Launch into Coonabarabran, on the World's Largest Virtual Solar System Drive and explore the planets as if you were hurtling through space. The drive is an approximately 200 kilometres long trip.
Journey through the Solar System and picturesque countryside on one or all of the five drives that lead to Australia's largest optical astronomy centre, where you will find the sun. Siding Spring Observatory is one of the country's largest centres for optical astronomy research. Stop and visit each sign to learn fascinating facts about the universe along the way.
The colourful three-dimensional planets on the billboards are scaled in size relative to the huge observatory dome, and the location of the billboards is scaled in distance, just as you'd find the planets in outer space - only 38 million times smaller!
The World's Largest Virtual Solar System Drive is a daytime experience. Visitors are encouraged to stop at each planet in a safe manner, taking care when pulling off and back onto the roadway.
The solar system experience is made possible through five different driving routes, and each of these begin at various locations in central New South Wales, namely Moree, Tamworth, Merriwa, Gulgong and Dubbo. The route is best attempted during the day, as this is when the three-dimensional planet models that are situated on the roadside, are best seen. All of these roads eventually lead to Coonabarabran and are characterised by planets that line them, that are each placed carefully in their relative position to the sun. Each marks a stopping point in the journey and features interesting facts and information about that individual planet.
The driving routes also all lead to the Siding Spring Observatory. This fantastic observatory is home to some of the world’s major telescopes and it is also where the scale model of the Sun can be found.
Logging Requirements
1. To complete this Virtual you must take a photo at one of each of the planets, including Pluto, as well as the Sun, which is at the Siding Spring Observatory.
2. Upload all ten photos with your log.
3. Photos must be of the geocacher at the location. Your face need not be visible in the photo. You can provide photos of a personal item at the location, like a trackable or a piece of paper with the geocacher’s username. The same person or item must appear in each photo.
Logs that do not meet the above requirements will be removed in line with the guidelines
This geocache was part of GC Project: It's Raining Caches 2025
The project's aim was to create a rain of new geocaches to fall from the sky across the state of NSW at 9am on 19th January 2025 - 1 week before Sydney Geoquest, the first Block Party in the Southern Hemisphere. Many legendary hiders came together to generously contribute their finest geocaches to build excitement and connection amongst the community and for all finders to enjoy years after the event. This geocache helped make it rain.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.
There is now a smaller version of this at St Kilda, 🌎 Solar System Walk 🪐, https://coord.info/GCBJ88T