This page is largely for the benefit of people who are travelling to the telescope by car. They should also look at the AAO travel page on driving to Coonabarabran.
Ways to get there
There are basically two routes to Coonabarabran: via Lithgow and
Mudgee, or via the Hunter Valley. Both have their advantages and
disadvantages,
and the distance is approximately the same. Below is a sketch map of
the
two routes, with the main towns indicated. The distance is roughly the
same
for each, i.e about 470km.
THE MUDGEE ROUTE
Places to eat
Zellie's Cafe Gallery
Gourmet food & Coffee Bar
223 Windsor Street
Richmond - opposite the park - amenities in park
Open 7 days, 7.30am - 5.30pm
Conditorei Patisserie
30 Station Street, Wentworth Falls
Coffee shop & bakery. Very bad for the waistline.
Bay Tree Cafe
Mount Victoria
McCafe
Lithgow
Yes, believe it or not, there is now a cafe in the Lithgow McDonalds!
Tea, cappuccinos etc, focaccias, muffins and numerous sinful cakes.
Tramp Cafe
61 Market Street, Mudgee
Good for lunch. Now does breakfast as well.. Can eat outside in
courtyard.
Hours: 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8am
till.......
Elton's Cafe
81 Market St, Mudgee. 6372 0772
(about 100m after the clock tower, as you
head from Sydney to Coona).
The coffee is not just good for Mudgee,
it's good for Sydney!
Saint and Sinner Cafe de Gulgong
111 Mayne Street, Gulgong
White Rose Cafe
Dunedoo
Old style Australian milk bar. Great hamburgers
MacDonalds - Lithgow or Mudgee
KFC - Mudgee
Things to see or do
Antique stores:
Windsor (off the main through road)
Mudgee - Mudgee Furniture Factory, 15 Lewis Street, Mudgee
Dunedoo - Judi Bowman Antiques, 66 Bolero Street (the main street)
Coonabarabran - Old Timers Gallery, 36 Dalgarno Street
Artistic Pottery - painting & sculpture
2628 Bells Line of Road, Bilpin
Ph: (045)67 1149
Pierce's Pass
About 10km west of Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens (themselves well worth a
visit when time is available) on Bell's Line of Road. A 20-30 minute
walk from the
car park on the Bell's Road. Spectacular views.
Pearson's Lookout - north of Lithgow on way to Mudgee - wonderful views
Windamere Dam, south of Mudgee.
Robertson Park, Mudgee - A very pleasant place to sit and eat
a sandwich if you are short of time, or even if you aren't.
The Tourist Information Centre is just across the road.
ABC Bookshop, Mudgee.
From Russell Cannon: "Can I put in a plug for the bookshop/CD store opposite the Shell garage in the main street? TheyGulgong - the town that used to be on the $10 note. Quaint buildings, Pioneer Museum,Colonial Inn Museum
have an unusually wide selection of both types of material (e.g. I recently got some 1920s recordings of songs by Robert
Burns - what more could an intinerant astronomer ask for on the long drive?)"
Wineries
Too many to list, but a few mentioned by AAO staff are:
Burnbrae Winery
Hill End Road
Craigmoor Winery - good place to eat
Craigmoor Road
Mount
Vincent Mead and Wine - not exactly a winery, but worth a visit
Common Road, Mudgee
Road hazards
The T-intersection between Gulgong and Dunedoo - a completely unexpected Stop sign in the middle of nowhere
Beni Crossing (shortcut to avoid Mendooran) - often closed because of rain
Shell service stations
Sydney,Mudgee, Coona
(Note that prices outside Sydney are MUCH higher!)
Web sites
Lithgow Information on Lithgow and surrounding areas
Mudgee-Gulgong tourism Accommodation, restaurants etc
THE HUNTER ROUTE
Places to eat
Ogilvie's Espresso Bar
25 Ogilvie Street
Denman
Coming towards Sydney from Coona, continue straight on instead of
turning left as you approach Denman, then turn right at the pub.
Ogilvie's is on the left, about halfway along the street.
Very nice rolls, baguettes, friands etc. Only for lunch unfortunately.
Ellamara's Homestead
Merriwa Road
Sandy Hollow (About 2km on Coona side of Sandy Hollow)
Driver-reviver stop, but also has a restaurant (The
Gunyah Tucka) - sandwiches, pecan pie, plunger coffee etc.
Also has overnight accomodation.
Art Cafe
Right on the main highway, almost exactly halfway to site. Proprietors
of cafe are both artists. Excellent views to the hills in all
directions, and very good coffee. Also one of the giant dancing dolls
from the closing ceremony of the Olympics!
Merriwa Bakery
Best cream buns in NSW according to Denis.
Coffee shop on left at start of the high street as you come
into Merriwa on way to Coona.
Merriwa Quality Meats
Yes - the butcher's shop! They also have a selection of sandwiches,
wraps, pies etc plus cold drinks. Couple of tables outside on veranda.
On the left as you head towards Coona, opposite the RSL. Usual shop
hours only unfortunately.
Pie shop in Merriwa
Wollombi pub.
Pokolbin - various cafes and restaurants attached to wineries. Some can be expensive.
Things to see or do
Ellamara's Homestead - see also above.
Gardens, art gallery, shop, museum.
Denman - very pretty town, worth not bypassing the main street.
Hunter Valley Cheese Company - in the McGuigans Complex on
corner of Broke and McDonalds Roads, Pokolbin. Also a selection of
pickles, oils, olives and other nibblies in the back section..
Wineries
As in the case of the Mudgee area, there are far too many wineries to list - the Hunter Valley is one of Australia's major wine-producing areas.
Road hazards
Roads are mostly reasonable on this route and of course the first
part out of Sydney is the F3 freeway (but watch out for speed cameras
etc. Also the stretch between the Hawkesbury and Mount White now has a
90k limit)
Also beware of the dip at the main intersection in Binnaway!
Shell service stations
Sydney, Cessnock, Denman (off the main road - turn towards the town), Coona
Web sites
Guide to the Hunter Valley Details of wineries, accommodation, restaurants etc
Wine Diva - Hunter Valley Wineries, restaurants, accommodation, events etc