Gwydir Highway, NSW: Road trip distance, attractions and main towns

A road trip on the Gwydir Highway takes you east to west across northern New South Wales, taking in the Washpool National Park, Glen Innes, Inverell and Moree.

The Gwydir Highway in New South Wales runs largely east to west, going from near the NSW North Coast to the outback. This highway cuts across the New England region, but generally avoids the state’s bigger cities.

Therefore, it’s unlikely that most visitors to Australia will encounter the Gwydir Highway. Those that do might find it a handy short cut, however.

Length of the Gwydir Highway, New South Wales

The Gwydir Highway is 568km long, and begins in South Grafton, near the Clarence River. The Pacific Highway – the main route up the east coast of New South Wales – runs a short distance to the east.

At the end of the Gwydir, it meets the Castlereagh Highway, just north of Walgett and just south of Lightning Ridge in outback New South Wales.

National Parks on the Gwydir Highway

On the way into New England, the Gywdir Highway runs east of the Gibraltar Range National Park, then passes through the Washpool National Park. It then goes along the northern edge of the Barool National Park into Glen Innes, the first sizable town after Grafton. Here, the route crosses the New England Highway, which heads north into Queensland.

From Glen Innes, the Gwydir Highway passes west across New England and through the small Barayamal National Park into Inverell. The B76 then turns for the north-west until it reaches Warialda.