Coonabarabran

Coonabarabran is a small town (population 3,290 in 2016) in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia.

Coonabarabran is the main centre of the Warrumbungle Shire Local Government Area.

Understand

Visitors information centre

• 1 Coonabarabran Visitors Information Centre, John Street (Oxley/Newell Highways) (next to Coonabarabran Memorial Swimming Pool), ☏ +61 2 6849 2144, toll-free: +61 1800 242 881, coonavic@warrumbungle.nsw.gov.au. M-Su 9AM-5PM. 

Get in

By car

Coonabarabran is at the very end of B56, and is located on the Newell Highway. The town is about a two hour drive from Dubbo north via the A39 Newell Highway and is a 1.5 hour drive south from Narrabri via the A39 Newell Highway.

By plane

Though 1 Coonabarabran Airport (COJ  ^IATA) exists, there are no regularly scheduled flights to the airport. The nearest airports with regular services are in Dubbo to the southwest or Tamworth to the east.

See

• 1 Siding Spring Observatory, Observatory Rd, Coonabarabran (27km west of Coona town centre, perched at the edge of the Warrambungles.), ☏ +61 2 6842 6363. With an elevation of about 1160m, not just with the numerous telescopes, there is also a visitors' gallery and exhibition area open to the public which also incorporates a café and souvenir shop. During NSW school holidays, guided tours of the site are offered. Groups of over 15 adults may apply for Behind the Scenes walking or bus tours. An Open Day is held annually in October, offering talks about astronomy and tours inside many of the telescope domes which are open to the public on this one day of the year. These tours include the AAT 3.9M, UK Schmidt, iTelescope.Net, 2.3M ANU and the LCGTN 2M telescope facilities. Siding Spring also has multiple telescopes ranging in size from 0.45m to about 4m, all which has to show something unique. (updated Aug 2021)
• 2 Warrumbungle National Park. Another one of New South Wales' many national parks, with this one most notably for its breadknife shaped rock. (updated Nov 2021)
• 3 Crystal Kingdom Museum, 16 Chappell Ave, ☏ +61 2 6842 1927. 9AM–5PM. (updated Nov 2021)

Eat

• 1 Coonabarabran Bakery, 67 John St, ☏ +61 2 6842 1002. M-F 5:30AM–5:30PM, Sa 6AM–1PM. (updated Nov 2021)

Sleep

• 1 Acacia Motor Lodge, 10 John St, ☏ +61 2 6842 1922, acacia10@bigpond.com.au. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. (updated Jul 2022)
• 2 All Travellers Motor Inn, King St, ☏ +61 2 6842 1133, stay@alltravellers.com.au. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. (updated Jul 2022)
• 3 Country Gardens Motel, 13 John St, ☏ +61 2 6842 1711. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. (updated Jul 2022)
• 4 Matthew Flinders Motor Inn, Newell Hwy, ☏ +61 2 6842 1766. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. (updated Jul 2021)

Go next

Routes via Coonabarabran

Goondiwindi ← Narrabri ←	N A39 S	→ Gilgandra → Dubbo
END ←	W B56 E	→ Gunnedah → Tamworth