Nerang–Murwillumbah Road is a continuous road route in the

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

region of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. The entire road is signed as State Route 97. Nerang–Murwillumbah Road (number 201) is a state-controlled district road, rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS).

Route Description

The Nerang–Murwillumbah Road commences at an intersection with

Beaudesert–Nerang Road Beaudesert–Nerang Road (State Route 90) is a major inter-regional arterial road that connects the township of Beaudesert, Queensland, Beaudesert with the Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast via Canungra, Queensland, Canungra. The road commences ...

and Mount Nathan Road (State Route 90) in . The road runs south-west, passing the south-eastern tip of and then that of , while following the north-western boundary of . It passes the exit to Beechmont Road as it turns south into Advancetown, and soon passes the exit to Advancetown–Mudgeeraba Road (Latimers Crossing Road) (State Route 42). The road again turns south-west, passing through Advancetown village before reaching the north-western extremity of Advancetown Lake, the body of water retained by the

Hinze Dam The Hinze Dam is a rock and earth-fill embankment dam with an un-gated spillway across the Nerang River in the Gold Coast hinterland of South East, Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for potable water supply of the Gold Coas ...

. The road continues in a southerly direction, following the western shore of the lake, until it reaches the south-western extremity. Here it crosses the

Nerang River The Nerang River is a perennial river located in South East Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast local government area and covers an area of . The river is approximately in length. Course and features The Nerang Rive ...

and passes the exit to Gold Coast–Springbrook Road (Pine Creek Road). It follows the river generally south through to , crossing it on two more occasions. It then leaves the river and follows a ridge line, climbing until it reaches the Queensland / New South Wales border, where it ends. The physical road continues into New South Wales as Numinbah Road (Tourist Drive 34). Land use along the road is primarily rural, with much natural bushland.

Road condition

Nerang–Murwillumbah Road is fully sealed. It has about with an incline greater than 5%, about greater than 10%, and about grater than 15%. The height above sea level at the border crossing is .

History

The township of Nerang was surveyed in 1865. It became important to the surrounding district because it was the

head of navigation The head of navigation is the farthest point above the mouth of a river that can be navigated by ships. Determining the head of navigation can be subjective on many streams, as the point may vary greatly with the size or the draft of the ship be ...

on the Nerang River and the site of the first crossing for wheeled vehicles. From 1871 a

Cobb & Co Cobb & Co was the name used by many successful sometimes quite independent Australian coaching businesses. The first was established in 1853 by American Freeman Cobb and his partners. The name Cobb & Co grew to great prominence in the late 19th ...

coach service ran from

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, and river transport became more regular. The first industry to flourish was timber cutting, later followed by dairying and crop farming as tracts of native timber were cleared. The

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

arrived in 1889. Timber cutting began in Numinbah Valley soon after

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

was discovered there in 1845, and in the Advancetown area in the 1870s, with a saw mill established in 1881. Bullock teams hauled timber to Nerang for dispatch to customers, at first by ship and later by train. The village of Advancetown began as a rest stop for the bullock teams. In the 1860s surveyors mapping the Queensland / New South Wales border discovered a route from Numinbah Valley to the

Tweed Valley Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...

in New South Wales. This, combined with the clearance of timber, led to settlers moving into the area. The road first cut for bullock teams became a necessity for settlers, and improvements were made to support the operation of new farms.

Upgrade

Improve safety

A project to improve safety on the road, at a cost of $37.5 million, was under construction in November 2021.

Major intersections

All distances are from Google Maps. The entire route is in the

local government area.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nerang-Murwillumbah Road Roads in New South Wales Roads in Queensland