Our full day in Coonabarabran saw us venture into the Warrumbungle National Park where not only did we see fantastic volcanic mountain ranges we got to go and see the Siding Spring Observatory and the Warrumbungle visitor centre where we had a picnic lunch. There is a really good short walk up to a look out just as you are entering the national park. It only cost $7 per day per vehicle and the view and surroundings were priceless.
You can do a drive through the Warrumbungle shire and do a virtual tour of the universe with these planet markers. The Coonabarabran Information Centre has workbooks for the kids to do activities about the planets. The observatory is considered the sun and all the planets are in relative distance to it. Fantastic idea - and yes Pluto is still considered a planet.
Siding Springs Observatory. Absolutely wonderful!!! Free entry up to see the telescope. Tours only run during the school holidays but still worth the look without a tour. There is a exhibition in the coffee shop/ gift shop for a cheap fee all about space, maths, the telescope, stars etc etc etc!!! Very good value and even enjoyable for the kids. They had a short movie about the observatory and what it's discovered in the universe. Very interesting.
Coonabarabran Information Centre - Very helpful and clean and the best place to get information about planing your day in the Warrumbungle National Park.
A free display about a prehisotric wombat called a diprotodon this is their website: http://www.coonabarabran.com/vic/diprotodon.htm
At the end of our day we went to the Circus. Yes a circus in Coonabarbran. Not very good but I got to see them pretend to throw knives at Andrew while he was blindfolded. The look on his face was one of fear which was to be expected because the clown seemed to be a bit crazy.
The next day was our pack up day to head to Dubbo and we woke to rain. Andrew was up early for the dawn service (Anzac Day) and by the time we had breakfast and got organised in the caravan I found myself out in the rain packing the car and getting a few things ready for the caravan to be packed down. The only disadvantage of the type of caravan we have is when we are faced with rain. By the time we were packed up my hands and feet were frozen through and a quick trip to the showers to defrost them before we were on the road again.
Coonabarabran was such a pleasant stop, a great little town that you shouldn't just pass through. The caravan park we stayed in wasn't the best for amenities blocks but if you look pass that and get out and enjoy the town and surrounds it's well worth the look. It's on the list to come back to and if you lived in this region you are missing out if you don't go look at your own backyard - it's amazing.
One last thing - before we got to Coonabarabran we passed through Gunnedah (thought it was worth a mention).
The cleanest toilets we've found so far was at the Gunnedah Inforamation Centre. The kids got to buy a touristy koala - more on that later!
One last thing - before we got to Coonabarabran we passed through Gunnedah (thought it was worth a mention).
The cleanest toilets we've found so far was at the Gunnedah Inforamation Centre. The kids got to buy a touristy koala - more on that later!
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