The reopening of the main road to Comboyne has revitalised the village.
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Comboyne Road, from Hartys Creek to Stennetts Road, had been closed due to landslides after a deluge of rain.
Traffic is again negotiating the mountain stretch with single-lane access in several spots.
Motorists are advised to drive with caution.
The detour via Lorne Road meant extra travel time until the mountain section of Comboyne Road reopened on May 7.
Comboyne Community Centre volunteer Grace Gardner said fewer tourists visited Comboyne, as well as coming into the centre, during the road closure.
"It's beautiful to have people coming into the centre," she said.
"You hear their stories and you talk about where they have come from."
Miss Gardner chose to live in Newcastle for much of the time during the road closure.
Comboyne Road's reopening followed geotechnical assessments which showed it was possible to return traffic to the stretch with single-lane access in three locations as a short-term measure.
Kristy Buddle said Lorne Road, while not a bad road, had made for a longer trip.
Miss Buddle was faced with driving her daughter Mylli to and from Kendall where she caught the bus to attend school in Port Macquarie.
The weekend drive, so Miss Buddle's son Ceejay and daughter Elle-Lee could take part in sport, also became longer during the temporary road closure.
"I'm so happy," she said about the reopening of Comboyne Road.
Wauchope resident Cameron Lindsay, who works in Comboyne, said the reopening of Comboyne Road took about 40 minutes off his trip.
He said the unsealed section of Lorne Road had its challenges.
The close-knit community pulled together when the main access to the village was closed.
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