Cotton, Scones, and Science
Narrabri was a familiar dot on our map — we’d passed through before, but this time we decided to linger and take a closer look. Our first stop was the information centre. Inside, a full-sized cotton harvester made for an unexpectedly fun photo op — of course, we clambered up for a few cheeky selfies.
One of the top recommendations was Sawn Rocks, so we headed out to check them out. These towering basalt formations — like something straight out of a geology textbook — really stopped us in our tracks. Like a semi-ruined cathedral, the stone columns rise dramatically from the creek bed, remnants of the region’s volcanic past. It’s an easy walk in, and well worth the short drive from town. We were glad we didn’t skip it.
Back in Narrabri, we decided to slow down. A local Rotary market was on, so we wandered through the stalls, picked up a few bits and pieces, and tucked into some delicious homemade scones. Soft, buttery, and still warm from the oven — just the kind of treat you hope to stumble across on a relaxed Saturday morning.
The next day, as we made our way out of town, we couldn’t resist a visit to the Australia Telescope Compact Array. It’s an impressive sight — five massive dish antennas stretching out in a line, quietly scanning the skies. The place is part of a radio quiet zone, so we were careful to turn off everything… or so we thought. That was until a loudspeaker blared out a warning that one of us (cough, Neil!) had left a smartwatch on. Oops. Not our finest moment, but we did fix it quickly, and left with a newfound appreciation for how much tech surrounds us daily.
Narrabri surprised us. We didn’t hike a mountain or tick off a long list of sights, but the balance of nature, science, and small-town charm made it one of those stops that quietly lingers in memory.
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