Fossickers Way

The Fossickers Way is a series of country roads located in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia that, when joined together, come to form a 379-kilometre (235 mi) scenic and tourist drive.[1] The road's southern terminus is located in Nundle[2] with its northwest terminus in Warialda; thereafter the road joins the Gwydir Highway and heads east to Inverell before reaching its eastern terminus in Glen Innes.[2][3] The majority of the Fossickers Way is designated as B95.[4]

Fossickers Way

New South Wales
Bridge over the Namoi River in Manilla
General information
TypeHighway
Length379 km (235 mi)[1]
Route number(s)None
Nundle – Tamworth
B95
Tamworth – Warialda
B76
Warialda – Glen Innes
Former
route number		 State Route 95 (?? - 2013)
Major junctions
North end New England Highway (A15),
Glen Innes, New South Wales[2]
  New England Highway (A15)
Oxley Highway (B56)
South endNundle, New South Wales[2]
Location(s)
Major settlementsTamworth Bingara, Barraba, Manilla, Inverell
Highway system

History

The scenic route draws its name of Fossickers Way due to the many deposits of gold and the variety of gemstones that have been found in the area (mostly by Europeans) since the early 1850s. Prior to this time, local Aboriginal tribes such as the Werawai people of Nundle and its surrounds were known to use local minerals and stones for the purpose of making tools, such as axe heads.

Route

Fossickers Way transverses the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands and passes through some of the world’s richest gem areas. In these parts, sapphires, zircon, jasper, prase, rhodonite, crystals and even gold may be found. The highway passes through open wheat and grazing lands and deeply wooded slopes, through country towns rich in gold rush history.

Towns along the Fossickers' Way include Nundle, Tamworth, Manilla, Barraba, and Bingara, Warialda, Delungra, Inverell and Glen Innes. The Fossickers Way, a scenic drive that incorporates seven shires in northern NSW,[5] is an alternate route between Sydney and Brisbane.[6]

In this area, sapphires, zircon, jasper, prase, ridonite, crystals and even gold may be found along various quarries, rivers and creeks, such as Swamp Oak Creek, just out of the town of Nundle where gold was discovered in 1851 by a local squatter, Nathan Burrows It has been reported that he made the discovery, then immediately informed folks in nearby Tamworth and the gold rush began thereafter. The Gwydir Highway passes through open wheat and grazing lands and deeply wooded slopes through country towns, rich in gold rush history.

Major junctions
LGALocationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
TamworthNundle00.0Jenkins Street / River Road4-way intersection; southern terminus;
Fossickers Way continues north as Nundle Road[2]
Peel RiverBridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Peel River127.5Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
TamworthBowling Alley Point127.5River RoadT-intersection; Fossickers Way continues north as Nundle Road
Dungowan3421Ogunbil Road – GloucesterT-intersection; Fossickers Way continues north as Nundle Road
Cockburn River5132Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
TamworthNemingha5132 New England Highway (A15) /
Oxley Highway (B56) – Tamworth, Armidale		T-intersection; southeastern concurrency terminus;
Fossickers Way continues northwest as the New England Highway / Oxley Highway
Tamworth5735 New England Highway (A15) – Muswellbrook, Singleton, NewcastleRoundabout; concurrency with the New England Highway terminates;
Fossickers Way continues northwest as the Oxley Highway
5836 Oxley Highway (B56) – Gunnedah, CoonabarabranT-intersection;
Northwestern concurrency terminus with the Oxley Highway;
Fossickers Way continues northwest as Manilla Road (B95)
Oxley Highway (B56) – Gunnedah, CoonabarabranSouthern terminus of B95
Namoi River10465Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Manilla River11672Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Manilla River15093Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
GwydirBingara210130Finch Street / Maitland Street4-way intersection;
Fossickers Way continues northeast as
Finch Street (B95)
Link Street / East StreetT-intersection;
Fossickers Way continues north as
East Street / Allan Cunningham Road (B95)
Gwydir River211131Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Myall Creek218135Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
GwydirWarialda248154 Gwydir Highway (B76) (B95) – Moree, InverellT-intersection; western concurrency terminus of the B76;
Fossickers Way continues east as the
Gwydir Highway (B76) (B95)
251156 Warialda Road (B95) – BoggabillaT-intersection; eastern concurrency terminus of the B95;
Fossickers Way continues east as the
Gwydir Highway (B76)
Macintyre River311193Bridge over the river (bridge name unknown)
InverellInverell312194Otho StreetRoundabout; Fossickers Way continues southeast as the
Gwydir Highway (B76)
313194Tinga Road to Thunderbolts Way (no shield) – Uralla, Walcha, GloucesterT-intersection; Fossickers Way continues southeast as the
Gwydir Highway (B76)
Glen Innes SevernGlen Innes379235 New England Highway (A15) / Church Street – Armidale, Tamworth, Stanthorpe, Warwick (QLD) /
Gwydir Highway (B76) Grafton		T-intersection; eastern terminus;
Gwydir Highway (B76) continues south[2]
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Tourism

Many events occur along Fossicker's Way throughout the year, including the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. The Fossicker's Way Treasure Hunt[7] is also an annual event which takes participants through all eight towns on the trail.

See also

References
  1. "29 Oakenville Street, Nundle NSW 2340 to 273 Ferguson Street, Glen Innes NSW 2370" (Map). Google Maps. 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  2. "Fossickers Way Scenic Drive". Travel In. Bauer Xcel Media. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  3. "The Fossickers Way". New England North West. 2013. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  4. "NSW State Route 95". OzRoads. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
  5. "The Fossickers Way". northnet.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  6. NSW Open Road Fossickers Ways Retrieved 2010-8-16
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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