What I loved
If natural wonders and the mysteries of the universe are your cup of tea – then Coonabarabran needs to be on your bucket list. This small but very charming country town is the perfect base from which to explore the incredible Wurrumbungle mountain range and the vast ancient Pilliga forest. Warrumbungle National Park is Australia’s only Dark Sky Park and is renowned for its clear starry night skies and the Siding Spring Observatory.
What I did
Explored the town
There is no better way to get a sense of a place than by strolling its streets. The main street is wide with a row of trees down the centre. As we wandered we found a blend of colonial, federation and art deco architecture, quietly charting the steady progress of the town. The Commonwealth Bank building is a striking example of 1930s architecture. The sandstone war memorial clock tower is another town icon (built in 1928) and close to it, the old colonial era Court House is interesting. Neilson Park on the banks of the Castlereagh River was nice for a stroll beneath huge plane trees across a colourful carpet of autumn leaf fall.
Met a giant
In this case, a very non threatening one. If you pop in to the Visitor Centre you’ll be able to see the skeleton of the largest known marsupial, Diprotodon, which disappeared from Australia about 20,000 years ago. The display was installed by the Australian Museum (which has a policy of returning such things from whence they came) and consists of the skull and most of a skeleton excavated at nearby Tambar Springs. While Diprotodon was a giant – about the size of a large rhinoceros – it was a plant eater.
Got a bit rocky
Coonabarabran’s Crystal Kingdom is far more than just another shop selling pretty rocks and trinkets. The owners have created a unique museum containing minerals and fossils from the local area – some of exceptional beauty and rarity. This exhibit contains some of the world’s rarest and most colourful zeolite crystals and rare fossils that are found nowhere else. It’s free to get in and really quite amazing.
Spent a day in the Pilliga
As a self confessed nature nerd, a day spent in the vast expance of the Pilliga forest was time well spent. A glorious sunny day, long straight dirt roads through ever changing scrubby forests, the sound of birds – even kangaroo and emu running along the road ahead. The semi arid woodland is the largest continuous remnant of such bush in Australia. Among the must-dos here are a visit to Sculptures in the Scrub, a climb to the top of the Pilliga Tower lookout and a quiet walk around the beautiful Sandstone Caves. We’ll cover our day in the Pilliga in a separate blog soon.
Drove through a volcano
The enormous Warrumbungle shield volcano might well have been extinct for millions of years, but what’s left of it can be seen in one of the most breathtaking landscapes in NSW. This is a place of strange and beautiful volcanic domes, dykes, necks and plugs – weirdly shaped survivors of millions of years of erosion. There are many well marked National Parks and Wildlife Service walks through this landscape – but we decided instead to take the scenic drive through – stopping here and there to marvel.
Head out of town on Timor Road and Timor Rock will soon loom into view. There is a small reserve at the bottom and a walking path will take you to the base. It’s a favourite of rock climbers.
Continue on until you come to the turnoff up to Siding Spring Observatory at the top of Mt Woorut. The Anglo Australian Telescope was built here for its dark location, altitude and clear nights – and the views over the surrounding national park are very beautiful (also pop into the vistors centre where the are interesting displays and a little cafe).
Further on you will enter Warrumungle National Park where you need to keep an eye out for Whitegum lookout. This will give you a beautiful view over the so-called crooked mountains to well known landmarks such as the Breadknife and Belougery Spit Rock. There are picnic tables and the walking track is wheelchair accessible. You’ll soon pass the park visitors centre (closed for lunch when we arrived).
From there just drive on through the majestic scenery toward Tooraweenah where you’ll be abled to see the whole amazing landscape from a totally different perspective across open farmland. You can double back to Coonabarabran, or continue on to other intesting locations of the region.
Where I stayed
There are a range of motels, hotels and caravan parks in town, but I decided to stay at Langley Cottage B and B. Our room was spacious and very comfortable with access to common kitchen, dining and bathroom. Chance to chat with some other travellers but with room to escape to personal space. I enjoyed the stay.
Where I ate
This is a moderately sized country town, so don’t expect a hatted restaurant I enjoyed a simple but satisfying burger lunch at Feathers cafe, and a breakfast of nicely done bacon and eggs and a hot cuppa at Sisterellas Cafe in the main street.
I’m a great believers in the merits of country town Chinese cuisne so we called into the Golden Sea Dragon. Not withstanding how far we were from the sea, this retaurant has been operating here for 30 years (a variety of owners). The decor was archetypal 1980s Australian Chinese and has to be seen to be believed. The food was good without being outstanding. I left happy.
