Stargazing at Milroy Observatory

Come and join Donna the Astronomer or her team on an amazing and entertaining journey through the Southern Night Sky at Milroy Observatory.

The show starts with a tour of the evening sky, and then several bright and deep-sky objects are observed with the outdoor telescope. See planets, galaxies, nebulas and star clusters, amongst other amazing night sky wonders. Shows go for 75-90 minutes and are outside - so please rug up!

There are only two rules-have fun and ask questions!

Siding Spring Observatory

Siding Spring Observatory is Australia's premier optical astronomical research facility which opened in 1964. Located 27 kilometres west of Coonabarabran on the edge of the Warrumbungle National Park, it is home to Australia's largest optical telescopes, including the 3.9-metres Anglo Australian Telescope, the 2.3-metre Advanced Technology Telescope and the two-metre Faulkes Telescope South.

Visitors are able to access the Visitor Gallery in the AAT dome. Guided tours are available, and guests can contact Coonabarabran Stargazing for information on tours.

Warrumbungle National Park

If you got the time to spend a day in Warrumbungle National Park, it is definitely a must see while in the area! The Breadknife and Grand High Tops walk is recognised as one of the best walks in NSW, with close up views of the park's iconic rock formations.

Whether you're into camping, walking, birdwatching or astronomy, the park's big sky, amazing light and dramatic rock formations make it an outstanding place for amateur and professional photographers.

Sandstone Caves Walking Track

Walk in the footsteps of the Gamilaraay People along the short Sandstone Caves walking track in Pilliga Nature Reserve. You’ll pass through scenic forest to the impressive sandstone hills which contain ancient Aboriginal rock engravings. Take some time to read over the interpretive signage a deeper insight into this special place.

Crystal Kingdom

Crystal Kingdom is the home of one of the world's most unique mineral collections, the 'Minerals of the Warrumbungles'.

See the world's rarest and most colourful Zeolite Crystals and learn about how the Coonabarabran area was once home to not one, but two volcanoes. The educational exhibition displays a range of fossils from 300 million years ago to the recent age of the Australian Megafauna.

Jewellery lovers and collectors will love browsing through the crystal shop. Here you will find quality gemstone jewellery, crystals, and fossils.

Pilliga Pottery & Blue Wren Bush Cafe

Pilliga Pottery makes unique earthenware items from local clays. Artist Julie engraves beautiful designs taken from nature and mythology onto the hand thrown items that Julie and other potters create. You can drop in and see them at work seven days a week.

Pilliga Pottery was created by Richard and Maria Rickert after they purchased the 15,000 acre Barkala Farm 30 years ago. Richard was master potter and Maria ran the business.

Pilliga Pottery’s pieces are collected as art the world over. Designs range from the signature Blue Wren and Australian bush flora, to Celtic inspired mythical dragons. No two pieces are the same, and designs change regularly as Julie develops new and beautiful engraving subjects.

Beyond fantastic pottery, you can also indulge in delicious food from their cafe, get creative with a pottery class or walk through the Pilliga Forest on one of their many bush walks.

Pilliga National Park

Pilliga Forest, sometimes called Pilliga Scrub, is one of the iconic landscapes of inland Australia. It's made up of Pilliga Nature Reserve, Timmallallie National Park, Pilliga West, and East State Conservation Areas.

Close to the town of Baradine, Pilliga is a vast forest that spans more than half a million hectares and features 2,000km of public access trails, so there's a lot to explore either by walking or car touring. Explore along the Coonabarabran-Baradine-Warrumbungle scenic drive. Must see places: Pilliga Forest Discovery Centre, Sculptures in the Scrub, Salt Caves and Sandstone Caves.

Australian Museum

The Australian Museum Diprotodon Exhibition is housed at the Coonabarabran Visitor Information Centre at the southern end of town.

The exhibition displays the skeleton and skull of a Diprotodon, the largest marsupial ever to have lived. It is often likened to a giant-sized wombat. The remains of the Diprotodon were found in the creek bed of Cox's Creek near Tambar Springs in 1979. The exhibition also provides information on another megafauna that were believed to have existed at around the same time.

Mount Exmouth

This long trek is also an extremely rewarding one: the 360-degree views from Mount Exmouth, the 1206m peak of Warrumbungle Range, are truly outstanding. Along the way to the summit, you’ll encounter beautiful scenery, a varied vegetation community, and basalt rock formations that comprise some of the few remaining pieces of the original volcanic shield. Following Mount Exmouth walking track is to walk back in time, experiencing the best that Warrumbungle National Park has to offer.

You won’t be alone, either. Kangaroos, wallabies and wallaroos are common sights along the track. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a rare koala in the trees along ‘The Boulevarde’, a stretch of scenic woodland between Camp Burbie and Danu Gap. Don’t forget your binoculars, too – turquoise parrots can be seen in small flocks around the same area.