Warrumbungles

We packed up and set off to have a quick look at the area. We Walked along the Spirey View lookout track. It was a good track which hadn't been completely destroyed in the fires in 2013 although there was still a lot of evidence of the damage done. The rocky out crops look quite naked with only very fine re growth happening so far.The creek beds were dry but showed eve diene of swift flood flows. We finally saw the famous bread knife it was an amazingly thin remainder of a volcanic dyke.

The lookout gave the best views of the Breadknife.

In the afternoon we visited the Sliding Springs Observatory. There were great views over the Warrumbungles. It is an ideal spot for an observatory due to the absence of light and other pollution also it's elevation places it above layers of dust etc

We timed our visit well as just as we were about to leave the whole telescope slowly started moving. It was quite spectacular as they seemed to be re aligning it. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie. The whole mechanism is aligned to its latitude so a star can be easily tracked as it transits the earth.

We realised we may be short of fuel so ended up going back to Coonabarabin for fuel and then staying in a cabin at camp Cyprus in Baradine It rained very heavily overnight.

As it turned out we would of had plenty of fuel to reach Coonamble but we would of started the trip very wet as the skies opened up on Saturday night much to the farmers delight

Setting off

We left home on Thursday after a slow start. We called in to see Little Miss Sunshine and of course her. Mum and Dad and stayed the night. By the time we left the next morning Naomi had developed a cold so it was first stop a chemist to get some Echinacea!
We stopped next at Merriwa. It is a lovely little town and it had great shop of local crafts. Then it was On to the Warrumbungles.

Amazing sunset at Whitegum Lookout.It just kept changing and getting better until it was finally gone, perhaps symbolic of a life well lived. Camped overnight in Wambelong campsite within the National Park. It was only small but very quiet. It Was dark by the time we got there so it was a bit of a challenge setting up our new tent when we got there. Slept surprisingly well.

This is what we woke up to next morning just outside the tent.