Bucketts Way
Bucketts Way | |
|---|---|
| The Bucketts Range from Bucketts Way. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Road |
| Length | 149 km (93 mi) |
| Route number(s) | Bucketts Way |
| Major junctions | |
| North end |  Pacific Highway,Taree, New South Wales |
| Thunderbolts Way | |
| South end | Pacific Highway, 17km north of Raymond Terrace, New South Wales |
| Location(s) | |
| Major suburbs | |
Bucketts Way is a country road linking Gloucester to Taree and Raymond Terrace, in New South Wales, Australia.[1] It was named after the Bucketts, a prominent range near Gloucester. At the length of about 149 kilometres (93 mi), it was the former alignment of the Pacific Highway between Raymond Terrace and Taree from 1928 until 1952.
On the south, the Bucketts Way branches off to the west of the Pacific Highway 14 km (9 mi) north of the Raymond Terrace bypass. Heading north, it crosses the Karuah River about 8.5 km (5.3 mi) south of Stroud and then roughly follows the course of the Karuah River upstream in a west-north-westerly direction for approximately 25 km (16 mi). It then turns north-north-east and then north for 32 km (20 mi) until it reaches Gloucester, crossing the Wards and Avon rivers on the way. The North Coast Railway line runs parallel with it from just north-east of Stroud Road to Gloucester. At Gloucester, taking Thunderbolts Way leads to the Northern Tablelands and various other national parks and riverside camping reserves along the way. The Bucketts Way continues to eastwards to Krambach and then to Taree where it rejoins the Pacific Highway.[2]
It provides access to the Barrington Tops National Park, and is used by tourists as a very scenic alternative to the Pacific Highway. The Bucketts Way travels through four council areas: Port Stephens, Great Lakes, Gloucester and Greater Taree. Some Gloucester Shire councillors have proposed renaming the section of Bucketts Way south of Gloucester to Thunderbolts Way,[3] as is shown on some tourist maps. This would result in one continuously named road stretching from the Pacific Highway near Raymond Terrace to the New England Highway at Uralla and beyond. However, there is significant community opposition to a name change.
See also
References
- ^ Bucketts Way - Formerly part of the Pacific Highway from 1928 until 1952, Ozroads: the Australian Roads Website. Retrieved on 15 May 2008.
- ^ "NSW Imagery". Department of Lands - Spatial Information eXchange. New South Wales Department of Lands. Retrieved 2009-05-23.;
Maps 9232 Newcastle, 9233 Dungog, 9234 Upper Manning, 9334 Wingham - ^ "Bucketts Way - Road Re-Naming" (PDF). Great Lakes Council. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
