Bundarra

Bundarra is a village with a population of 676 (2016) in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The village is located on Thunderbolts Way on the banks of the Gwydir River.

Bendemeer Street, Bundarra

Understand

Bundarra is named for the Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay word for the grey kangaroo. Bundarra Station was founded in 1836 by Edward G. Clerk and a hotel and store were established on the future townsite. The historic townscape of Bundarra led to the town hosting some on location filming for the Fred Schepisi directed film, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, based on the Booker Prize winning novel by Thomas Keneally. Bundarra is part of the Bundarra-Barraba Important Bird Area which is home to one of only three breeding areas in New South Wales for the endangered regent honeyeater.

Visitor Information Centre

• 1 Uralla Visitor Information Centre, 104 Bridge Street, Uralla (near Thunderbolts Statue), ☏ +61 2 6778 6420, visit@uralla.com. M-F 9:30AM-4:30 PM, Sa-Su 10AM-3PM. (updated Nov 2019)

Get in

By car

Bundarra is 64 km southwest of Inverell via Thunderbolts Way, 66 km northeast of Barraba via Barraba Road, 74 km southeast of Bingara via Copeton Dam Road and Bingara Road, 73 km northwest of Uralla via Thunderbolts Way, and 80 km northwest of Armidale via Bundarra Road and Thunderbolts Way.

By bus

NSW TrainLink operates a rail coach that departs Tuesdays from Armidale at 5:50PM and arrives at Bundarra at 7:15PM (Route 337), and departs Tuesdays from Inverell at 6:20AM and arrives at Bundarra at 7:20AM (Route 338). The coach stop is outside the Courthouse in Bendemeer Street. A timetable for the coach can be viewed here. Booking and payment in advance is essential.

• NSW TrainLink - regular bookings, ☏ 13 22 32 (domestic). Daily 7AM-10PM. (updated Sep 2019)
• NSW TrainLink - multi-trip and Discovery Pass, ☏ +61 13 22 32. Daily 7AM-10PM. (updated Sep 2019)
• 2 Bundarra - coach stop (outside the court house). 
• Inverell (Windsong Travel), 45 Byron Street (between Subway and Imperial Hotel), ☏ +61 2 6722 3011. M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-noon. The coach does not stop here - it stops at the Inverell Visitor Information Centre (Transit Centre), 11-31 Campbell Street. (updated Sep 2019)
• Armidale (Railway Station), Brown Street, ☏ +61 13 22 32. M-F 7:30AM-3:30PM, Sa 7:30-11:30AM. (updated Sep 2019)
• Armidale (Flight Centre), Shop 3a, 108 Dangar Street, ☏ +61 2 6771 5474. M-F 9AM-5:30PM, Sa 9AM-noon. The coach does not stop here, it stops at the Railway Station. (updated Sep 2019)

By plane

The nearest airport with scheduled services is at Armidale (ARM ^IATA).

Get around

The nearest car hire agencies are in Inverell, Uralla and Armidale, but you can get around inside the town centre by walking.

See

• 1 Copeton Dam, Copeton Dam Road, Copeton (44 km northwest of Bundarra via Barraba Road, Bingara Road, Copeton Dam Road). Camping, children's playground, picnic areas, toilets, fishing, kiosk, showers, boat ramps, water sports, bushwalking, golf (updated Nov 2019)
• 2 Former Police Station and Courthouse, corner Oliver & Bendemeer Streets, ☏ +61 4 0062 0004. By appointment. Heritage listed building built 1869. Alternative phone numbers: +61 2 6723 7146; +61 4 0240 7452; +61 2 6723 7205; +61 4 1823 6614 $5 per person. (updated Nov 2019)
• 3 Gallery of Glass (Bottle Museum), 18 Bendemeer Street, ☏ +61 2 6723 7146. By appointment. Alternative contact: +61 4 0240 7452 Gold coin donation. (updated Nov 2019)
• 4 Gwydir River bridge, Thunderbolts Way (northern end of Bendemeer Street, just past the school). A five-span iron truss bridge built 1881. Listed on the Register of The National Estate. (updated Nov 2019)
• 5 Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve, Thunderbolts Way (77 km southeast of Bundarra via Thunderbolts Way). Walking trail (easy and level except for one short section, 3 km return). Aboriginal cave painting site. (updated Nov 2019)

Do

• 1 Bundarra Agricultural Show & Rodeo (Bundarra Showground), Corner of Bombelli and Oliver Streets. Long weekend in January (updated Nov 2019)
• 2 Bundarra Races, Bundarra Racecourse (3 km north of Bundarra on Thunderbolts Way). Horse races. Held in first weekend in October. (updated Nov 2019)
• Bundarra Lions Club Goat Races, Bundarra Showgrounds (corner Bombelli and Oliver Streets). First weekend in November (updated Nov 2019)
• Fishing. various places along the Gwydir River and at Copeton Dam (updated Nov 2019)
• Fossicking. (updated Nov 2019)
• Birdwatching. There are numerous spots that you could go birdwatching, and even in the town centre, you could always spot a native bird or two. (updated Nov 2019)

Buy

There are no ATMs in the village

• 1 Bide-A-Wee Farm Cooking, 58 Muirhead Street (southern end of Bundarra), ☏ +61 4 4721 4323. Phone for hours. Home-made farm produce. (updated Nov 2019)
• 2 Bundarra General Store, 30 Bendemeer Street, ☏ +61 2 6723 7101. M-F 7:30AM-6PM, Sa Su 8:30AM-12.30PM. General store, cafe, newsagent, liquor store, gift shop, Australia Post CPA (updated Nov 2019)

Eat

• Commercial Hotel, 16 Bendemeer Street, ☏ +61 2 6723 7106. (updated Nov 2019)
• 1 Longevity Country Kitchen, 55 Bendemeer Street, ☏ +61 4 8899 4556. Tu-Su 8:30AM-6:00PM. Coffee shop (updated Nov 2019)
• 2 Pink Flamingo Cafe (Bundarra General Store), 30 Bendemeer Street, ☏ +61 2 6723 7101. M-F 10AM-2:30PM, Sa Su 8:30AM-12:30pm. Sells an "emu" burger which is not actually made from emu meat but is named after the nearby Emu River. (updated Nov 2019)

Drink

• 1 Commercial Hotel, 16 Bendemeer Street, ☏ +61 2 6723 7106. No longer offering accommodation (updated Nov 2019)

Sleep

• 1 Bundarra Caravan Park, Court Street, ☏ +61 2 6723 7101. Phone ahead to check availability of powered sites. (updated Nov 2019)
• 2 Emu Crossing Campground (Bundarra Lions Club Campground) (3 km south of Bundarra on Thunderbolts Way, near Gwydir River Road junction). Free campground, 15 sites. Public toilets (24 hours), wood barbecues (subject to firebans), fishing, swimming, pets permitted under conditions. Water needs to be treated/boiled before consumption. (updated Nov 2019)

Cope

Emergency

• 3 Police Station, 3 Oliver Street, ☏ +61 2 6723 7244. Not open 24 hours (updated Nov 2019)

Fuel

• 4 Bundarra Motor Repairs, 23 Bendemeer Street (corner of Bendemeer Street and Court Street, opposite the Commercial Hotel), ☏ +61 2 6723 7288. M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 8AM-2PM, Su 9AM-1PM. (updated Nov 2019)

Public telephones

• corner Bendemeer and Court Streets (opposite the old post office). (updated Nov 2019)

Go next

• Inverell - 48 km north of Bundarra via Thunderbolts Way (36 min)
• Tingha - 36 km northeast of Bundarra via Thunderbolts Way and Howell Road (27 min); 31 km via Thunderbolts Way and Grove Road (30 min)
• Guyra - 99 km east via Thunderbolts Way, Tingha, Guyra Road (1hr 7 min); 69 km via Thunderbolts Way and Baldersleigh Road (1hr 24 min); 119 km via Thunderbolts Way, Armidale, New England Highway (1hr 22 min)
• Armidale - 80 km southeast of Bundarra via Thunderbolts Way and Bundarra Road (54 min)
• Uralla - 73 km southeast of Bundarra via Thunderbolts Way (48 min)
• Bendemeer - 94 km south of Bundarra via Gwydir River Road, Torryburn Road, Kingstown, Bendemeer Road (1 hr 15 min)
• Tamworth - 161 km south of Bundarra via Thunderbolts Way, Uralla, New England Highway (1hr 52 min)
• Barraba - 66 km southwest of Bundarra via Barraba Road, Bundarra Road, Gulf Creek Road, McIntyre Road, Woodsreef Road (56 min)
• Bingara - 74 km northwest of Bundarra via Barraba Road, Bingara Road, Copeton Dam Road (turn left) (59 min)