Wagon Wheel Motel & Units

The Wagon Wheel Motel and Units sits on the Newell Highway at Coonabarabran, the town that calls itself the astronomy capital of Australia thanks to Siding Spring Observatory up the mountain road. It is a budget highway motel and makes no pretence otherwise: units and cabins aimed at travellers splitting long inland runs, with electric blankets and hot showers doing the heavy lifting. It suits the overnight driver and anyone using Coonabarabran as the gateway town for the Warrumbungles.

Dogs at the Wagon Wheel

Pet policy here is reported practice rather than something published by the motel itself.

Booking platforms and BringFido report that dogs, and reportedly cats, stay free in specific rooms, with dogs of any size accepted at no additional fee. The motel's own web presence is minimal, so treat those reports as a starting point and confirm the pet room, any size or number limits and the ground rules by phone when you book. Nothing here should be assumed until someone at the motel says yes.

There is room to walk a dog on site, with the grassy stretches along the sides and rear of the property the pick over the highway frontage, and kangaroos often graze in the paddocks behind the units at first light. It is all unfenced and runs toward the road, so the lead stays on, and the pet units reportedly go fast to road trippers, which is another reason to ring ahead.

The edge-of-town position has one quiet perk for dog owners: the late-night toilet run comes with the dark skies the town is famous for, and the stars from the motel yard punch well above a highway stop's weight. Toss an old throw over the bed, because the budget furnishings are carpet and fabric rather than wipe-down floors.

Worth knowing

Visitor notes are candid in both directions. The recurring positives are the comfortable beds, the electric blankets for winter nights and a hot shower with real pressure..

The recurring caveats are that the rooms are dated and highway noise reaches the front units, so ask for a room toward the back if you are a light sleeper.The cabins give more space than the standard units and the whole operation is priced like the budget stop it is.

While you're out there

Coonabarabran is a long way from anywhere, which is the point. Tamworth is the nearest sizable dog-friendly base a couple of hours northeast: Tamworth Holiday Park works for the next night's stop, Oliver Brown covers the coffee, and the Peel River levee bank walk is where the dog gets a proper leg stretch.

More options across the state are in the NSW stays guide.