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Old Northern Road to Wisemans Ferry, Hills District and Hawkesbury, New South Wales
Photo: Olyalyalya · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped

Drives New South Wales, Australia Sydney and the Blue Mountains

Old Northern Road to Wisemans Ferry

Old Northern Road · Dural → Wisemans Ferry

Sweeping27 mi40 min1,900 ft climbHigh point ≈ 800 ftOne way
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The drive

The Old Northern Road runs 43 km (27 mi) north from Dural to Wisemans Ferry, leaving Sydney's outer suburbs for the Hawkesbury sandstone plateau. It is a two-lane road with bends nearly all the way through bushland and orchards, and it drops at the end to the Hawkesbury River.

The road follows part of the Great North Road, which convicts built between 1825 and 1836 to link Sydney with the Hunter Valley. The convict road was an engineering feat but too steep and too short of water and feed to last, and parts of it fell out of use. The stretch you drive here is the working road that remained.

The drive stops before the river. At Wisemans Ferry a free vehicle ferry crosses the Hawkesbury, and the Devines Hill section of the Great North Road is on the far side for walkers.

Along the way

  1. Dural (Old Northern Road)
  2. Wisemans Ferry (Old Northern Road)
Elevation
1,900 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 800 ft
DuralWisemans Ferry
Curves
Mostly gentle, with one twisty stretch
DuralWisemans Ferry
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The ferry at Wisemans Ferry is a free state service running 24 hours, with a crossing of about 4 minutes; the drive ends before it.
  • The road is two lanes and undivided, with bends nearly all the way.
  • The road is a rural run of continuous bends, so allow the 40 minutes the drive takes and expect slower traffic.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Live Traffic NSW.

Questions about this drive

How long is the Old Northern Road from Dural to Wisemans Ferry?

Dural to Wisemans Ferry on the Old Northern Road is 43 km (27 mi) and takes about 40 minutes.

Does the Old Northern Road have a toll or ferry fee?

No. The Old Northern Road has no toll, and the Wisemans Ferry vehicle ferry at its end is a free state service that runs 24 hours.

Who built the Old Northern Road?

Convicts built the Great North Road, of which the Old Northern Road is part, between 1825 and 1836 to connect Sydney with the Hunter Valley.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
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Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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More drives near here

All 25 drives in New South Wales, Australia ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Old Northern Road to Wisemans Ferry, from Dural to Wisemans Ferry