FROM LEETON TO the WARRUMBUNGLES

It was a long but enjoyable drive from Leeton through Forbes, Parkes, Dubbo and then on to Coonabarabran...the Newell Highway is not in the best shape, to be honest, with many worn parts, only exacerbated by heavy truck use.  But all was forgiven when we got to Coonabarabran  and found the Warrumbungles...

​You can read all about the Warrumbungles here - this was our first visit (we hope it won't be our last!), and yes it's officially winter, so it was chilly. We headed out of Coonabarabran due west about 30km of winding road and spectacular hills, rock faces, scarps, forest and farms... The Visitor Centre is very impressive, with very new facilities and helpful staff and comprehensive information. 

Look out for noisy friar birds near the Visitor Centre carpark.

Our opening gambit was an easy and very accessible walk out the back of the visitor centre - we saw many eastern grey kangaroos, red-rumped parrots, and various small bush birds. Based on advice from the Centre, headed further along the same road to more spectacular views, with sheer rock faces often shrouded in mist and cloud.

Burbie Canyon Walk was our destination - and how wonderful it was. We imagined as we went through this canyon, escarpment on both sides of a vibrant stream, the many indigenous families who probably once lived and hunted here.

​Instead of walking back out (it's only 2km return), we continued on to the Split Rock Walk and came out on the main road about 1 km from our carpark. It was at the Split Rock walk and carpark that we got some bird action - superb fairy wrens, eastern yellow robins, white-eared honeyeater...and more.

We're already planning a return visit when the weather is more inviting and the birdlife even more plentiful.