From fertile agricultural lands and towns buzzing with cafes, pubs and shops, to places to stare in wonder at its natural beauty ... the Upper Hunter Region of NSW delivers in spades.
Our exploration of this area included visits to wonderful towns bustling with country charm, a lot of pubs named the Royal and day trips to the stunning Coolah Tops National Park. With its history of mining, fertile agricultural land and heritage buildings, the Upper Hunter is a delight at every turn.
Venturing along the Golden Highway through Jerrys Plains, the mighty Hunter River is mostly within coo-ee. You pass through stunning agricultural lands and some of Australia’s most impressive horse studs are along the way including Coolmore and Godolphin. Hollydene Estate Wines is worth a visit particularly if you need to stock up on some beautiful Hunter Valley vino.
Denman
Denman town is a lovely stopover and around 250km from Sydney. The Denman Van Village is a lovely park off the main road with 58 camp sites for caravans as well as cabins and all the facilities a caravanner could ask for. The main street of Denman is dotted with cafes, shops and a couple of pubs, which face the main intersection. One, of course, is named The Royal Hotel and it seemed that every town on the trip had a ‘Royal’ hotel. The town was relatively quiet on our midweek visit, but it does get busy over weekends.
Sandy Hollow
We passed through Sandy Hollow, which is a quaint little place with the Tourist Hotel on the Golden Highway and the Village Emporium right beside it. The Sandy Hollow Tourist Retreat has a range of accommodation and powered sites for caravans as well as a dump point. It’s a lovely quiet little spot with large level grassy sites and amenities and the new management is looking to expand the park in the future.
Merriwa
Merriwa is an easy 25-minute drive along the Golden Highway and, like many of the towns in the region, is a hub of activity. We overnighted behind the Merriwa RSL Club which is a free camp and situated a close walk to the club and the main street with its shops, cafes, supermarkets, bakery and hotels. The camping area has no facilities, so it’s best to be self-contained. We ventured to the Royal Hotel for dinner as the RSL cook had the night off. The pub serves really fresh food, and we were tempted to have a play on the pub’s guitar which hangs on the wall in the front bar. If you play it, you can sign it. It was left unsigned as we chose not to submit the locals to our talents (or lack of).
The silo art as you come into Merriwa is beautiful and a testament to the local sheep industry and the yellow blush of canola. The rest area overlooks the silos and part of the golf course, as well as the playground. Clean toilets, picnic tables and an area to walk or let the kids blow off some steam in the playground — a stop here will leave you refreshed and in awe of the silo art.
On the outskirts of town heading west is Merriwa Caravan Park. It’s nested against the Merriwa River and has an amenities block and a handful of sites, some powered. It’s managed by the council and there’s a dump point close by if you need it.
Cassilis to Coolah
The next day’s travels saw us pass through Cassilis on the way to Coolah. Cassilis is a small old town with a pub (The Royal of course) and a beautiful sandstone police station and courthouse. On the outskirts of town is St Columba of Iona Anglican Church with its foundation stone laid on 22 July 1899 and nestled behind it is the Cassilis Bowling Club beside which is a camp area. Register at the bowling club and there are showers and toilets. Grab a pizza from the bowling club and enjoy your stay.
Coolah is 30km from Cassilis and, in comparison, is a bustling metropolis and belies its population size of 1262 (2021 census). It’s home to the legendary ‘Black Stump’ and there’s a monument just outside of town. The black stump on show isn’t the original and is a bit underwhelming, but at least you can have a pitstop and learn a little about this enduring piece of Australian history.
The phrase ‘Beyond the Black Stump’ has become a part of the Australian vernacular to mean ‘the middle of nowhere’ or ‘beyond civilization’. It’s said that the local Aboriginal Gamilaraay people called this area “Weetalibah-Wallangan”, translating to “Place where the fire went out and left a burnt stump”.
Following the establishment of the colony of New South Wales, official documentation from 1826 showed a property named ‘Black Stump Run’ in this area. Black Stump Run took on new significance in 1829 when Governor Darling declared the property to be the limit of a new settlement in the colony. Therefore, land designated ‘Beyond the Black Stump’ could not be claimed by settlers.
Later in the 1860s, the Black Stump Inn, which took its name from the nearby property was constructed at the crossroads leading to the nearby towns of Gunnedah and Coonabarabran.
Legend has it that the saloon was commonly used as a landmark by travellers — another possible source for the phrase. That is until the inn itself became charcoal in 1908 after a devastating fire.
Back in town is a wide tree-lined main street that has pubs, (not a Royal though), cafes, bakery, supermarket, shops and a fabulous caravan diner, opposite the Coolah Valley Hotel. Ness is the owner and pumps out a great kebab harking back to her days running kitchens in Hunter wineries. She built the kebab caravan and hopes to employ some local kids once it’s fully established. We love that good old fashioned country ingenuity and giving back to the community. Across the road the Coolah Valley Hotel serves cold beer and good pub tucker and the Black Stump Inn is an equally satisfying watering hole. You can free camp behind the Inn and also free camping behind the Coolah Sporting Club. The Sports Club has a great Chinese restaurant as well.
The Pandora Gallery hosts exhibitions from local artists and doubles as the local tourist information centre.
Coolah Tops National Park
One of the outstanding natural wonders in the region is Coolah Tops National Park about a one-hour drive from Coolah. The current road into the park isn’t suitable for a caravan, as it is steep and rough on the lower sections but for a day trip it is a fantastic place to visit. One highlight is Bundella lookout at the end of Pinnacle Road which has stunning views and a great tranquil picnic area. There’s a short walk (1.6km) to Pinnacle Lookout through the bush. The views over the Liverpool Plains stretch for miles and are spectacular any time of day, especially in the afternoon as the sun sets.
Heading to Murrurundi
We took back roads across to Murrurundi going through expansive farmland via Bomera (35km north of Coolah), Bundella, Blackville, Parraweena and Warrah to hit the New England Highway at Willow Tree. The roads were gravel and smooth all the way with the Liverpool Range keeping you company along the way. It’s a very picturesque route.
The drive to Murrurundi is great and you literally drop into the town via Nowlands Gap. There is a rest area at Nowlands Gap which provides impressive panoramic views over the town. As you drive into Murrurundi, many of the old buildings and houses have been given a loving restoration and it’s like a three-dimensional postcard as you drive around. Turning off the main thoroughfare we were immediately greeted by a sandstone courthouse (built in 1840), the magnificent Saint Paul’s Anglican Church and, only in a country town, a stockman taking his beautifully restored sulky for a trot behind a majestic horse. Ah the sights in the bush eh?
An interesting place to visit is Paradise Park, part of the Murrurundi golf course. The park is beautiful and has excellent picnic facilities. There are two walks emanating from Paradise Park, one — the Eye of the Needle, a scramble to a lookout and the Cliff Top walk which is an easier loop. The Eye of the Needle requires a reasonable level of fitness and agility. If you are looking to unhitch for a day or two, try the Murrurundi Caravan Park.
Scone
Scone was the next and final stop on this Upper Hunter sojourn. Scone is known as the horse capital of Australia. A massive thunderstorm hit as we were getting supplies from Woolworths and coincidentally the carpark backs onto the Belmore Hotel. It was worth the dash across to the pub. We felt really sorry for the Magpie Distilling’s gin tasting which had to pack up, as did the young guitarist who raced to get his gear inside before it teemed with rain. The storm blew over, but we’d settled in for the evening, enjoying the superb dining room and friendly bar service. Scone is the commercial hub for the area and the jump-off to Barrington Tops, Towarri National Park and Lake Glenbawn. The town has two caravan parks, Scone Caravan Park and Highway Caravan Park, and more than enough cafes, shops and pubs (including a Royal Hotel) to keep you busy for a few days.
Travel planner
Denman — 238km from Sydney
The Denman Van Village
14 Macauley Street
Denman NSW 2328
P: 02 6547 2590
Sandy Hollow — 17km from Denman on the Golden Highway
The Sandy Hollow Tourist Retreat
1618 Merriwa Road
Sandy Hollow NSW 2333
P: 02 6547 4575
Merriwa — 35km from Sandy Hollow
Merriwa Caravan Park
152 Bettington Street
Merriwa NSW 2329
P: 0418 668 402
Merriwa RSL
120–126 Bettington Street
Merriwa NSW 2329
P: 02 6548 2157
Cassilis —43km from Merriwa
Cassilis Bowling Club
Cassilis Road
Cassilis NSW 2329
P: 02 6376 1002
Coolah — 37km from Cassilis via the Coolah Road
Coolah Black Stump Inn
75 Binnia Street
Coolah NSW 2843
P: 02 6377 1231
The Coolah Sporting Club
7 Goddard Street
Coolah NSW 2843
P: 02 6377 1222
Coolah Caravan Park
38 Cunningham Street
Coolah 2843
P: 02 6377 1338
Murrurundi — 158km from Coolah via Blackville
Murrurundi Caravan Park
11 Bernard Street
Murrurundi 2338
P: 02 6546 6288
Scone — 40km from Murrunundi on the New England Highway
Scone Caravan Park
50 Kelly Street
Scone 2337
P: 02 6545 2024
Highway Caravan Park
248 Kelly Street (New England Highway)
Scone 2337
P: 02 6545 1078
Fast facts
Coolah Tops National Park is located an hour’s drive from Coolah township. It is a spectacular cool climate National Park resplendent with snow gums and other glorious fauna as well as teeming with wildlife. Current access is not suitable for caravans, but Warrumbungle Shire Council is planning to seal the access road which will be a boon for access to the park for caravanners. Contact them on 02 6849 2000 for updates.
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