If wanting to discover some cute little towns in New South Wales, consider taking the Olympic Highway road trip. Starting in North Albury and ending in Cowra, you will follow the path the Olympic flame took in 1956. You will pass through a number of quaint country towns including the birthplace of the legendary Sir Donald Bradman. So cricket lovers, you will love this spot.
The reason we took a road trip along the Olympic Way was to attend a wedding in Jamberoo, NSW. Being born in NSW but living in Victoria, I often drive up and down the Hume Highway to visit family. On this occasion we decided to head inland and go on a different route taking a few days to discover a new part of Australia. And we chose the Olympic Way A41 that would take us from North Albury to Bathurst. I wouldn’t say it was one of the most spectacular drives I’ve ever done, such as the Great Ocean Road but it was quite interesting to see what was out there.
Without further ado, let’s road trip Olympic Highway A41 from North Albury to Bathurst.
Table of Contents
Facts and Figures of the Olympic Way
- Named the Olympic Way after the Olympic torch relay took this route from Cowra to Albury on its way to the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. It’s name was changed to the Olympic Highway in 1996 with the coming of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
- Length: 316km or 196 miles which is Olympic Way but extended passed Cowra on A41 to Bathurst and is some 455km.
- National Route number is 41 – Olympic Way/A41 and this is between North Albury and Cowra. A41 extends to Bathurst but is known as Mid Western Highway A41.
- It is a regional road with one lane in either direction.
- Starts north of Albury and you pass through Culcairn, Henty, The Rock, Wagga Wagga, Junee, Cootamundra, Young, Cowra, Blayney and Bathurst.
- There are junctions along the A41 with roads that take you to many other New South Wales’ country towns – but they are other road trips.
Towns along the Olympic Highway A41
You can drive either way along the Olympic Highway road trip, for the purposes of this post we are leaving North Albury and travelling north.
Albury
Albury is an interesting town on the New South Wales and Victorian border. I have stopped in Albury many times on my way up and down the Hume Highway. Some things to see and do in Albury:
- spend time in the park.
- visit Albury train station which has the longest platform in NSW.
- drive the Albury Wodonga loop.
Check out accommodation options in Albury here.
From North Albury follow the signs to the Olympic Highway A41.
single lane each way
Leaving North Albury the countryside changes to farming land. And for much of the drive you are parallel to a railway line, which you cross a number of times as you drive through towns. There are many grain silos, but I didn’t see much silo art happening. Hopefully that will change.
Culcairn, Henty, The Rock
These towns are small, and before you know it, you have passed through them. Most of them have the train tracks along them, with grain silos. And you pass over the tracks a number of times.
grain silo with some silo art
Henty – crossing the railway tracks
lots of grain silos to see
XPT heading to Melbourne
Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales along the Olympic Highway A41. Things to see and do here include:
- Visiting the Museum of the Riverina. This museum explores the history of this inland farming region.
- Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens is home to native plants and a mini zoo.
- Love art – check out the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery with some 500 pieces of glass art.
- Wagga Beach. What? A beach in the middle of NSW! Yep, it sits on the shore of the Murrumbidgee River.
- Take a walk along the Wiradjuri Walking Track that runs along the river and through the surrounding countryside.
Check out accommodation in Wagga Wagga here.
Junee
Junee is a medium-sized town in the Riverina region of New South Wales along the Olympic Highway A41. It was gazetted in 1863. The town’s economy is based on agriculture and rail transport. So some great things to see and do while in Junee include:
- Visit the Junee Roundhouse Railway Museum – fans of Thomas the Tank Engine will marvel at the roundhouse turntable.
- Purchase some licorice or chocolate at the Licorice & Chocolate Factory.
- Visit the Junee Broadway Museum for a great collection of memorabilia about Junee’s history.
- Walk the streets of Junee and check out the beautiful old buildings, many dating back to the 1800s.
Check out Junee accommodation here.
Cootamundra
Cootamundra nicknamed ‘Coota’ is a small town along the Olympic Highway. It is known for being the birthplace of Donald Bradman, an Australian cricketer who is regarded as being the greatest batsman of all time. You can visit his birthplace and if you are spending time in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales no doubt you will visit Bowral, home to the Donald Bradman Museum.
Check out accommodation in Cootamundra here.
birthplace of Donald Bradman, Cootamundra
Young
Young is the largest town in Hilltops Region along the Olympic Highway. Originally a gold rush town it was named ‘Young’ after Sir John Young, the governor of NSW from 1861 to 1867, in 1863. Today, it is kwon as being the cherry capital of Australia.
Check out accommodation in Young here.
Cowra
the Cowra Eagle
Cowra is one of the largest towns you will visit on this road trip along the Olympic Way. It was scene to the largest Prisoner of War breakout in modern military history. In Cowra some 1000 Japanese prisoners were being held. On the night of 5 August 1944 they decided to launch a ‘suicide attack’ to combat the disgrace of capture. Many of them threw themselves on to barbed wire fences and were fired upon with machine guns. Many Japanese prisoners escaped to freedom while some 234 prisoners died along with 5 Australian soldiers.
We had a rest stop in Cowra before driving on to Blayney and then Bathurst. But if you wanted to spend the night in Cowra, check out accommodation options here.
Bathurst
Bathurst is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales and is at the end (or beginning) of the A41. It is a large city with a population of around 38,000 people. Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in Australia and so has an interesting history. But it is mostly known for the Bathurst 1000 car race on Mount Panorama and where you will find the National Motor Racing Museum.
Check out where to stay in Bathurst here. We stayed at the Rydges Bathurst as it is the only hotel on the Mount Panorama Circuit. We opened our curtains in the morning to be great by the race track.
good morning Bathurst
Are You Ready to Drive the Olympic Way?
As mentioned at the beginning of this post, we drove the Olympic Way road trip as an alternative route to driving from Victoria to NSW. It took us all day to drive and it is a great road trip showcasing central New South Wales. Have you driven the Olympic Highway road trip?
As always ensure you check your car before any road trip.
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