Place to Visit Around
Coonabarabran is the Astronomy Capital of Australia, and there is a great deal more to it than the night sky. Everything below is within easy reach of the motel.
Stargazing & Astronomy
Siding Spring Observatory
Australia's foremost astronomy research centre, sitting atop Mount Woorut at 1,160 metres on the eastern edge of Warrumbungle National Park, twenty-seven kilometres west of town. Visitors can walk the exploratory centre and look into the dome of the Anglo-Australian Telescope from the visitor gallery, with a cafe and gift shop on site. The drive up is worth it on its own for the views back over the ranges. Find out more
Milroy Observatory with Donna the Astronomer
Donna Burton is the first Australian woman to discover two comets, and she runs this dark sky observatory ten minutes from town on the edge of the Warrumbungle Dark Sky Park. Her shows start with a tour of the evening sky before moving to the telescope for both bright and deep-sky objects. It is astronomy with a genuine researcher rather than a scripted tour, and bookings are essential on 0428 288 244. Find out more
Coonabarabran Stargazing
A guided telescope session under some of the clearest skies in the country, with a host who knows exactly where to point it. You will see planets, star clusters, and deep-sky objects that are invisible from any city. Bookings are essential, so call Branioc Rankin on 0488 687 562 before you arrive. Find out more
National Parks & Walks
Warrumbungle National Park
Australia's first Dark Sky Park and the first declared in the Southern Hemisphere, which is exactly why the observatories are here. The Breadknife and Grand High Tops walk is rated one of the best day walks in the country, climbing past a ninety-metre blade of rock that rises straight out of the valley. There are shorter, flatter tracks, too, so it suits walkers of every level. Find out more
Whitegum Lookout
A short, easy, wheelchair-accessible loop in Warrumbungle National Park that delivers a full panorama of the volcanic ranges without the climb. It is the best value view per step in the district. Excellent at sunset and a good option if the Grand High Tops walk is more than you want to take on. Find out more
Sculptures in the Scrub, Dandry Gorge
Five large artworks set along the rim of Dandry Gorge in Timmallallie National Park, each created by an artist working with local Gamilaraay Elders and young people to tell a piece of local Aboriginal history. A 1.2km walk takes you past all five with views over the gorge, or continue the 3km loop down along Dandry Creek. It is one of the most distinctive things you can do in this region and costs nothing. Find out more
Pilliga Sandstone Caves
A 1.7km circuit through weathered sandstone formations honeycombed into caves and columns, with ancient Aboriginal rock engravings among them. The walk is easy and shaded by forest most of the way. Go early or late for the best light on the rock. Find out more
Timor Rock
A dramatic volcanic plug that rises straight out of the paddocks on Timor Road, a few minutes from town. It is a striking photo stop on the way out to the caves and gorge country. Worth the small detour even if you do not stop long.
Museums, Galleries & Local Craft
Crystal Kingdom
Step inside a walk-through crystal cave and a collection of minerals and fossils drawn straight from the Warrumbungle Ranges, including rare zeolite crystals you will not see together anywhere else in the region. The attached shop stocks opals, sapphires, amber, topaz, garnet and amethyst. It is an easy indoor stop on a hot afternoon and a favourite with families. Find out more
Australian Museum Diprotodon Exhibition
Housed inside the Coonabarabran Visitor Information Centre, this exhibition displays the skeleton and skull of a Diprotodon, the largest marsupial that ever lived, unearthed from a creek bed near Tambar Springs in 1979. It is free, indoors and takes about twenty minutes. The centre also has maps, local gifts and refreshments, so it is a sensible first stop when you arrive in town. Find out more
Pilliga Pottery and the Blue Wren Bush Cafe
A working pottery on a 13 thousand acre off-grid property surrounded by the Pilliga Forest, where every piece is hand-thrown from local clay and engraved with designs taken from nature and mythology. The Blue Wren Bush Cafe serves European-style food using produce from the on-site greenhouse, plus homemade gelato. Pottery demonstrations and workshops are available for visitors, and the cafe is closed on Wednesdays. Find out more
The Art Gallery
A charming gallery in the heart of town on Cassilis Street, showing work by artists from across the Warrumbungle region. The scale is intimate, so you can take your time and often meet the people behind the pieces. An easy fifteen-minute stop while you are wandering the main street. Find out more
Newcastle Hats factory outlet
An Australian hat maker with a factory outlet open to the public right here in Coonabarabran. You will find genuine bargains on quality hats that cost considerably more in city stores. Practical too, given how much time you will spend outdoors here. Find out more
Food & Wine
Wattagan Estate Winery
A small local winery producing the "Bungles" label, named for the ranges that frame the district. Tastings are relaxed and unhurried, and you are usually talking directly to the people who made the wine. A good stop to pick up something for the room before dinner. Find out more
Coonandry Wines
Another of the district's boutique producers, open for tastings and cellar door sales. Small-batch wines from a region most visitors do not associate with wine at all, which is half the appeal. Worth a detour if you are already out exploring the Newell.
Sport & Outdoor Activities
Coonabarabran Golf Club
A not-for-profit community club with a nine-hole course, grass greens and eighteen tees, widely considered one of the hardest courses in the North West. It is open year-round, seven days a week, and visitors are genuinely welcome. There is also KENO, a snooker table and darts if the weather turns. Find out more
Coonabarabran Bowling Club
A friendly local club with two greens, a large function room, a TAB area and a BBQ, plus the Great Wall Chinese Restaurant on site. Bingo, euchre, poker, darts and barefoot bowls run through the week, and newcomers are made welcome. An easy, low-key night out a short drive from the motel. Find out more
Barkala Bird Tours
Guided nature and bird tours across the Barkala property on the edge of the Pilliga Forest, one of the largest remaining native forests in inland Australia. Your guide knows where the species are and when they move, so you see far more than you would on your own. Ideal for early risers and anyone travelling with a camera. Find out more
Local horse riding
Guided rides through country that most visitors only ever see from the highway, with routes suited to beginners as well as confident riders. Seeing the ranges from the saddle gives you a completely different sense of the scale of the place. Our reception team can point you to the current operators and help you book.
