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Wollombi Road: Cessnock to Broke, Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Photo: F Delventhal · CC BY 2.0

Drives New South Wales, Australia The Hunter Valley and Central Coast

Wollombi Road: Cessnock to Broke

Wollombi Road, Paynes Crossing Road, Mount View Road · Cessnock → Broke

Sweeping36 mi1 hr 5 min2,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 600 ftOne way
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The drive

Wollombi Road and Paynes Crossing Road make a back way through the Hunter Valley, 58 km (36 mi) from Cessnock to Broke by way of Wollombi. It avoids the busy wine-country roads, running over Mount View and into the Wollombi Brook valley through vineyards, bush and farmland, with about 2,200 feet of climb.

Between Cessnock and Wollombi the road runs among rounded, tree-covered hills. Wollombi itself is a small village on the route of the convict-built Great North Road, where the section from Mount Manning to Wollombi is on the NSW Heritage Register. Past Wollombi the road is called Paynes Crossing Road and has more bends for about 30 km to Broke, rougher in its first half.

Cessnock is the larger town and the usual base, so the drive is described from there out to Broke, where it ends on Paynes Crossing Road.

Along the way

  1. Cessnock (Wollombi Road)
  2. Wollombi
  3. Broke (Paynes Crossing Road)
Elevation
2,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 600 ft
CessnockBroke
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
CessnockBroke
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Paynes Crossing Road, from Wollombi to Broke, is the more winding half of the drive and is best driven by day.
  • Roads in the Wollombi Brook valley can flood after heavy rain; Paynes Crossing Road at Williams Bridge has closed for flooding before.

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 does Wollombi Road from Cessnock to Broke take?

Cessnock to Broke on Wollombi Road and Paynes Crossing Road is 58 km (36 mi) and takes about 1 hr 5 min.

What is Wollombi known for?

Wollombi is a small village in the Hunter Valley on the old convict-built Great North Road, on the Wollombi Road between Cessnock and Broke.

Does Wollombi Road flood?

It can. Roads in the Wollombi Brook valley, including Paynes Crossing Road at Williams Bridge, have closed for flooding, so check conditions after heavy rain.

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.
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More drives near here

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

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Map of Wollombi Road: Cessnock to Broke, from Cessnock to Broke