Warrumbungle National Park

Rising abruptly from the western plains near Coonabarabran, the Warrumbungles are the worn remains of a great shield volcano, their spires and domes - the Breadknife, Belougery Spire, Crater Bluff - among the most dramatic rock formations in the state. The Grand High Tops walk threads among them on one of the finest day walks in New South Wales. Declared Australia's first Dark Sky Park, the Warrumbungles draw stargazers to some of the clearest night skies in the country, and the nearby Siding Spring Observatory reads the same skies by day. Rugged, remote and spectacular, it rewards the drive inland.