Thunderbolts Way
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| Thunderbolts Way | |
| General direction | Northwest-Southeast |
| From |  Oxley Highway, Walcha, New South Wales |
| via | Rookhurst, Barrington |
| To | Bucketts Way, Gloucester, New South Wales |
Thunderbolts Way is a 160 kilometre New South Wales country road linking Gloucester to Walcha (where it crosses the Oxley Highway) and Inverell. It is named after a local bushranger, Frederick Ward alias Captain Thunderbolt, who roamed these parts in the 19th century.
It is fully sealed and passes through thickly forested mountain areas with many nearby national parks and nature reserves. At a total length of about 315 kilometres, it is very hilly and winding as it passes through the very scenic Great Dividing Range cutting the distance between Newcastle and Brisbane by about 70 kilometres (together with Bucketts Way from Raymond Terrace to Gloucester). It is also very popular with tourists as it offers many pristine picnic and fishing spots. Riverside camping spots are available at Barrington, Gloryvale Reserve and Bretti Reserve.
The only villages between Gloucester and Walcha are Barrington and Nowendoc. Carson’s Lookout, between Gloucester and Nowendoc is the perfect stop off point for a break and the enjoyment of panoramic views. After passing through Walcha, Dangar’s Lagoon is situated close to Uralla where a statue of Thunderbolt on horseback is located on the intersection of the New England Highway and Thunderbolts Way.
[edit] References
"Thunderbolts Way" map by Cartoscope
