Oxley Highway Drive Pack | The Stable

The Oxley Highway is one of Australia's great driving roads — a 653-kilometre route that runs from Port Macquarie on the mid-north coast of New South Wales through the Great Dividing Range to the western plains. The mountain section between Wauchope and Walcha is the highlight — 150 kilometres of flowing curves through eucalyptus forest, with virtually no traffic and a road surface that has been significantly improved in recent years.

The road climbs from the coastal hinterland through increasingly dramatic forest, crossing several ridgelines before reaching the New England Tablelands at around 1,000 metres elevation. The character changes constantly — tight, technical sections through dense forest give way to open, flowing sweepers across cleared farmland, then back into forest again.

The New England High Country is one of Australia's most underappreciated regions — a landscape of rolling green hills, heritage towns, and a climate more reminiscent of England than the Australian stereotype. Walcha, the first town on the Tablelands, is a charming country town with excellent pubs and a growing food scene. Tamworth, further west, is Australia's country music capital.

This is a road that rewards a weekend trip — drive the mountain section on Saturday, stay in Walcha or Armidale, and return via a different route (the Thunderbolts Way or the Waterfall Way) on Sunday. The combination of coastal start, mountain crossing, and high-country finish makes it one of the most varied driving experiences in Australia.