Gunnedah Koala Capital, NEW SOUTH WALES
Airing Date: Mar 17th, 2007
Gunnedah is situated in the heart of the
Namoi Valley, New South Wales, just 440kms by road from
Sydney. The Shire covers an area of 5,092 square kilometres and has a population of over 12,000, but it's the population of a furry little bear that has put this town on the map.
Gunnedah is proud to call itself
'Koala Capital of the World' and it's mayor, Ms Gae Swain will go so far as to say they'll guarantee that you can find a koala in Gunnedah almost any day of the year!
Whilst the current drought has seen a decrease in numbers spotted, there's a good chance you can spot one of the town's furry friends in a front yard, backyard, the Golf Club, Walking tracks, or maybe even crossing the road!
For koala spotting assistance, simply call in to the
Visitor Information Centre to hear of recent spottings, and if all else fails (or you just want to visit one of Gunnedah's favourite attractions), you can always pay a visit to the
Waterways Wildlife Park, where staff are dedicated to the rehabilitation of native animals - especially the local koalas.
Of course Gunnedah has plenty of other attractions to keep you busy on a visit, such as
Lake Keepit State Park, the Rural Museum, Gunnedah Saleyards and even the front yard train display, lovingly created and maintained by
Mr Don McDonough, who takes pleasure in welcoming visitors to his display.