The OzSky Star Safari | Info@OzSky.org

In keeping with our aim of offering the greatest flexibility for all travellers, we don't make bookings for the suggested trips in Sydney, but merely offer a small list of suggestions of what might be of interest to you during your stay in

Sydney. The day trips in and around Coonabarabran are also kept reasonably flexible, however firm bookings may

be made for some trips, such as any private "inside tours" of observatories, where available.

• Sydney Harbour Ferry trip from Circular Quay to Manly on the commuter ferry (much better than a

dedicated Harbour Cruise!)

• The Australian Reptile Park

• Taronga Zoo (also via ferry)

• Bondi Beach

• Manly Beach

• Palm Beach

• Royal Botanical Gardens

• City Highlights Half-Day Tours

• Guided / Unguided Tours of the Old Sydney

Observatory

• SCUBA diving around Sydney

• Sydney Aquarium

• WildLife Sydney Zoo

• Featherdale Wildlife Park

• Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

• Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout

• Sydney Opera House

• One of the many Harbour-side walks

• The Rocks, Darling Harbour and Circular Quay

• Customs House (amazing Scale Model of Sydney)

• The Australian Museum

• The Museum of Sydney

• The Powerhouse Museum

• The National Maritime Museum

• The Art Gallery of NSW

• The Museum of Contemporary Art

• Day/Overnight Trips to The Blue Mountains

• Jenolan Caves

• Hunter Valley or Mudgee Winery tours (great to do

before or after OzSky, or enroute).

Given that most folks visiting OzSky generally stay up until the early hours of the morning observing, most of the optional day trips or activities will be planned to start

after midday, however some may require an earlier

departure based on availability of bookings etc.

Afternoon lectures and presentations are often enjoyed

on topics including general astronomy, prime observing targets, Australian flora and fauna, geology aboriginal

culture and more.

Various day-hikes in the Warrumbungles National Park and Pilliga State Forest are also available for all fitness levels. It should be noted, however, that the region

suffered extreme bushfires back in January 2013 and while many of the popular hikes and tourism areas have been re-opened, many still show the impact of those

devastating bushfires, even today.

Information on many of the suggested walks is available from the local Tourist Information Office at Coonabarabran, however most of your official

volunteers will also be willing to offer first-hand experience and advice about some of the more

popular destinations.

• Observing the Southern Night Skies...

- Need I say more? In case of inclement weather (which is strictly

prohibited!) a series of additional talks or presentations may be available, however if you have any talks or presentations of your own which you'd like to present to

the group, we would be delighted to include you in the

talks schedule.

• Group Photo (Please wear your OzSky T-Shirt)

• Group Photo (at night) - Trust me, the result is

awesome!

• OzSky Welcome & Farewell BBQ Dinners (usually held on the second evening and last evening at

OzSky)

• *Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO), Siding

Springs (NOTE: Closed shoes required)

• *Australia Telescope National Facility at Narrabri

(NOTE: Closed shoes required)

• The Sandstone Caves (Easy/Medium Hike, 2 hrs

return)

• Sculptures in the Scrub (Easy/Medium Hike, 2 hrs

return)

• White Gum Lookout (Easy Hike, 1 hr return)

• Grand High Tops (HARD Hike, 6 hrs return)

• Mount Exmouth (HARD Hike, 6 hrs return)

• Belougery Split Rock (Medium/Hard Hike, 4 hrs

return)

• *Tara Cave Aboriginal Cultural Guided Tour

(bookings required, 3 hrs return)

• Southern Sky Orientation (first two evenings)

• Guided Sky Tours of the Southern Highlights (first

two evenings, then by request)

• OzSky Official Opening / Site Orientation

• History of the OzSky Star Safari

• Southern Skies Highlights - "Sky Candy"

• The Myth of the "Perfect" Polar Alignment

• The Argo Navis™ Digital Telescope Computer

• Venomous Australian Snakes

• Spotty Stars

• A Tale of Two Observatories

• Blowing Bubbles - A Talk on Wolf Rayet Stars

• Murrell's Horror List for Large Telescopes

• Using a DSLR for Nightscapes

• Australian Meteorite Impact Craters

• Guided Wildlife Tours

• World's Largest Solar System Scale Model (NOTE:

Pluto is located at Dubbo!)

• Guided Birding Walks (early mornings are best)

• Pilliga Pottery (30-minute drive one way)

• The Wool Shop

• Coonabarabran Art Gallery

• Aboriginal cultural walks and tours

• Diprotodon display at the Visitor's Information

Centre

• Gem and mineral collection at Crystal Kingdom

• Pilliga State Forest (30-minute drive, one way)

• Warrumbungles National Park (30-minute drive, one

way)

• Mt. Kaputar National Park (2-hour drive, one way)

• Dubbo Zoo, Old Dubbo Gaol (2-hour drive, one

way)

• Natural Artesian Hot Spas at Pilliga, Burren Junction,

Lightning Ridge and Moree

• Lightning Ridge Opal Mines (4-hour drive, one way)

• "The Dish" - Parkes 64m Radio Telescope (4-hour

drive, one way)

• Wine Tasting at regional Wineries

One of the day trips which OzSky attendees are sometimes able to enjoy is a visit to one or more of the observatories at Siding Spring, including the impressive

iTelescope* remote imaging facility, the 2.0m Faulkes Telescope South* and the 3.9m Anglo-Australian

Telescope (AAT)* if we are very lucky.

As those facilities are fully operational professional observatories, the availability of tours is not guaranteed, however every effort will be made to organise these

where available.

However, the public visitor’s centre and viewing gallery

are both open from 10am – 4pm most days.

* Important: If these or any of the similar tours are available for our

group, fully enclosed shoes are required for safety reasons – Anyone

not wearing closed-toed shoes will not be permitted to enter.

The OzSky Star Safari | Info@OzSky.org

Regardless of whether you choose to take the train to Dubbo, fly to Dubbo or Tamworth, or drive all the way from Sydney to Coonabarabran, you will need to drive at least part of the way to Coona. This guide sets out a few the

most popular options and provides links to some handy online maps to get you there easily.

Additionally, several guides to the suggested day trips and tours during the OzSky week are also included for your

convenience.

Oh, and just remember... we drive on the LEFT side of the road here in Oz!

Please note: the following suggested driving directions

are provided courtesy of Google Maps and generally represent the route most people choose to take, however a number of alternative options may be

available depending on your particular circumstances

or preferences.

If you use “Google Maps” on your smart phone or tablet,

you can simply enter "The OzSky Star Safari" as the destination to get real-time, guided directions the whole

way.

If you're using other brands of mapping software - or a dedicated GPS navigator - you can enter the address: "882 Timor Road, Coonabarabran" as the destination to

obtain directions.

Note: Timor Road is sometimes also known as "National

Park Road" or "John Renshaw Parkway" on some maps.

This guide provides links to the driving directions for the

following popular routes:

• Dubbo Train Station to OzSky

or Dubbo Airport to OzSky

• Sydney Airport to OzSky

or Sydney CBD to OzSky

• Tamworth Airport to OzSky

• Coona Clocktower to OzSky

DUBBO TRAIN STATION to OzSky

This is the most popular option and assumes that you will take the train from Sydney to Dubbo and pick up a rental car at Dubbo. The drive is easy and quite scenic, with a drive time of approximately 2 hours.

DUBBO AIRPORT to OzSky

Alternatively, if you fly into Dubbo airport, you can find

those driving directions here.

SYDNEY AIRPORT to OzSky

This is the second most popular option and assumes that

you will pick up a rental car at Sydney Airport and drive

all the way to Coonabarabran.

Once you have left the confines of the city, the drive is

moderately easy, but long and extremely scenic, with a

drive time of approximately 6 hours.

SYDNEY CBD To OzSky

Alternatively, if you are planning on driving from Sydney CBD (assuming Railway Square), you can find those

driving directions here

TAMWORTH AIRPORT to OzSky

This relatively unused route to OzSky is slowly growing in

popularity and is provided here for reference only. This scenic route has a drive time of just over 2 hours.

COONA CLOCK TOWER to OzSky

This is a route which you will likely be taking almost daily as it is the only route between Coonabarabran and our

observing site. The drive time is less than 10 minutes.

• From the Memorial Clock Tower on the Newell Highway, head west on Dalgarno Street for 450

metres (0.3 miles).

• Turn right onto Namoi Street and continue for 400

metres (0.2 miles).

• Turn left onto Eden Street which becomes John Renshaw Parkway (aka Timor Road aka National

Park Road) and follow for 8.5km (5.4 miles).

• The OzSky Star Safari, (at the Warrumbungles Mountain Motel) will be on your right at 882 Timor

Road, Coonabarabran NSW 2357

The OzSky Star Safari

Info@OzSky.org | www.OzSky.org

Location: 80 km (50mi) drive from OzSky

Drive Time: 70-90 minutes (30km gravel)

Duration: 2km loop (~2 hours)

Grade: Easy/Medium

Cost: Free (self-guided walk)

Rating:

Comments: Suggest taking food/drink as the location is quite remote. BBQ facilities

are available, and it is a lovely place

for a picnic lunch. One of the impressive astronomy-themed sculptures

The Sculptures in the Scrub walking track, in Timallallie

National Park, is one of our favourite hikes during OzSky and takes in the award-winning Sculptures in the

Scrub, a project that was four years in the making.

Each sculpture is the result of an artist collaborating

with local Aboriginal Elders and young people on a piece that tells a story of local Aboriginal history and culture. Take some time to look at these works - you’ll

find some information about the artist’s background and the methods used to create the sculpture, along

with its deeper meaning.

It’s a good idea to put sunscreen on before you set out and remember to take a hat and take plenty of drinking water – and of course check road conditions

before setting out.

You can take a self-guided walk at your own pace however, this unique place is also a great experience

on a guided tour with an Aboriginal Discovery Ranger. Tours can be booked at Pilliga Forest Discovery Centre

in Baradine (Tel: 02 6843 4011).

The Sculptures in the Scrub are one of the recent

additions to Warrumbungle Region’s landscape, officially opened to the public in 2010, and have become a regular destination for OzSky Star Safari folks

since then.

The unique sculptures are a popular tourist attraction at Dandry Gorge, in the heart of the Pilliga Forest, north

of Coonabarabran.

The impressive artworks are made from bronze, stone and stainless steel, with the largest creation standing

up to 3.5 metres tall.

The sculptures were developed by Australian artists Brett Garling, Col Henry and Ken Hutchinson and Aboriginal artist Badger Bates, and were funded by

Gawambaraay Pilliga Co-management Committee.

The sculptures have been strategically placed at Dandry Gorge to provide an opportunity for visitors to

view these works of art against the beautiful vista of the

Dandry Gorge and the ruggedness of the Pilliga scrub.

Sculptures in the Scrub is in Timallallie National Park, north of Coonabarabran. The site is relatively new, and

signposting is gradually developing.

From the Clocktower in Coonabarabran:

• Head north along the main street of

Coonabarabran towards Narrabri and follow for 5km. Don’t miss this turnoff!

• Turn left onto the Newell Highway (A39) towards

Narrabri and follow for 37km. • Turn left onto the Number One Break Road (signs

for Baradine) and follow for 18km

• Turn left onto Top Crossing Road and follow south for 9km

• Turn left onto Sculptures in the Scrub trail and

follow east for 1.6km to the carpark.

The OzSky Star Safari

Info@OzSky.org | www.OzSky.org

Location: 16 km (10mi) drive from OzSky

Drive Time: 15-20 minutes

Duration: 1km return (~1 hour)

Grade: Easy

Cost: Free (self-guided walk)

Rating:

Comments: This short hike can be done in as little as a few minutes, but the view is spectacular and is definitely worthy of

a longer stay The view from White Gum Lookout

Spectacular views of the volcanic landscape of Warrumbungle National Park await you at White Gum

Lookout.

Be sure to take a hamper or thermos flask with you, there are picnic tables adjacent to the car park where you can enjoy a picnic or a ‘cuppa’ (cup of

tea/coffee) while taking in the v iew and snapping some photographs. It is a short 500m stroll from the carpark to White Gum Lookout along a sealed

pathway.

From here you can see across to the main attractions of the Warrumbungles National Park – The Grand High Tops, Mount Exmouth, The Breadknife and of course

the vast volcanic remains which make up the

Warrumbungle Ranges.

This is a very easy walk (and is also wheelchair

accessible) and a great way to introduce yourself to

the Warrumbungles without too much effort.

OzSky guests exploring White Gum Lookout

From the OzSky Star Safari:

• Turn right (west) and follow Timor Road / John Renshaw Parkway for 16km (10mi).

• Turn left into the White Gum Lookout carpark

The OzSky Star Safari

Info@OzSky.org | www.OzSky.org

Location: Between Dubbo* (for most of you) and

Siding Spring Observatory

Drive Time: ~3 hours, including stops

Cost: Free (self-guided drive)

Rating:

Comments: This is great to do en-route to the

OzSky Star Safari from Dubbo

Saturn – Up Close and Personal

The World’s Largest Virtual Solar System Drive was an idea generated by Coonabarabran astronomer John

Shobbrook in 1997.

The aim was to provide a unique opportunity for tourists and students to experience first-hand the vastness of our Solar System and develop an interest in astronomy

and science.

A decade later the project became a reality following Warrumbungle Shire Council’s successful grant through the Federal Government’s AusIndustry

Australian Tourism Development Program.

Council’s tourism and econom ic development unit teamed together with local astronomy enthusiasts to

kick start the half-a-million-dollar project.

Local talent was contracted for the design, fabrication

and installation of the 4 metre by 4 metre billboards.

The focus of the project is to develop a sustainable

tourism industry and boost economic development in

the region.

The Solar System Drive contributes to the NSW road

safety campaign by providing incentives for travellers to stop at rest areas and Visitor Information Centres as

they journey through regional New South Wales.

The Solar System Drive is a daytime experience where

visitors are encouraged to stop at each planet in a safe manner, taking care when pulling off and back

onto the roadway.

Planet Location Distance Time

Pluto Dubbo Visitor Centre, Newell Hwy 190km 2.5 hours

Neptune Gilgandra Cooee Heritage Centre, Newell Hwy 119km 1.5 hours

Uranus Tooraweenah Rest Area, Newell Hwy 79km 70 mins

Saturn Camkeena Rest Area, Newell Hwy 40km 40 mins

Jupiter Timor Road, west of Coonabarabran 21.5km 20 mins

Mars Timor Road, west of Coonabarabran 5.5km 5 mins

Earth Observatory Road, west of Coonabarabran 4.1km 3 mins

Venus Observatory Road, west of Coonabarabran 1.9km 2 mins

Mercury Observatory Road, west of Coonabarabran 1.2km 1 min

The Sun Siding Spring Observatory 0km 0 min

http://www.solarsystemdrive.com | http://www.solarsystemdrive.com/pdf/map.pdf

Location: 150 km (90mi) drive from OzSky

Drive Time: ~90 minutes each way

Cost: Free

Rating:

Comments: Suggest taking food/drink as the location is quite remote and there are no nearby facilities.

Or you can dine in Narrabri after the

tour

Important: Closed-toed shoes are MANDATORY

for this optional tour

Note: This is often one of the scheduled, guided tours

available during the OzSky Star Safaris, however it is

not always available during the OzSky week.

Independent visits are welcome, however public

access is only available to the main visitor’s centre.

ATCA Antenna #4 covered in tiny OzSky folks

The Australia Telescope Compact Array is a radio

telescope operated by the CSIRO at the Paul Wild Observatory near Culgoora, ~25km (16 mi) west of

Narrabri.

The telescope is an array of six identical 22-metre (72ft)

diameter dishes, which commonly operate in

“aperture synthesis” mode to produce radio images.

Five of the dishes can be moved along a 3km (2mi)

railway track. The sixth antenna is situated 3km (2mi) west of the end of the main track. Each dish weighs

about 270 tons.

The Compact Array is a part of the Australia Telescope National Facility network of radio telescopes, and this array is frequently operated together with other CSIRO

telescopes, as well as the 64-metre (210 ft) dish at the Parkes Observatory and a single 22m (72ft) dish at Mopra (a few minutes’ drive west of The OzSky Star

Safari), to form a Very Long Baseline Interferometry

(VLBI) array.

The Array welcomes visitors from the general public and includes a Visitor's Centre where the operations of the array can be observed in comfort and shade, as

well as informational displays and audio-visual presentations, while the surrounding grounds have

displays and activities for visitors.

Open Days are run regularly, and to mark special events such as the anniversary of the first Moon

landing, or major anniversaries of the telescope itself.

Subject to availability, participants at the OzSky Star Safari are often treated to special inside tours of the Array and Control Room. If we are lucky enough to

get one of these tours this year, please ensure you have suitable (closed-toed) footwear, as we are not permitted to enter the facility under any

circumstances with open-toed footwear.

The photo above shows a number of OzSky Star Safari participants climbing the superstructure of Antenna #4

to enter the Feed Horn room and the surface of the

dish itself. No cricket being played here though...

The Australia Telescope Compact Array is located on the Wee Waa – Yarrie Lake Road, ~25km west of Narrabri.

Narrabri is about 120km north of Coonabarabran on the Newell Highway

Important: Make sure you take the Newell Highway turnoff, just 5km north of Coonabarabran. It’s easy to miss!

Once you arrive in South Narrabri there are limited signposts to the Australia Telescope.

From the Clocktower in Coonabarabran:

• Head north along the main street of Coonabarabran towards Gunnedah / Narrabri and follow for 5km. • Turn left onto the Newell Highway (A39) towards Narrabri and follow for 120km. Do not continue straight ahead

towards Gunnedah!

• At the second roundabout, turn left onto Mooloobar Street (becomes “Wee Waa – Yarrie Lake Road”) and follow for 19km.

• Turn right into the Australia Telescope National Facility’s Paul Wild Observatory and follow for 2.5km, veering

right to par your car near the Visitor’s Centre.

• Returning home, consider stopping in at Narrabri for a late lunch / afternoon tea.

Location: 18 km (11mi) drive from OzSky

Drive Time: ~20 minutes each way

Cost: $20 per person fee applies for inside

tours (if available)

Free access to visitor’s centre and

public viewing gallery

Rating:

Important: Closed-toed shoes are MANDATORY

for this optional tour

Note: This is often one of the scheduled, guided tours available during the OzSky Star Safaris, however it is

not always available during the OzSky week. Independent visits are welcome, however public access is usually only available to the main visitor’s

centre and public viewing gallery

The 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope

The Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) is a 3.9-metre equatorially mounted telescope operated by the

Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO) and is situated at the Siding Spring Observatory, at an

altitude of a little over 1,100 m.

In 2009, the telescope was ranked as the fifth highest-impact of the world's optical telescopes, while in 2001–2003, it was considered the most scientifically

productive 4 metre-class optical telescope in the world based on scientific publications using data from

the telescope.

The telescope was commissioned in 1974 with a view to allowing high quality observations of the sky from the southern hemisphere. At the time, most major

telescopes were located in the northern hemisphere,

leaving the southern skies poorly observed.

It was the largest telescope in the Southern

hemisphere from 1974-1976, then a close second to the Victor M. Blanco Telescope from 1976 until 1998,

when the first ESO VLT was opened.

The AAT was credited with stimulating a resurgence in British optical astronomy. It was constructed by Australia and the United Kingdom but has been

entirely funded by Australia since 2010. Observing time

is available to astronomers worldwide.

The AAT was one of the last large telescopes built with

an equatorial mount. More recent large telescopes have instead adopted the more compact and mechanically stable altazimuth mount. The AAT was,

however, one of the very first telescopes to be fully computer-controlled and set new standards for

pointing and tracking accuracy.

Subject to availability, participants of the OzSky Star Safari often get up close and personal with the 3.9m telescope - inside the dome, beyond the limits of the

general public. Our tours sometimes also include the main Control Room and the all-important aluminising

chamber.

During our tour, we may also get to experience the “iTelescope SSO” facility in a nearby building, which houses a range of imaging telescopes from 8” to 32”

diameter which can be time-rented and used remotely. We are also sometimes privileged to gain access to the impressive “Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT)” which has a 2.0m

telescope, two 1.0m telescopes and two 0.4m

telescopes.

If we are lucky enough to get any of these tours this

year, please ensure you have suitable (closed-toed) footwear, as we are not permitted to enter the facility

under any circumstances with open-toed footwear.

From the OzSky Star Safari:

• Turn right (west) and follow Timor Road for 13.5km.

• Turn right onto Observatory Road and follow for a further 4km to the carpark on your left at the base of the

Visitor's Centre.