Known for incredible views of the surrounding mountainous landscapes by day and brilliant skies full of stars at night, the Warrumbungles is well worth a visit. And while it can be visited anytime of year travelling here in March, April, October or November are the best times to visit the Warrumbungles and Coonabarabran. Here’s why.
Best time to visit the Warrumbungles for great weather
With warm days that aren’t too hot for hiking and mild nights that aren’t too cold for camping, we recommend visiting Warrumbungle National Park in March, April, October or November.
We’ve visited in both May and October and found May to be pretty chilly still, but October was just right. While we weren’t camping either time, in May, the car was covered in frost, meaning it would have been very cold at the campsites in the national park.
Based on Elders Weather data, three of these four months are the only ones where daytime highs stay in the 20Cs and overnight lows stay above 10C. Although October is the one exception here, our visit in early October had very mild nights. It stayed around 13-15 degrees during our outdoor stargazing experience.
| Month | Maxumum Temperature (Celcius) | Minimum Temperature (Celcius) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 31.6 | 15.7 |
| February | 30.7 | 15.2 |
| March | 28.1 | 12.3 |
| April | 24.1 | 7.6 |
| May | 19.5 | 3.9 |
| June | 16.1 | 1.6 |
| July | 15.2 | 0.5 |
| August | 17.1 | 1.2 |
| September | 20.6 | 4.0 |
| October | 24.2 | 7.7 |
| November | 27.4 | 11.0 |
| December | 30.3 | 13.7 |
Warrumbungles weather in spring: Our favourite time to visit
The Goldilocks of seasons, spring in the Warrumbungles isn’t too hot and isn’t too cold. Our early-October visit treated us to near-perfect weather: temperatures in the low 20s meant we were comfortable hiking in t-shirts without worrying too much about sunburns in the summer sun.
Spring also means wildflowers, which we love. The walks were filled with purples and yellows that wouldn’t be there any other time of the year.
✅ We’ve been this time of year!
Warrumbungles weather in summer
Summer temperatures here average above 30C, which you may find a bit warm for hiking. You’ll also need to be careful about the sun here, as the UV index gets quite high. The most popular hikes in the area, including Breadknife and Grand High Tops and Belougery Split Rock have a lot of steep, uphill climbs which can be unpleasant in the heat.
There aren’t any swimming holes or rivers to cool off in. If you’re camping, only Camp Blackman has access to showers.
Warrumbungles weather in autumn
Second only to spring, autumn is a great time to visit. Temperatures average in the mid-20s this time of year, which is perfect for exploring the bushwalking tracks in the area without getting too overheated. (We can’t promise you won’t break a sweat on those uphill sections, though).
While our late-autumn visit was in May, we would have rather been able to visit earlier in the season when the weather was a bit warmer. Things really start to cool off as it gets closer to winter.
✅ We’ve been this time of year!
Warrumbungles weather in winter
Although we’ve never been to the region between June and August, we aren’t exactly rushing to. We’re not fans of cold weather, and the idea of potentially camping with temperatures below freezing is very much a no-thank-you from us.
During the days though, temperatures will reach the mid-teens which can make for pleasant bushwalking weather.
Best time to visit the Warrumbungles for attractions
Hiking
Autumn through spring is the best time for hiking the many trails in Warrumbungle National Park. Temperatures won’t be too hot, making it comfortable to do some of the more strenuous tracks. Walks like Breadknife and Grand High Tops do have a 650-metre vertical climb, so you’ll find yourself breathless at times regardless of the temperatures. You probably don’t want 30-degree heat on top of that.
Luckily, it’s a pretty dry area in general. The chance of rain is pretty even throughout the year, so it’s mostly temperatures you need to worry about. But, warmer weather does mean that any rain does evaporate a bit quicker.
Stargazing
While stargazing does require dark skies (which makes long winter nights an optimal viewing time), you’ll also need to sit outside when looking at them. So unless you want to layer up in clothes suitable for negative temperatures, like us, you may want to stick to spring and autumn. During these times, the days and nights are relatively even and the temperatures aren’t too cold, so you’ll get the best of both worlds.
One thing you will want to factor in here though, is the phases of the moon. Stargazing will be at its best when there’s a new moon as the sky will be even darker.
Southern Lights (Aurora Australis)
Winter is generally the best time to see the southern lights just about anywhere in the southern hemisphere, not just in the Coonabarabran area. This is when the nights are the longest and the skies are the darkest.
You can also sign up for email alerts from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) for when auroras are more likely to be seen.
