Fossickers Way
| Fossickers Way | |
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Proposed  to replace between Gwydir Highway and New England Highway[1] |
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| Length | 390 km (242 mi) |
| Direction | North-South |
| From |  Gwydir Highway,Warialda, New South Wales |
| via | Bingara, Barraba, Manilla |
| To | Jenkins Street, Tamworth, New South Wales |
| Major junctions |  New England Highway Oxley Highway |
Fossickers Way runs from Nundle in the south to Warialda and eastwards on the Gwydir Highway to Inverell and Glen Innes on the Northern Tablelands.[2] It is designated as State Route 95.[3] Fossickers Way refers to a specific group of towns located in northern New South Wales. It is referred to as 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.
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[4] The entire trip is around 375 km.[5] Which makes it a very popular alternate route between Sydney and Brisbane.
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.
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[6] is also an annual event which takes participants through all eight towns on the trail.
References
- ^ Alpha Numeric route numbers - A new Road Numbering System, NSW Transport Roads & Maritime Services. Retrieved on 6 October 2012.
- ^ Fossickers Way Retrieved 2009-9-26
- ^ NSW State Route 95 Retrieved 2010-8-16
- ^ http://users.northnet.com.au/~moulds/intro.htm Retrieved 2010-8-23
- ^ NSW Open Road Fossickers Ways Retrieved 2010-8-16
- ^ http://www.fossickersway.com/index.cfm?page_parent_id=22&page_id=22
