Coonamble

Description:

Coonamble lies on the Castlereagh Highway, 160 kilometres north of Dubbo. Coonamble is central to the Warrumbungle National Park, Pilliga State Forest and the Macquarie Marshes. Coonamble is known as a horse town and has a proud agricultural heritage. Home to the largest rodeo and campdraft in the Southern Hemisphere, Coonamble is also the birthplace of Sir Edward Hallstrom, pioneer of refrigeration. Pick up a historic tour brochure from the Visitors Centre in Castlereagh Street and then stroll down the street, almost completely destroyed by fire in 1929 and restored in an art-deco style. Coonamble Shire is a great place to sample the delights of a country pub and the town has four. It is central to a range of tourist destinations including day trip to the Lightning Ridge opal fields in the north, the cotton fields to the west and Western Plains Zoo to the south.