and Avards Lookout.
The Gunnedah Rural Museum does the local history thing, and there’s silo art to admire.
Gunnedah accommodation options include the very well-reviewed Gunnedah Lodge Motel and the pool-equipped Gunnedah Motor Inn.
Gunnedah to Newcastle road trip: Gunnedah to Murrurundi
The next town along is Quirindi, where attractions include Bob’s Shed – best described as an overgrown collection of curiosities – and the well-meaning Quirindi Rural Heritage Village Museum.
The single most impressive sight, however, is the giant murals painted over the Graincorp silos in the town centre.
Top accommodation choices in Quirindi include the plusher than you might expect Best Western Quirindi RSL Motel and the Quirindi Sunflower Motor Inn.
Further along at Willow Tree, branch off the Kamilaroi Highway and join the New England Highway.
Keep going and you’ll reach Murrurundi, a decent lunch stop with a few cafés, art galleries and hotels. You can dose up on local history at the Murrurundi Museum.
Road trip essentials that many travellers forget
Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.
- Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
- Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
- Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
- Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
- A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
- Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.
Gunnedah to Newcastle drive: Murrundi to Scone
Then, between Murualla and Wingen, Mount Wingen is a smouldering coal seam where rocks change colour. The 4km walk trough the Burning Mountain Nature Reserve showcases the vents breaking through the earth’s surface.
Near Wingen, Towarri National Park offers a fabulous swimming spot – the Washpools Waterhole by the Washpools Picnic Area.
The 4km Figtree Creek Track through Scone Mountain National Park is the highlight in Scone. You can also take a detour to picnics, fishing and watersports-friendly Lake Glenbawn.
The best places to stay in Scone
The top Scone accommodation options are:
- For a cheap, but surprisingly good quality motel: Isis Motel.
- For a bed and breakfast with an indoor pool: Strathearn Park Lodge.
- For town centre location: Portman House.
Click through to the next section: Scone to Singleton.