The Pacific Highway is the most common coastal route for a Sydney to Brisbane road trip but if you’re eager to embark on a leaf-peeping adventure, an underrated inland route is an equally scenic option and worth the lengthy drive out. Lined with postcard-perfect autumn towns, classic country pubs, cosy wineries and heritage buildings, the New England Region promises a wonderfully efficient trip that is best undertaken during the autumn months. The New England Highway connects Yarraman, QLD to Newcastle, NSW and there’s a lot of ground to cover in the 883-kilometre-long highway but we’re looking at the section that includes the New England High Country — home to Armidale, Glen Innes, Inverell, Tenterfield, Uralla and Walcha.
New England High Country
There are a lot of reasons to plan a road trip in this part of NSW, but the best might be the natural scenery and sweeping landscapes that are enveloped in colour-saturated foliage. New England High Country is nestled in Northern NSW, within a day’s drive of Brisbane and Sydney and can take about 10-12 hours to drive without any stops. The New England Highway starts or finishes just northwest of Newcastle in NSW depending on where you’re driving from. There are several charming towns to choose from but there are a few essential pitstops along the way for the ideal autumnal getaway.
Best autumn spots to visit in New England
Armidale is New England High Country’s capital and about the halfway point on the New England Highway between Sydney and Brisbane. Well known for its autumn foliage, the wide leafy streets of this picturesque city are bursting with autumn colours as the weather starts to cool down. 19th-century buildings and cosy cafes line its leafy streets but the city is also well endowed with natural landscapes that include waterfalls, gorges and four sprawling national parks. If you want to linger and enjoy the colourful vistas for a while, the historic towns of Guyra, Walcha and Uralla are all an easy 30 to 60-minute drive from Armidale with guaranteed views along the way.
An hour’s drive from Armidale will also bring you to Glen Innes which should be a must-visit stop on your road trip. The wonderful town has been dubbed the Celtic capital of Australia and is flooded with red and gold leaves during autumn. May is one of the best times to visit for autumn foliage and its huge Australian Celtic Festival where you can enjoy country hospitality, Celtic dance and music, street parades and much more.
Further afield
A meandering hour’s drive from Glen Innes will bring you to Tenterfield, a regional town with tree-lined streets, cooler temps and a canopy of changing leaves along the scenic route. Autumn is the prime time to visit and places to visit to see autumn leaves along the New England Highway include Millbrook Park and Bluff Rock. This is also the last major stop on this route before crossing the border into Queensland.
If you want more out of your trip, check out Australia’s country music capital Tamworth, home to the Big Golden Guitar and the main hub of the New England region, located about a 3.5-hour drive from Newcastle. It’s also perfect for food lovers with a dedicated foodie trail highlighting some of NSW’s finest food and beverage options.
Discover more about New England High Country here.