warrumbungle observatory

Our children loved it here! They learnt a lot about the planets and loved every second. What child doesn't love stars and space??? We stumbled across it and were happy we did!

Find out about our amazing planet, check out our magnificent universe, discover how it is all done and even take up the opportunity to capture your own photos of the universe with a night visit. I was in awe of this place and I will be going back to tap into our galaxy.

We attended Pete's astronomy tour and presentation in May 2014 (and as a result, I fall in love with astronomy). We revisited Pete's observatory again on Saturday 3rd October 2014 and once again we were extremely impressed with what Pete had to offer. There were about 30 people in attendance that night, and even though there was such a large number present, Pete made sure everyone had the opportunity to see everything he had to offer as well giving such a wonderful lecture as well as film and photo presentation. Pete has such a lovely personality and nothing was too much trouble for him to go for those that were present. He even gave some wonderful advise for those that were involved in astronomy and those wishing to become involved. If you are in the Coonabarabran area or even if you have never been there before, I strongly recommend you visit Pete's Observatory to get a unique experience. We are certainly going back to see Pete and his observatory again.

We enjoyed a very informative, if chilly, evening here watching the stars! A nice small group of people so everyone had as much time as they wanted looking through the viewfinders. The almost full moon did slightly limit our viewing but there was still plenty to see. We stayed just across the road at the hotel, so it was a nice quick walk to the observatory. Highly recommended.

This is a must if you are in Coonabarabran to view the dark skies & stars. Peter is a great host with a number of telescopes to view various stars, planets etc. He gives a very thorough commentary throughout the evening and we couldn't ask enough questions. Our group of about 10 were kept busy revolving around 3 scopes of varying power. The skies were perfectly clear on the night we were there & we wished we had rugged up even more as it was quite nippy. Definitely take a beanie & warm coat as it is all outdoors - our show went for about 2 hours. If you have a good camera that you can operate on manual do take it as he gives you the opportunity to take photos through the biggest telescope & the results we saw were stunning. Highly recommended.

Very interesting. A great site to see from a distance. A magnificent telescope to see. Worth a look.

The whole experience was 2.5 hours long. We arrived at 8pm and joined a small group of approx 10 people. The skies were crystal clear and we started with a very interesting presentation. The owner of the place is passionate about his business and highly knowledgeable. We the started looking at different bodies in the sky and constellations both with the naked eyes and through telescopes. We were able to see Mars, Saturn and Jupiter very easily. Through the telescope we were able to have a look at a number of nebulae and even another galaxy. Since we had a SLR we were also able to take photos through the big telescope, so if you have one just take it with you but let him know about it when you book by phone as he will tell you what settings to use beforehand. Excellent experience for everyone, even those (like me) that I am not that much of an astronomy enthusiast. The fee was only AU$ 10 per person

The ancient plugs of the volcano have been joined by new shiny domes,in the guise of a complex of giant telescopes atop siding Spring Mountain on the road to nearby Coonabarabran. taking advantage of the unusually clear night skies. I wonder if the original custodians of the Warrumbungles,the Kamilaroi,tried to make sense of their universe from the forbidding grandeur of the mountains? the evidence suggests not. Few artifacts,rock carvings or paintings have been found. Perhaps this sinister landscape was sacred ground for them,as is the white telescopes probing the depth of our universe,is to our scientific community.

Night tour - best attraction. Book with Peter Starr. You will not be disappointed. Rug up because it's FREEZING! Well worth it. Be sure to book first. It's very popular.

Arrived to see the lunar eclipse which we did. Only 4 other adults, 2 of whom consumed an extraordinary amount of Peter Starr's time by not even being able to turn off the flash on their super expensive SLR cameras! Photo opportunities for Cannon SLRs only which was very disappointing for the teenagers and others adults with ordinary digital cameras. Peter did not seem very interested in the other people there. Very dry, short and scientific presentation which was in stark contrast with previous observatories we have visited. Video at the start was entertaining and informative.Very VERY expensive for what it was.

Call the mobile number and leave your details - a text message received with instructions for the evening. Started at 9pm and finished 2 1/2hrs later. Very interesting and educational - never a dull moment for the entire session. Take a jacket and a torch. A great evening!

I am not an astronomy buff but found Peter Starrs talk and the opportunity to view different planets etc thru his telescopes fascinating. It was much better than I had anticipated. Viewing the night skies was just a magical experience. So make sure you phone ahead to be sure it is open the nights you want to attend. And when they say rug up they mean rug up! Even in Sep the nights are quite cold and our Katmandu jackets werent quite enough towards the end. Bring food for the kids!

THe park was burnt out in February 2013. We visited in August 2013 and as we drove in the feeling of eeriness and darkness seemed to hit you. The morning came and blue skies and the amazing shapes of the Warrumbungles came into view. Part of the park was open and some walks and it was amazing to see the regrowth. Before long the park will blossom again. It is an amazing place to visit.