Astronomy and radio telescopes in New South Wales: Australia

April 2026 - 8 days

Register for 2026 now at tours@newscientist.com and we will contact you later this year with confirmed tour details.

Discover why Australia has played such an important role in radio astronomy and NASA missions by visiting its famous telescopes and observatories, while enjoying stargazing at the southern hemisphere’s celestial wonders.

Visit the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, Parkes Observatory and the isolated Australia Telescope Compact Array. Plus, guided stargazing and astrophotography with local expert astronomers at three sites including Sydney Observatory’s historic 19th-century telescope.

Enjoy historic and atmospheric outback towns which offer access to some of the darkest skies. Plus explore the geological marvels of Warrumbungle National Park, and the vibrant cities of Sydney and Canberra.

In partnership with Intrepid Travel.

DAY 1: ARRIVE IN SYDNEY,MEET GROUP AND EXPERT 

Welcome to Australia! Check into your centrall located hotel in Sydney. In the evening, there will be a welcome meeting hosted by your local guide and accompanying expert where they will outline the tour ahead and introduce a talk from a local guest speaker on the history and future of astronomy in Australia. Afterwards, you will share a meal together.

Throughout the tour, the expert will give briefings and informal lectures in the evenings, during the coach journeys and whilst walking around the many amazing sites on the tour.

DAY 2: CANBERRA DEEP SPACE COMMUNICATION COMPLEX (CDSCC)

After an early breakfast, you will board your comfortable coach and journey southwest through the outback to the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex. An active satellite communication station with five large antennas called Deep Space Stations (DSS). This network of antennas supports interplanetary spacecraft missions including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The site includes DSS-46, the antenna that brought back the historic first images of Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon in 1969.

You will be given a private group presentation in the site museum as well enjoying the impressive views of the antennas around the complex.

Afterwards, you will visit the Mount Strolmo Observatory for a guided session on indigenous astronomy with a First Nations astrophysicist. The observatory is the headquarters of the Australia National University Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, a world-respected community of researchers exploring the heavens.

In the late afternoon, you will take a 45-minute drive to the city of Canberra, which was recently judged to be the most sustainable city in the world based on several criteria including energy sources, public transport, green space and air quality. You will overnight at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

DAY 3: BATHURST OBSERVATORY RESEARCH FACILITY

Today you will travel north to Bathurst, a small city with a rich heritage, several museums and old-world charm. It’s Australia’s oldest inland city. 

After checking in to the Heritage Inn and an afternoon at leisure you will enjoy a stargazing session at the Bathurst Observatory Research Facility. Using their telescopes and the naked eye, Abigail and the sites resident astronomer will help you explore the sky. The facility specialises in asteroid and comet research. Plus, they have a small meteor museum with over 200 specimens. 

Afterwards, there is a group dinner where you can discuss today's stargazing.

DAY 4: PARKES RADIO TELESCOPE AND DUBBO OBSERVATORY

From Bathurst, you will drive west to Parkes Observatory and its radio telescope, famous for its role in the NASA Apollo 11 mission. The 64-metre radio telescope has been in operation for over 60 years and one of the largest single-dish telescopes in the southern hemisphere dedicated to astronomy. Despite its age, it is constantly being upgraded and is now 10,000 times more sensitive than when it was first commissioned. It’s ideally suited for finding pulsars and has discovered more than half of the known 2000 pulsars. More recently, it has worked with the CDSCC in receiving data from Voyager 2. As well as viewing the telescope there is a dedicated visitors centre with a high-definition 3D cinema.

Afterwards, you will check into The Aberdeen Hotel in the small Victorian city of Dubbo. In the evening, you will travel out to the Dubbo Observatory to use its 9 telescopes to look at the stars, planets, nebulae and galaxies. Then you will enjoy a group meal together.

DAY 5: WARRUMBUNGLE NATIONAL PARK DARK SKY PARK

After driving to Warrumbungle and checking into the Acacia Motor Lodge, you can choose to take the afternoon at leisure or enjoy an optional guided walking tour of the Belougery Split Rock Geotrail (there will be a small additional cost for this). A 5-kilometre trail that explores and climbs up and around one of Warrumbungle National Park’s most distinctive peaks, an ancient lava dome.

In the evening, you will re-enter the National Park which was Australia’s first officially accredited Dark Sky Park. Renowned for its glittering, clear night skies, you’ll see Warrumbungle through the lenses of 2 8” Dobsonian telescopes and binoculars. Accompanied by an experienced National Parks Ranger and Abigail for a journey through the southern sky.

DAY 6: AUSTRALIA TELESCOPE COMPACT ARRAY

Today, you will drive an hour north to visit the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Six identical 22-metre dishes that operate in unison and in conjunction with the Parkes Telescope. Whilst predominantly dedicated to radio astronomy they also support NASA with space mission tracking. The site is the largest radio telescope in the southern hemisphere and using the six-dish configuration, the combined power of each 270-tonne antenna can simulate a single dish 6 km in diameter.

At this beautiful site, you will discover an unmanned visitors’ centre with video showcases and computers displaying the sites current activity. Plus, you will also enjoy a barbeque lunch here.

In the evening you will check into the Club Motor Inn, in the nearby town of Narrabri.

DAY 7: SYDNEY OBSERVATORY AND MUSEUM

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Moree Regional Airport for a short flight back to Sydney. After checking back into the Vibe Hotel, you will have the rest of the day at leisure to explore Sydney. 

After a final dinner in the evening, the plan is to visit the Sydney Observatory and Museum. Built in 1858, it has played an important role in the history of timekeeping, meteorology and astronomy in Australia, plus it has amazing views over the harbour. You will enjoy a night tour of the museum and some final stargazing through its historic telescope, the oldest refracting lens telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. Currently, the museum is not currently taking bookings, but we expect it to be fully operational by the time you arrive. If not, then we will arrange another exciting stargazing activity.

DAY 8: DEPARTURE

After breakfast, make your own way to the airport for the next leg of your journey after breakfast.

Should you wish to spend additional days in Sydney before or after the tour, this can easily be added to your booking.

Please appreciate that the nature of this type of travel requires flexibility and you should allow for alternatives. While our partners Intrepid Travel will endeavour to operate the tour as described they reserve the right to change the trip itinerary which may be subject to alteration without prior notice due to local circumstances or events. You will be visiting many rural locations and there may be situations outside of their control. Despite all the best planning in the world, things can go astray but Intrepid’s highly trained and resourceful tour leaders are skilled at managing changing circumstances while on tour.