Hi M,
I think you mean heading up to Coona, not heading down.
Anyway, you know you must be arriving at the right place when you see the
big sign that says "Coonabarabran. Astronomical Capital of Australia".
And they are not wrong. This is amateur astronomy nirvana.
The place to stay is the Warrumbungles Mountain Motel, about 15 minutes out
of Coona on the road out to the Warrumbungles.
See
http://www.warrumbungle.com/
They have acres of fields, understand the requirements of amateurs and can advise you where
to set up so you will experience no light spill. The skies there are better than excellent.
What is good about this place is the amenity of being able to duck back into your room
through the back door that opens out onto the field for a coffee. Family members are
also then comfotable if they don't observe. TV reception is not the best but the motel
provides WiFi. Rooms nearer the office get better WiFi reception. Handy to check
on the weather.
This is where we have been hosting visiting Northern Hemisphere observers, often
up to a couple of dozen at a time, so it is an area we have spent a lot of time and
have considerable experience with. We then book out the whole place.
15 minutes back in town, there is a new supermarket and you can either
cook in your motel room or I prefer dinner in the pub. The Imperial Hotel
serves great steaks starting at about 6pm. There is also a Chinese restaurant
in town, fish and chips, the Bowling Club, numerous cafes, a bakery, pizza and
a Subway.
Since I live in the far north of Sydney, I prefer the northern route which goes
up the F3, takes the exit through to Mangrove Mountain through Wollembi
then via the Golden Hwy to Merriwa, Coolah, Binnaway. If you live in the west, you might
prefer the Mudgee, Dunedoo route. (Watch out for police RADAR at Dunedoo
as many of our visitors have been caught.) I really like the northern route. It
is more scenic, quieter and I actually enjoy the initial winding stretch of the Great Northern
Road north of Wollembi even though it is not to everyone's taste. This is the route
that most of the workers from the AAO take when they come up from Epping to Sidings Springs.
Finally and most importantly, be very very very careful driving particularly
around sunset, night and sunrise around Coona. The stretch of road from the
motel back into town is only 15 minutes and gazetted at 80km/h but if you
go into town for dinner and come back doing the 80km/h, it is asking for trouble
and you will likely hit something, such as a large roo or emu. Everyone that works at the
observatory has hit something, cars written off and people killed. As you get nearer the
Warrumbungles National Park and in particular into the Park itself, wildlife is abundant so stay vigilant.
If you drive up to Coona at night, particularly in the stretch from Coolah to Coona, have your eyes
wide open and be prepared to hit the anchors. It is a 6 hour drive from my location and
I avoid the night drive.
Be sure to visit the AAT. The trip to see the Compact Array at Narrabri is also really worth it.
A day walk up to the Grand High Tops in the National Park is unforgettable but take twice the amount
of water that you would think you would need. Not hard to consume 3 lites per person on days like today
on the walk up and back and you will still come back thirsty. The Motel has a pool which
is then a great way to cool off after an all day hike.
Enjoy the trip!
Best Regards
Gary
I'll be extra careful and drive at 50km/h.
I know bit ambitious, but you gotta aim high 
