Narrabri Shire VISITOR INFORMATION GUIDE North West New South Wales Narrabri Wee Waa Boggabri www.visitnarrabri.com.au 1800 659 931 Welcome to Narrabri Shire If variety is the spice of life, then Narrabri Shire is spicy indeed! Covering 13,000km2, our Shire is the heart known as “Big Sky” country. The seemingly welcome await, promising unforgettable of the rich Namoi Valley in North West NSW. endless horizons have facilitated the memories of your visit. Renowned for the production of some of growth of the CSIRO Australia Telescope We have produced a book that will add the world’s highest quality wheat, cotton, Compact Array and its six radio telescopes, to your knowledge and enjoyment of our fat lambs and beef, and home to several which are gleaming beacons of scientific Shire and make you feel welcome. Our research facilities, Narrabri Shire is truly an advancement. The natural wonders of Visitor Information Centre is here to help agricultural wonderland. All this is joined by the Nandewar Ranges and Mt Kaputar you and, with our great selection of local a wealth of excellent tourist attractions sure National Park will keep even the most souvenirs, historical books and delicious to keep visitors entertained for days. reluctant of bushwalkers enthralled, while regional produce, is an essential stop on The Newell and Kamilaroi Highways run the seemingly endless fields of cotton and your Narrabri Shire itinerary. through Narrabri Shire, bringing people wheat are sure to impress. from all compass points. With easy access, Add historical museums, Yarrie Lake, hot major attractions, top-rate facilities and artesian bore baths and art shows to this accommodation, many conferences and mix and you’re guaranteed many fun–filled high-profile performers are drawn to the area. days in Narrabri Shire. The Crossing Theatre, Enjoy! One glimpse of a clear night sky will leave showing the latest release movies, a great you with no doubts as to why this region is range of local businesses and a warm Contents Useful Information .................04 Day 3 Mother Nature’s Narrabri Retail & Services ......29 Playground ...................13 Narrabri Shire Map .................05 Narrabri Tourist Attractions ..37 Day 4 Go West Tour .................14 Narrabri Town Shire Events .............................40 Day 5 Back to Nature Centre Map ..............................06 in the Pilliga Forest .................16 Boggabri ...................................41 Boggabri Map ..........................07 Day 6 Boggabri Pilliga ........................................42 and District ...................18 Wee Waa Map ..........................07 Wee Waa, Burren Day 7 .........................................20 Junction & Walgett .................43 Our Past ....................................08 Further Afield ..........................21 Mt Kaputar National Day 1 A day in Narrabri ..........10 Narrabri Accommodation .....22 Park Map ...................................44 Day 2 Top of the World............12 Narrabri Food & Wine .............26 Business Directory ..................46 2 NARRABRI SHIRE – Visitor Information Guide Welcome to Narrabri Shire Symbols Key Accommodation ATM BBQ Camping Disabled Facilities Dry Weather Road Nature Petrol Dump Point Eftpos Electric BBQ Electricity Food Gravel Road Toilets Weather Shower Narrabri Shire Visitor Information Centre Newell Highway Narrabri NSW 2390 P: (02) 6799 6760 or 1800 659 931 (Freecall) F: (02) 6799 6766 E: [email protected] www.visitnarrabri.nsw.gov.au Operating Hours: Monday–Friday 9am–5pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays 9am–2pm Copyright © Narrabri Shire retains ownership and copyright to all separations, text and artwork design. All information contained is correct at the time of printing and is given in good faith but no responsibility can be taken for any inaccuracies or changes to the information given within. PHOTOGRAPHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Joshua Smith, Jamie Condon, Shanna Whan, Shane Strudwick, Jenny Kirk, Wade Homewood, Anthony O’Halloran, Janet Griggs, Steve Gonzolas, Nicole Piper, Tim Goldsmith, P Welchman, MJ Photography, Paul Matthews, Brendan Ashley, Belinda Symons, Bruce Williams. www.visitnarrabri.com.au 3 HANDY HINTS–PHONE NUMBERS/CLIMATE/CROPS CLIMATE DISTANCES FROM NARRABRI Average Summer Min 20°, Max 39°C Bingara ...............................................................................................105km Average Winter Min 0°, Max 20°C Boggabri .............................................................................................. 60km Rainfall 657mm Brisbane .............................................................................................560km USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS Narrabri Visitor Information Centre Ph: (02) 6799 6760 Burren Junction ...............................................................................100km Shire Library Ph: (02) 6792 3336 Coonabarabran ................................................................................118km Narrabri Shire Council Ph: (02) 6799 6866 Dubbo ................................................................................................279km Swimming Pools Narrabri Ph: (02) 6792 4373 Gold Coast .........................................................................................620km Wee Waa Ph: (02) 6795 4384 Gunnedah ........................................................................................... 97km Boggabri Ph: (02) 6743 4379 Narrabri Airport Ph: (02) 6792 2555 Inverell (via Bingara).......................................................................181km Narrabri Taxi Service Ph: (02) 6792 2552 Inverell (via Moree) .........................................................................243km Narrabri Town Bus Service Ph: (02) 6792 1665 Lightning Ridge ...............................................................................254km CROP DETAILS FOR NARRABRI SHIRE WHEAT, BARLEY, CANOLA, OATS, CHICK PEAS, Melbourne ......................................................................................1060km FIELD PEAS, LINSEED Moree .................................................................................................100km Planting April–June Harvest October–December Newcastle ..........................................................................................405km COTTON Pilliga ..................................................................................................100km Planting late September–early October Picking late March–early May Sydney ................................................................................................560km Ginning March–July SOYA BEANS Tamworth ..........................................................................................173km Planting early September or January Wee Waa .............................................................................................. 40km Harvest February or April–May SORGHUM TRAVEL AND TOURS Planting September–mid January TRAINS Harvest February–May CountryLink operates a daily Explorer passenger service each SUNFLOWERS way between Sydney and Moree, through Boggabri and Narrabri Planting late August–January and on to Moree. A rail coach operates to and from Wee Waa Harvest February–May every Monday and Friday. FABA BEANS RENTAL CARS Planting April–May Avis, Budget, Hertz and Thrifty Rental Cars are available for hire Harvest end October through various outlets in town. Canola Fields photo by Jamie Condon 4 NARRABRI SHIRE – Visitor Information Guide Narrabri Shire Narrabri Fish Farm www.visitnarrabri.com.au 5 Narrabri TownCentre Narrabri 6 NARRABRI SHIRE Hotel, Motel, Apartments, B&B... – Visitor Information Guide Information –Visitor STAFF ORD DRIV E LINE CLO NOE SE Sporting Wall Aquatic Centre QUEEN ELIZABETH DR MAP 1 Queen Elizabeth Dr.......................V12 CIVEO ILLINGWORTH Illingworth St ...................................V12 ST To Narrabri Fish Farm MAP 2 Boggabri CIVEO MAP 3 Wee Waa Wee Waa Welcome Inn www.visitnarrabri.com.au 7 Photo by Ken and Louise Smith Our Past Between 17 and 21 million years ago, a sandstone baby washing area, and erupting volcanoes created the Nandewar sandstone rubbings in the Pilliga forest Ranges and the magnificent Mt Kaputar attest to their presence. National Park. Erosion of these mountains History credits explorers Sir Thomas spawned rich fertile farming country, Mitchell and Allan Cunningham with the while a strong river system, strengthened honour of opening the way to the North by underground artesian waters, created West Plains, to the area that is now known a network along which Narrabri Shire as Narrabri Shire. However, the notorious towns grow and prosper. George ‘the Barber’ Clarke, whose epithet Imperial Hotel, Wee Waa The Kamilaroi (pronunciation: Gam–ill–a– refers to his early legitimate trade, was roy) people were the first inhabitants of the first white man to seek his fortune in Narrabri Shire. Radiating from Narrabri, the area. Clarke was convicted of armed their land extends north to Goondiwindi, robbery for stealing goods worth 40 west to Lightning Ridge and south to shillings and was shipped from England Quirindi. Scar trees on the Wee Waa/ in 1825, sentenced to work on a farm near Narrabri road, bora rings on Mt Kaputar, Singleton, NSW. Soon after his arrival he 8 NARRABRI SHIRE – Visitor Information Guide escaped, painted himself black, took two area ‘on the sheep’s back’ and the one beside the Newell Highway, some Aboriginal wives and wandered the plains cattle’s pastures. 25km south