Coonabarabran to Orange | A road trip adventure 2020 Part 1

This trip took place at the end of June 2020. I took a few days off for my birthday and NSW was looking safe to travel within the state. We decided to wait a bit before heading out somewhere just to be on the safe side. I was looking for somewhere new so I chose Coonabarabran in NSW. Known for its clear skies Coonabarabran is perfect for star gazing! I was really looking forward to getting out of my apartment and get back into nature.

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Getting to Coonabarabran

After a quick coffee and light breaky (we were saving room for pie) we set off at 7 am towards Coonabarabran which is about 6 hours drive from Sydney.

Our first stop was at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, specifically to visit Mountain High Pies. We came across this place a little while ago by chance and found they have amazing pies! I ordered a breakfast pie that was filled with beans, sausage and a tomato sauce, topped with potato and a poached egg with hollandaise sauce. It was a very full-on pie but it was amazing. For dessert, I grabbed the hot custard pie which was just as good. I was also glad to see that the tables were well spaced allowing a good amount of distance between people.

We continued on our journey with a few breaks in-between to stretch out legs and keep fresh which is vital for longer drives.

Eventually, we came across a very tiny town called Dunedoo. Given that we were about an hour and a half from Coonabarabran I wasn’t planning to stop. That was until we saw a pie shop with a big sign saying “Dinky Di Dogs Eyes Homemade Pies“.

We couldn’t resist giving it a go, so I quickly turned around and returned to the centre of town. My partner and I selected one pie each and decided to go halves so that we could try both pies. The pies were delicious, filled with large chunks of meat and had heaps of flavour!

After eating our pies, we decided to go for a short walk around the area and came across this sign for the worlds largest virtual solar system drive. A self-guided drive that you can do during the day. I have to admit this made me a little more excited about what was to come.

We then continued our journey to Coonabarabran arriving around about 3 pm.

Exploring Coonabarabran

We decided to check in to our accommodation, Acacia Motor Lodge, as soon as we arrived in town so that we could go and freshen up after a long drive. The check-in process was smooth and contact was minimised throughout the whole stay which made me feel a bit safer. The room was basic but perfect for what we needed. I couldn’t believe how big the bathroom was! The bed was pretty comfortable as well.

Given that everything was so close to the hotel we chose to walk around and explore. Initially, we headed to the visitors centre. Occasionally you can get some additional local knowledge that can’t be googled so it’s worthwhile visiting.

We then explored the rest of the town. There are a few take away style restaurants, a Woolworths, IGA and two petrol stations, making supplies each to find. We also headed to the local park which was beautiful as it was along a river.

Night 1 Dinner

The first night’s dinner caught us off guard. With limited seating and not having pre-booked we struggled to find a place. While we could have gotten take away as we didn’t have any cutlery or plates in our accommodation so this would be a little tricky. We decided to regroup and head back to the accommodation to rethink our dinner plans.

Eventually, we decided to try the Acacia Motor Lodge restaurant. After a day filled with pies (it was worth it!), I was wanting some vegetables. So I ordered a vegetable curry. It was so tasty and warming. My partner ordered a stew style dish that he enjoyed!

 We also got a little dessert to share. Unfortunately, the pastry was frozen and was a little chewy. Given that the main meals were delicious good it made up for the sad dessert.

 

Part 2 of our adventure will be up next Thursday!!…

In the meantime check out my post about the Blue Mountains in NSW.