Fossickers Way

Fossickers Way New South Wales
Bridge over the Namoi River in Manilla
General information
Type	Highway
Length	379 km (235 mi)[1]
Route number(s)	B95 (2013-present) (Tamworth-Warialda) B76 (2013-present) (Warialda-Glen Innes)
Former route number	State Route 95 (1974-2013) (Tamworth-Warialda)
Major junctions
North end	New England Highway Glen Innes, New South Wales[2]
	New England Highway Oxley Highway Gwydir Highway
South end	River Road Nundle, New South Wales[2]
Location(s)
Major settlements	Tamworth Bingara, Barraba, Manilla, Inverell
Highway system
Highways in Australia National Highway • Freeways in Australia Highways in New South Wales

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]

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[]

LGA	Location	km[1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Tamworth	Nundle	0	0.0	Jenkins Street (River Road) Oakenville Street (Nundle Road)	4-way intersection; southern terminus of Fossickers Way Fossickers Way continues west along Nundle Road[2]
Peel River				Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Peel River		12	7.5	Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Tamworth		12	7.5	River Road	T-intersection
		34	21	Ogunbil Road – Gloucester	Roundabout
Cockburn River		51	32	Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Tamworth	Nemingha	51	32	New England Highway/Oxley Highway (A15/B56 east) – Tamworth, Armidale	4-way intersection; south-eastern concurrency terminus with routes A15/B56 Fossickers Way continues west along New England Highway/Oxley Highway, south along Nundle Road
	Tamworth	57	35	Murray Street (New England Highway) (A15 west) – Muswellbrook, Singleton, Newcastle	Roundabout; north-western concurrency terminus with route A15
		58	36	Oxley Highway (B56 west) – Gunnedah, Coonabarabran	T-intersection; north-western concurrency terminus with route B56; southern terminus of route B95
Namoi River		104	65	Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Manilla River		116	72	Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Manilla River		150	93	Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Gwydir	Bingara	210	130	Finch Street (west) – Bingara Maitland Street (north) – Bingara	4-way intersection; Fossickers Way continues east along Finch Street, south along Maitland Street
				Link Street (south) – Bingara	T-intersection; Fossickers Way continues north along East Street, west along Finch Street
Gwydir River		211	131	Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Myall Creek		218	135	Bridge over the river (Bridge name unknown)
Gwydir	Warialda	248	154	Gwydir Highway (B76) – Moree, Inverell	T-intersection; northern terminus of route B95 Fossickers Way continues east along Gwydir Highway, south along Alan Cunningham Road
		251	156	Warialda Road – Yetman, Boggabilla	T-intersection
Macintyre River		311	193	Bridge over the river (bridge name unknown)
Inverell	Inverell	312	194	Byron Street (north-east) – Inverell	Roundabout; Fossickers Way continues south-west along Byron Street, south-east along Otho Street
		313	194	Tinga Road, to Thunderbolts Way – Uralla, Walcha, Gloucester	T-intersection
Glen Innes Severn	Glen Innes	379	235	Church Street (New England Highway) (A15) – Armidale, Tamworth, Stanthorpe, Warwick (QLD)	T-intersection; eastern terminus of Fossickers Way Gwydir Highway (B76) continues south along Church Street[2]
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Route transition

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[]

• List of highways in New South Wales

References[]