Australian Towns, Cities & Highways: Fossickers Way

Fossickers Way (incl Yetman Road)

Fossickers Way, essentially a north-south route links Tamworth with the western New England region. Starting in Tamworth, it heads north-west through varying cattle, sheep and dairying pastures, passing through Manilla, Barraba to then head in a northerly direction towards the old gold mining towns of Bingara and Warialda. Fossickers Way then heads east following the Gwydir Highway to Glen Innes. State Route 95 continues north from Warialda as it enters fairly remote country to eventually reach the Bruxner Highway just outside of Yetman. Although not a widely used thoroughfare due to lack of continuity with other highways to the north, Fossickers Way has slowly transformed into a popular tourist drive with ample opportunities for fossicking, quaint historic towns and great rural scenery.

Note that this page concentrates on State Route 95. Fossickers Way is the dominant portion of the route (Tamworth-Warialda) with the remainder covered by Yetman Road (Warialda-Yetman). The eastern section of Fossickers Way (Warialda-Glen Innes) is covered on the Gwydir Highway page.

State: New South Wales
Name Origin: Fossickers Way was given due to the series of historic gold mining towns it connects between Tamworth and Glen Innes. Several areas along the route have been set aside for fossickers.
Pronunciation: Fos-si-kers Way
Start: Oxley Highway (Tamworth)
Principal Towns: Tamworth, Manilla, Barraba, Bingara, Warialda, Yetman
Finish: Bruxner Highway (Yetman)
Length: 289km
Road Standard: Bitumen
Road Quality: Average. Newly upgraded sections are quite good otherwise the bitumen stretch is generally narrow (no shoulders) with the terrain mildly undulating. Little traffic is to be expected with ample overtaking opportunities available. North of Warialda the quality drops significantly as potholes, ruts and rough conditions are common - motorists are advised to take care.
Speed Limit (outside built up areas): 100km/hr
Road Continuation: Click here for the Gwydir Highway, Click here for the Bruxner Highway, Click here for the Oxley Highway

Photos from Fossickers Way (Click on thumbnail for full sized image):

Looking west along Marius St (Oxley Hwy) as it approaches the start of the Fossickers Way - note the incorrect NR34 and SR95 route markers, Tamworth (2006).

First distance sign on Fossickers Way, heading north-west through Tamworth - again the incorrect route marker (2006).

Kilometre post, heading north-west along Fossickers Way between Tamworth and Manilla (2006).

View north along Fossickers Way as it approaches Manilla (2006).

Distance sign, heading north from Manilla on Fossickers Way (2006).

View north along a newly constructed piece of Fossickers Way between Manilla and Barraba

Distance sign, heading south on Fossickers Way from Barraba (2006).

Directional sign, heading north between Barraba and Bingara. Note the area for fossicking 16km away (2006).

Old kilometre post, heading north on Fossickers Way between Barraba and Bingara (2006).

Looking west along Cunningham St approaching Fossickers Way, Bingara (2006).

Looking south along Fossickers Way from the Delungra turnoff (2006).

Looking north on Fossickers Way approaching the Delungra turnoff (2006).

Distance sign, heading south on Fossickers Way from the Gwydir Highway junction, just outside of Warialda (2006).

Heading west from Warialda on the Gwydir Highway/Fossickers Way - sign should also show a SR95 route marker (2006).

Looking west along the Gwydir Hwy/Fossickers Way approaching the Yetman Rd junction, Warialda - sign should also show a SR95 route marker towards Moree (2006).

Heading north on Yetman Road from Warialda (2006).

Looking south along Yetman Road between Yetman and Coolatai (2006).

Distance sign, heading south on State Route 95 (Yetman Road) from the Bruxner Highway, Yetman (2006).

Heading west along the Bruxner Hwy as it approaches the State Route 95 junction, Yetman (incorrect route marker) (2006).

Back to New South Wales ------ Back to Australia

	Looking west along Marius St (Oxley Hwy) as it approaches the start of the Fossickers Way - note the incorrect NR34 and SR95 route markers, Tamworth (2006).
	First distance sign on Fossickers Way, heading north-west through Tamworth - again the incorrect route marker (2006).
	Kilometre post, heading north-west along Fossickers Way between Tamworth and Manilla (2006).
	View north along Fossickers Way as it approaches Manilla (2006).
	Distance sign, heading north from Manilla on Fossickers Way (2006).
	View north along a newly constructed piece of Fossickers Way between Manilla and Barraba
	Distance sign, heading south on Fossickers Way from Barraba (2006).
	Directional sign, heading north between Barraba and Bingara. Note the area for fossicking 16km away (2006).
	Old kilometre post, heading north on Fossickers Way between Barraba and Bingara (2006).
	Looking west along Cunningham St approaching Fossickers Way, Bingara (2006).
	Looking south along Fossickers Way from the Delungra turnoff (2006).
	Looking north on Fossickers Way approaching the Delungra turnoff (2006).
	Distance sign, heading south on Fossickers Way from the Gwydir Highway junction, just outside of Warialda (2006).
	Heading west from Warialda on the Gwydir Highway/Fossickers Way - sign should also show a SR95 route marker (2006).
	Looking west along the Gwydir Hwy/Fossickers Way approaching the Yetman Rd junction, Warialda - sign should also show a SR95 route marker towards Moree (2006).
	Heading north on Yetman Road from Warialda (2006).
	Looking south along Yetman Road between Yetman and Coolatai (2006).
	Distance sign, heading south on State Route 95 (Yetman Road) from the Bruxner Highway, Yetman (2006).
	Heading west along the Bruxner Hwy as it approaches the State Route 95 junction, Yetman (incorrect route marker) (2006).