Take a couple of days – or longer – to immerse yourself in the timeless Aboriginal stories and ancient landscapes of Pilliga Forest and Warrumbungle National Park. Taking a tour with an Aboriginal Discovery ranger is the perfect way to connect with this iconic landscape.
Dreaming stories offer a deeper understanding of this rugged north-west corner of NSW, its ancient rock engravings and startling geological features. In Aboriginal legend, the Dandry Gorge was gouged out of the ground by the rainbow serpent of the Gamilaraay Dreaming, and visiting Warrumbungle National Park, you’ll see why the Gamilaraay people gave these crooked mountains their name.
Getting there:
- Coonabarabran, located 452 km north-west of Sydney, is the gateway to the Warrumbungle National Park and Pilliga Forests. There is good road access to the national parks, but you’ll need to check road conditions before entering.
- It is approximately a 7 hour drive from Sydney, 6 hours from Newcastle and 5 hours from Port Macquarie.
- Trains link towns in the region. Please visit NSW TrainLink for timetables, fares and online bookings.
- There are three airports in the surrounding region that have regular flights from major cities:
- Dubbo is located to the south of the region and has regular flights from Sydney
- Tamworth, within a 2 hour drive east of the region, has regular flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.
- Narrabri, approximately a 1 hour drive north of the region, has regular flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle.
Outback safety