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If you've ever spent an evening by a campfire in NSW, and looked up in sweet disbelief at just how many stars punctuate our sky, you'll know our beautiful state punches well above its weight when it comes to stargazing. Thanks to vast stretches of protected wilderness, low levels of light pollution and generally clear inland skies, NSW is home to some of Australia's best stargazing ops. And now, one night-sky gem has officially been recognised as one of the very best on Earth.
Around 550 kilometres northwest of Sydney, Warrumbungle National Park has just been named the second-best stargazing destination in the world, according to the 2026 Clean Sky Index from global eSIM provider Holafly. The regional NSW park ranked ahead of bucket-list astronomy destinations including Chile's Atacama Desert, Hawaii's Mauna Kea and New Zealand's Aoraki Mackenzie, with only France's Pic du Midi claiming the top spot.
If you’ve spent a night beneath the Warrumbungles' inky black skies, the crown won’t come as a surprise. Up in the hills around six hours' drive from Sydney, the national park became Australia's first Dark Sky Park in 2016, earning international recognition for its exceptionally low light pollution and commitment to preserving natural darkness. That means on a clear night, you'll be treated to wild views of the Milky Way, planets, occasional meteor showers and thousands of stars that are genuinely invisible from the city.
The park's location also works in its favour. Sitting well away from major cities and towns, the Warrumbungles experience minimal artificial light, and the region's inland climate serves up lots of crisp, cloud-free nights throughout the year. It's also home to the Siding Spring Observatory – Australia's largest optical astronomy research facility.
Wondering how it scored #2 on the global index? Rather than just ranking the darkest corners of the globe, Holafly's Clean Sky Index looked at what actually makes for a really special stargazing trip. Destinations were assessed across four key criteria: sky darkness, the frequency of clear nights, accessibility and official Dark Sky certification. The idea was to identify places that combine spectacular celestial views with realistic travel conditions, rather than rewarding remote locations that are difficult for most travellers to reach.
That approach helped elevate the Warrumbungles above some of the world's most famous star-watching hotspots. While super-remote deserts might boast darker skies, places that balance excellent viewing conditions with relatively straightforward access scored extra points for travellers looking to get their fix.
The 10 best star-gazing destinations in the world
- Pic du Midi, France
- Warrumbungle National Park, Australia
- Grasslands National Park, Canada
- NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia
- AlUla, Saudi Arabia
- Atacama Desert, Chile
- La Palma, Spain
- Aoraki Mackenzie, New Zealand
- Mauna Kea, Hawaii
- Cherry Springs State Park, United States
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