Having had lots of long drives lately, we were really happy to have less than 200km today. It meant we weren’t in a rush and could stop at a few places along the way, allowing us to see more of inland NSW rather than race through everything. Our first stop was on the outskirts of Gilgandra, where we were keen to have a walk through the rural museum, which was full of old agricultural equipment and other historical artefacts. Unfortunately it was closed, and after checking at the visitor centre across the road we discovered there was a shortage of volunteers so they couldn’t open it. We drove through the town to look at the cooee statue which was erected to celebrate the historical marching of soldiers through rural NSW recruiting young men to head off to war. They cried cooee as they marched, which I didn’t realise was the origin of the cooee. As we drove down the main street it dawned on us that this was the town where we first caught up with the Grays and Phairs, the other two families we started this trip with, as we had left Sydney a day before them. It was strange coming back to a place that we had visited so early on the trip, and was another reminder that our big adventure was coming to an end. As we got closer to Coonabarabran we started seeing big billboards with planets on them. It was a local council initiative to attract tourists to the observatory near Coonabarabran, and they had created a 1:38,000,000 scale display of the solar system with the planets spaced along the various roads that lead to the observatory according to their distance from the sun. We stopped at a few to read about each planet, and it provided a good opportunity to stretch the legs. Once in Coonabarabran, we stopped at the visitor information centre where they had a display of fossils of a Diprotodon, the largest known marsupial to have ever lived. There was also some great information about the volcanic formation of the Warrumbungles. Before leaving town we stopped in at a place called the Crystal Kingdom on the outskirts of town. The kids were really excited to see all the crystals in the gift shop and they both bought a couple of things. There was also an amazing display of locally discovered minerals, crystals and fossils. It was incredible the variety of things on display given they were all from the local area. With a few more rocks added to the ever growing collection we had, we continued on to the Warrumbungles, where we found a great campsite, with generous sites, well spaced out, all surrounding a central grassy area. We had our own fire pit and views of the Warrumbungles range behind us. After setting up the camper I drove off to track down some firewood before returning to get a fire going. The kids made some damper and cooked it in the fire, before drowning it in honey and having a little pre dinner snack. After a tasty BBQ cooked directly over the flames of the fire, which gave it a great flavour not possible in the pan back home, we got the kids to bed and I read them a few chapters before enjoying a bit of peace and quiet around the fire with Kat.
The next morning we were in no rush to get out of bed as the wind had picked up and it was pretty cold. Eventually we emerged and had breakfast, before heading off on a short walk out of the back of the campground. It took us along a rocky path through rolling hills, with great views of the Warrumbungles in the distance. There were mobs of kangaroos all around us and Kat and I each walked with one of the kids, enjoying a chat about various things, making it a very relaxed walk. Em’s ankle held up well, no doubt helped by the regular Panadol we were giving her. We headed back to camp to do journals and have some lunch. That afternoon we drove about 30 minutes to the Siding Spring Observatory. It was the site of a huge telescope, and the main domed building that housed the telescope was open to the public, allowing us to climb the stairs to level four where there was a viewing room where we could see the telescope. It was huge and was mounted on a revolving platform, allowing it to point to anywhere in the sky. There were also a few videos that we watched, showing us how they anodised the massive mirror once a year. Some time lapse videos showcased not only the telescope but also the amazing night skies they enjoyed at the observatory. After checking out the views of the Warrumbungles from this high vantage point outside the building, we drove back to camp, stopping to collect some more firewood on the way. Back at camp we got another fire going, and the kids got more serious with their damper making, creating hamburgers, faces and plaits to cook. The kids had pizza for dinner while Kat whipped up Butter Chicken for ours complete with home made flatbread which we cooked on the BBQ hotplate. With our bellies full, we all headed to bed satisfied that night.
After a relaxed pack up the next morning, we stopped at Whitegum Lookout on the way out of the national park. It was a short 500m walk each way to a nice lookout which gave us a better view of the various peaks of the Warrumbungles, complete with a great explanation of how they were formed. Ancient volcanoes pushed magma up through fissures in the ground, and after millions of years of wind and water erosion, all that was left were the volcanic spires. After our geological lesson, we walked back to the car and headed off.
The Siding Spring Observatory
Wide open spaces 