Coonabarabran
We used Coonabarabran as a base for exploring the local area. You will need to be aware that on the way there, you will have to slow down in several sections of the road due to cattle grazing on the sides. There are also lots of kangaroos. We stayed one night in town and the days either side in the surrounding countryside.
On the drive there, we stopped for lunch at Coolah which is a great little town with very friendly residents. There are several cafes and pubs to choose from for lunch or quick snacks.
Once in Coonabarabran we visited the places listed below. To read the full story for each, please click on the link.
Visitor Information Centre
In town we looked at the visitor information centre. The staff there were very friendly and suggested some of the places we ended up visiting. In the centre there is a display of local aboriginal artifacts as well as a skeleton of a diprotodon; a type of giant extinct marsupial, and some great history of the fires that went through the town. The town is busy with a lot of traffic going through it.
Coonabarabran
In town had a look at the town clock in the centre of the main street.
Nearby is a sundial, which is easy to get to, as parking is good. The sundial was presented to the shire for the 35th anniversary of the Anglo Australian Telescope.
The scenery around the town is great, ranging from forests to grazing properties and mountains.
As you drive around, take a look at the post boxes on the side of the road. They are very interesting, varying from astronomical themes to Science fiction.
Baradine and the Pilliga Forest
Baradine in the Pilliga has the Pilliga Forest Discovery Centre where you can learn about the forest that surrounds the town. The staff were very helpful and gave us directions to the Sculptures in the Scrub, which are nearby. The road into Baradine and to the Sculptures was all dirt road and in places was very rough. When you travel be aware of this and travel to conditions and check the road condition beforehand.
We noticed this great building driving through Baradine. It is a memorial hall to the Servicemen of World War One. The inscription is latin – faithful unto death.
Drought
On the trip home, we were reminded of the impact from the drought when we came across cattle grazing on the side of the road, as this is the only feed left for them.
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.