We’re heading out to the Warrumbungle National Park today. Located 36km west of Coonabarabran and 550km northwest of Sydney, it is unique in being the only Dark Sky Park in Australia and the reason Siding Springs Observatory was located right here in the park.

The Warrumbungle mountain range shares a volcanic history with a string of extinct volcanoes from Queensland down and through New South Wales. Caused by a hot spot beneath the earth’s crust and pushing through weaker rock, the volcanoes formed in a north to south chain as Australia slowly moves northwards. The hot spot currently sits below the Bass Strait and someday may re-appear breaking back through to the surface in Tasmania.

A massive fire in 2013 caused major damage covering 90% of the national park and has left very clear evidence with blackened tree trunks everywhere but equally impressive new growth as the forest re-establishes itself. Its affect on the local fauna and flora is still being measured and visitors are encouraged to send photographs from key locations to enable scientists to measure changes over the ensuing years.

It’s a very enjoyable drive leading into and through the national park but visitors are advised to be aware of rockfalls and fallen trees still affected by the fire. It feels almost as if you are entering a recent disaster zone with fallen trees, branches and rocks right beside the road and sometimes on it. One positive side to the fire is the views that have been created where trees have been stripped of their leaves and in places whole trees have burnt or fallen.

Our aim today was to do a couple of walks, get some fresh mountain air and enjoy the scenery. The first stop was the at the Whitegum Lookout. Just a short walk, the path leads to a platform overlooking the volcanic skyline that was active between 13 and 17-million years ago. Much of the softer volcanic rock has weathered away over the eons to leave volcanic plugs and dykes protruding from the surrounding landscape. It was a shame the clouds were preventing the sun breaking through and showing the rock formations at their best.

A little further into the park is the new and very impressive visitor centre just recently opened. It’s a modern architect designed building with a fantastic stone wall frontage. The design and display inside is just as impressive and educational. The new centre replaces the original destroyed in the 2013 fire. Of all the visitor centres we’ve visited over the years, both in Australia and overseas, this easily rates as one of the best.

Our second walk took us on a looping path around the surrounding land of the visitor centre and down along a dry creek before returning back to the centre. We saw our first kangaroos in the park, way after they had already spotted us and sat upright, ears pointed keeping an eye on us. I used the DJI gimbal camera for the first time following Catherine along the path and then filming four kangaroos that were startled as we turned a corner past a rocky outcrop. It was great to see wildlife at such close quarters.

Heading further into the park we followed another circular walk – the Wambelong Nature Track, again watched by mobs of kangaroos, along a dry riverbed and over a steep path up a rocky slope leading to an overview of the valley and the surrounding mountains. Just as we started to descend we heard a noise in the bush but could see nothing. And then I spotted an Echidna trying its best to hide under a fallen branch much smaller than its spiny body. It would have been great to photograph but best to leave alone and let it carry on hunting for food.

We had only walked for a few hours at most but it was very enjoyable, the scenery very diverse, plenty of wildlife and a great drive through a very special national park. Probably the best day of our trip so far.