Explore the Warrumbungles
6hr drive north - west from 📍 Sydney
We acknowledge the traditional owners. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of the lands where we work and travel through. We pay respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Regional Explorer Reccos 🥾 Nem & Annie
Favourite coffee spot? Feather’s cafe in Coonabarabran is a great spot for coffee and breakfast. It always has a full house with plenty of seating, the staff are very friendly and the food comes out quickly (and it is delicious!).
Favourite places for grab and go lunches? We were hiking during lunch most of the time we were there so we did not go into town to grab a take away lunch, especially as the start of the hike was a 4 min drive from the campground. PB&J sandwiches are highly recommended for the hike- do yourself a favour and get strawberry or raspberry jam to go along with your peanut butter! Don’t worry, there is a huge Woolies in Coonabarabran that you must drive through to get to the campground so you can easily stock up on anything you need there.
Favourite place for a dine in dinner? The campground itself is located approximately 35 mins from the nearest town so in order to maximise our time outdoors we opted to buy ingredients and make our own food at the camp. If you do end up booking time at the Coonabarabran Observatory then you will have the opportunity to dine in town before a later session.
Favourite activities? Warrumbungle National Park is Australia’s first ever Dark Sky Park. A Dark Sky Park is a perfect spot to go stargazing as there is minimal light pollution in a rare nocturnal environment. We enjoyed just looking up at the clear skies from our camping ground and also took the opportunity to book a local observatory stargazing session through a telescope (located roughly 35 mins away from the camping ground at The Getaway Tourist Park). Both are breath-taking experiences we recommend to anyone who is ever near the region.
Outside of stargazing there are many hikes located close by to the camp. We hiked the Breadknife and Grand High Tops walk; a beautiful and steep mountain. We even saw some mountain climbers on the steep faces that jut up out of the earth along the trail.
Being greeted by the kangaroos in the morning and seeing them hop around the campsites at night was also a treat!
Favourite spot for sunrise and sunset? Camp Blackman can be quite charming for both the sunrise and the sunset. We were located at the unpowered tent camping grounds which had a clearing that allowed us to almost have a full unobstructed 360° view of the mountains around us. The sunset was particularly beautiful with its reddish hue washing over the mountains, making you feel as if you were back in time for a moment.
Alternatively, the top of the Breadknife hike has perfect views for both the sunrise and sunset. We unfortunately decided against going up or down from there without sufficient sunlight as the hike is rocky at parts and could be potentially dangerous- but advanced hikers do it.
Favourite time of year there and why? It has to be winter time. Being in a mountainous region it is of course freezing after the sun sets but it allows for the perfect opportunity of lighting a warm campfire and huddling together while looking up at the stunning Milky Way. But be sure to bring cold weather gear!
A standard photo taken with a Google Pixel 6 phone at 6.44pm, before the stars were truly even out.
How can people best support the region? Have Warrumbungle National Park as part of a longer itinerary. If we were to do this trip again we would extend it longer than just the long weekend. Spending three nights should be enough at Camp Blackman, and Mudgee is only 2.5 hours away. We wished we had more time to stay in Mudgee and explore.
About Nem & Annie
We are a couple from the Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, with Annie (right) being an American expat and Nem (left) growing up in Sydney. We both work in an office setting and frequently look for opportunities to go out and explore regional Australia. We both enjoy nature; particularly activities and camping. Our favourite moments in life often arise from exploring new places and we'd love to share those special spots with other people.
Itinerary recommendation
Long weekender (our Regional Explorers wish they had a few more days to stop in Mudgee)
Day 1: Drive to Coonabarabran, stock up on groceries and supplies at Woolies. Head to Camp Blackman well before dark to setup camp (30 min drive from town).
Day 2: Main hike day (choose based on experience and fitness level). Nap and hit up the observatory in the evening if you have it in you.
Day 3: Spend the AM doing another less intensive hike or lookout. Head off on the drive home by 10-11am. Grab lunch in Coonabarabran, then continue the drive home.
Extra 1-2 days if you have annual leave up your sleeve: Stop in at Mudgee for 1-2 nights and check out what’s on offer in the region.
Top picks for accommodation
Our top rated Airbnbs : Singles 🕺 | Couples 💕 | Families 👨👧👦👨👨👧👦 👨👩👦👦 👩👧👧 (TBC) | Groups 👯♀️👯♂️ (TBC) | Accessible 👨🦼🧑🦯 (TBC) | Pet friendly 🐶
Camping / van bookings : National Park Camp Site Booking ⛺️ 🍂 $8 car entry per day (has hot showers! 🚿)
Quick links for while you are there ⚡️
Regional Explorer loves 🫶
Coffee and breakfast | Feather’s Cafe in Coonabarabran
Grab and go lunch | Pack your own lunches from Woolies in Coonabarabran (We opted for PB & Jam sandwiches)
Food | Woolies in Coonabarabran
Butcher | Krystie’s Quality Meats in Coonabarabran
Bakery | Coonabarabran Bakery (Old school bakery)