Day 4 - Siding Springs to Dubbo

Leaving the van at the Warrumbungle national park, we made our way to Sidings
Springs Observatory.  The damage from the bush fires, and it is obvious that a massive effort was made to protect the telescopes.  In places there are burnt trees only ten meters from telescope buildings.  I can't help but be amazed that they were able to save most of the facility from major damage.

The fire reached just below those trees.

The kids (big and little) spent a fair bit of time looking through the exploritorum and at the telescope before we headed back to the Warrumbungles to pick up the van and head off to Dubbo.

We headed back to the Newell highway via Tonderburine, a nice quiet drive after the speed of the Newel.  Into Gilgandra and some (almost) much need fuel and down to Dubbo.

After lunch near the visitors centre, we walked down to the Dubbo Gaol and spend a very interesting arvo looking over the very primitive accommodations that were still in use up to 1966.

The Emily and Tim enjoyed helping out with a couple of the demonstrations about escapes.

The night was spent in the first paid caravan park of the trip.   Not sure that paying got us better accommodation than the free (or almost free) alternatives.