Sidings Springs...

I only had one full day after Scrub Stitching before heading off again and I penciled in a visit to Siding Springs Observatory.  The weather was perfect, clear and bright, and it was a lovely drive out through the Warrumbungles.  The Observatory is located in the Warrumbungle National Park, a dark sky park.  I checked out the Exploratory Centre first which was very interesting...before heading up the hill to the Anglo-Australian Telescope...

An emu sculpture on the path up to the telescope building...

The telescope itself is located on the fourth (top) floor of the building and is huge...

There are information boards around the walls as well and a video of how they clean and maintain the telescope lens. The Anglo Australian Telescope is now 100% Australian owned.

The views across the Warrumbungles are pretty amazing too...

I wasn't organised enough to deal with timings and booking a tour but maybe another time.

 

On the way out to Sidings Springs I saw the Emu Farm at Tooraweenah was open (I hadn't expected it to be) and I was too late coming back for their tour times as well...but as I passed the gate the emus were out in the paddocks so I felt like I'd seen them - ha ha ha...another one still on the list for another time.

 

Happy Stitching...

Arrival...Baradine & Scrub Stitchin'...

I was so excited about Scrub Stitchin' I couldn't wait and set out to Baradine from Tooraweenah very early...I took the road through the National Park to Coonabarabran which comes out just near the road to Baradine, much nicer than up the highway and through town...I stopped a couple of times on the approach to the Warrumbungles...

There were a few roos/wallabies about in the Park but they had better things to do than play with cars and hopped off to go about their business...

 

After a pleasant drive into view came...

Then...the ultimate destination...

Bring on Scrub Stitchin' !!!!....the room all set up and ready for the stitchers...lovely quilts adorning the walls for inspiration...what could be in those goody bags???...

No more sleeps...let the fun begin!!!

 

Happy Stitching...

Northward Ho!...Lake Cargelligo to Tooraweenah...

Day 2 was a shorter route than Day 1...Lake Cargelligo to Tooraweenah.  Before leaving Lake Cargelligo I had a little drive around the lake and checked out the painted water tower...it was challenging to get pictures as the sun was in just the wrong spot...

After arriving at my destination for that night...Tooraweenah Caravan Park...and unloading the car into the cabin, I had time to get up to Coonabarabran and check out the patchwork shop where I found Janice & Lou!!!! Best find in the shop!!! and it is a lovely shop with much temptation...I was very happy to find she stocks Cosmo embroidery threads so I was able to get the colours I needed for a particular project.

I stopped on the way back to the cabin at the lookout on the road in to Tooraweenah from the highway...it's a lovely spot to look out to the Warrumbungles...

Also at the lookout is a sculpture of a returned soldier...a bit of unexpected public art...

Only one more sleep and then it is on to Baradine!!!!!

 

Happy Stitching...