The Warrumbungles is a beautiful mountain range that rises above the flat plains in northern NSW and provides the traveller on the Newel Highway a wonderful diversion on their north to south or south to northern Australia tour.  There are some sophisticated facilities in the Warrumbungal ranges for those who love to wear fashionable  urban clothing  and lots of opportunityt for bush style clothes.

The Castlereagh River has its headland land in the Warrumbungle Ranges before flowing inland to join the Darling River.
The Warunbungles are also the site of a national park and being so far away from the cities on the coast they are a perfect location for planet and stars observatories which open to the public.   Certainly the stars at night from our free campsite on the Newel Highway gave us a night view of the clearest sky I have seen for a long while.     Coonabarabran in inland New South Wales, is the nearest town to the Warrumbungles.

The range lies between the moist eastern coastal zone and the dryer plains to the west. Due to this position the mountains have provided protection for flora and fauna suited to both habitats. This interests me as the novel I am writing is set in a country town beside a mountain range that is situated on the edge of the dryer western planes.  My novel is not set in early day's Coonabarabran but it might have been.  Around here they are growing cotton crops.  In my novel it is beef cattle country and sorghum or sunflower crops. 

Over 120 different bird species live in the Warrumbungle Ranges and the colonies of grey kangaroo are relatively tame.

The mountains of the Warrumbungle Range, are many varied and interesting shapes.  The bread knife is a famous abrupt jutting upright rock formation 90 meters high.

Warrumbungle Region is 5-6 hours drive from Sydney, half way between Melbourne and Brisbane, and within 2 hours drive of the regional cities of Dubbo and Tamworth.     Despite the floods this year the road surface is good for most of te way and where it is rough it was well marked with slow down signage.  

There are frequent 24 hour overnight camp sites on the route and we passes several driver reviver stops.  Public toilets were ar many of the free camp sites and of course the road houses had clean toilets and appreciated a purchase if you use their facilities.