‘Stars aligned’: Insane sight in tiny Aussie town’s skies
Something so amazing can be spotted in the sky over a Aussie country town that people flock from across the world just to see it.
By day, Coonabarabran seems like the quintessential Aussie country town – but by night, it transforms into something truly magical.
A six-hour drive from Sydney, tiny Coonabarabran – which has less than 4000 residents – has been dubbed the “capital of Australian astronomy”. It boasts zero light pollution and is home to Warrumbungle National Park, the nation’s first-ever Dark Sky Park.
That means it’s one of the best spots in the country to check out the wonders of the Southern Hemisphere’s night sky, attracting visitors from not only across Australia, but from across the globe too.
And luckily for me, the stars quite literally aligned when I visited the region last month with my family.
Our chronic disorganisation meant we left Sydney in a state of panic on a Saturday morning, having left the packing until the very last moment, but thankfully, we were travelling in the seriously spacious All-Hybrid Mazda CX-80, which meant we were able to chuck all our stuff in the boot without a second thought – a dream when you’re travelling with toddlers and the paraphernalia that goes with them.
We stopped at Dunedoo for a quick pit stop along the way and to admire the town’s striking silo art before pulling into Coonabarabran’s Dark Sky Eco Retreat, our off-grid home away from home for the next two nights.
Run by seriously knowledgeable hosts Mark and Wendy – a couple of treechangers who left the hustle and bustle of Sydney in 2017 and never looked back – the retreat offers tranquil, luxurious accommodation as well as stargazing and astrophotography from its private observatory and safari-style tours of the on-site emu farm.
We arrived in the early evening and had a few hours to enjoy our serene eco-lodge – complete with an outdoor spa and views of the emus strolling the grounds – before heading off for our night-time observatory session.
Not only was the tail of the Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS still visible during our trip, we also happened to be there during an incredible “planetary parade” – an extraordinary cosmic phenomenon that saw most of the planets appear in alignment in the night sky.
It meant that we could see Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,Uranus and Neptune at the same time – a pretty rare and special event.
You don’t have to be a serious space buff to appreciate the spectacular views from the on-site telescope, and the pictures taken on the night were truly awe-inspiring. We were able to clearly see the planets, the Orion and Horse Head nebulas and so much more, and the sight of the moon’s craters was so clear it felt like we were standing on the moon’s surface itself.
The next day, we were treated to an emu safari in a golf buggy – an experience our toddler couldn’t get enough of – and got the chance to get up close and personal with the animals, something that’s pretty magical for those of us who live smack-bang in the middle of the city.
After that, we headed to Warrumbungle National Park for a short hike to check out the incredible views before continuing to Coonabarabran’s Siding Spring Observatory, the country’s top astronomical research facility and home to Australia’s largest optical telescopes.
Another way the region brings space to life is via the world’s largest virtual solar system drive.
Starting at the Siding Spring Observatory (which represents the sun), you can then go on a self-guided drive to explore a scale model of the solar system, with colourful planets mounted on billboards along several routes which really bring home the sheer size of the heavens.
The next morning, we headed to nearby Mudgee – famous for its award-winning wineries and foodie scene – and enjoyed lunch at Lowe Family Wine Co before checking into the ultra-luxe Zensi Retreat for our final night.
Any lingering stress we might have had disappeared the moment we stepped inside – staying at a private house with its own sauna and yoga room will do that – and we were happy to spend the afternoon splashing in the pool and soaking up the ambience, only popping out for a pub dinner in town.
We kicked off our final day with a buggy tour and delicious morning tea at Piambong Creek Farm, a sprawling 1700 acre working farm just 25km from Mudgee.
Host Beth patiently answered all our questions about life on the land – and getting to pat a real sheep for the first time was a life highlight for our 17-month-old, who also never wanted the buggy ride to end.
Eventually, it was time to begin the long road trip home – but we’re already planning to return to this region that offers so many hidden gems as soon as we can.
This journalist and her family visited Coonabarabran and Mudgee as a guest of Mazda