My husband is a radio/aviation buff. He has agreed to join me for a meeting in Sydney in January with 2 free days before and 3 free days after. He wants to visit one of the radio telescope installations.

Has anyone visited one or both?

It looks like we could take a train to the Blue Mtns for a day, then a long train/bus on to Parkes, visit the radio telescope by taxi, then fly back to Sydney.

Alternatively I see we can take a long train to the town of Narrabri, from which I have to figure out how to get to the array and back to Sydney.

Is either in an area of more dramatic scenery? Near more animal and bird sightings? (my goal on the free days)

Any special aviation sites associated with Sydney, Parkes or Narrabri? I've found the info on the flying doctors bases.

Here's an easier option--go to the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex ( aka Tidbinbilla Tracking Station). It's an easy 3-hour drive to Canberra or an even shorter flight and you can rent a car when you are there to drive out to Tidbinbilla (about 20 minutes south of the city center). There are several radio telescopes there and a nice visitor's center too. (After your visit to the tracking station, you can visit the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve just down the road to see indigenous animals, take some nice hikes and learn some history of the Aborigines in this area.)
I'd also recommend a visit to the site of the old Honeysuckle Tracking Station in Namadgi National Park. Honeysuckle played a very important role in the Apollo moon flights. The buildings are gone now, but the foundations remain and there are interpretive signs at the site to help you understand its importance. Stop by the Namadgi National Park visitor's center (about 30 minutes from Canberra's city center) for more information and directions to Honeysuckle.
If you have more time to spend in Namadgi after your visit to Honeysuckle, go do the Yankee Hat Hike. (Get directions at the Visitor's Center). It's an easy 6km RT hike thorough some beautiful bush scenery. You will literally see hundreds of kangaroos on this hike and you are likely to see a lot of birds too. At the turnaround point is a rock with Aboriginal rock drawings. I've done this hike lots of times and it's one of my favorite things to do in Canberra.
See http://www.cdscc.nasa.gov/ for more info on the Deep Space Tracking Station.
See http://www.australianalps.deh.gov.au/parks/namadgi.html for info on Namadgi National Park
See http://www.australianalps.deh.gov.au...dbinbilla.html for more info on Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

The Tidbinbilla facility is certainly closer to Sydney and an easier drive with more in scenery and possibly wildlife to be seen - you do not mention driving yourselves and is that because of caution re LH/RH because if that is all it is, you'll get over it quickly enough - two Golden Rules
. Just like in US, driver should be eyeballing the road centre or lane marking
. It'll be a right turn rather than a left one that'll take you across path of oncoming traffic
and a couple of others
. move to left of centre when pulling out onto a roa and likewise keep left on a multi-lane unless overtaking or coming up to a right turn.

Hiring a car will make it so much easier and you could use your two days before the meeting to trip up to the Blue Mountains, quite feasible for that with train to Katoomba and then there are jump on jump off circuit "Explorer" buses.
I'd also suggest you stay overnight up that way, first day perhaps jump on bus to http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/ and use Explorer second day.

http://www.atnf.csiro.au/ shows you a pic of facilities at both Parkes and Narrabri, something of an idea of surrounding countryside - quite flat up that way and though there could be a possibility of free range kangaroos, I've driven that area a few times and never see any near major highways - possibly because of farmland fencing etc., Narrabri being something of a hike (a long way for even two days)

I'd consider the possibility of a Sydney - Parkes - ACT - Sydney trip, and either in dropping Parkes off or not, organise to leave Tidbinbilla early enough second day and drive down to the south coast, great drive in itself down off southern highlands plateau and interesting village of Braidwood on way and then head north back towards Sydney for http://www.murramarangresort.com.au/to overnight at and possibility of kangaroos on the beach there or at nearby pebbly beach and some nice forest walks, picnic places with oodles of parrots that'll come and sit on your shoulders - be wary the too friendly roo though.

If you do that, when heading back to Sydney, take a turn just north of Nowra for Kangaroo Valley, a coastal lookout and tearooms on right just before descent into the valley and another tearoom down at the Swing Bridge before a climb up to the top of Fitzroy falls - you could then cut back across to the Princess Highway via Robertson (home of spuds and Babe[the piggy movie]) and then on leaving Wollongong area, keep a look out for Lawrence Hargreaves Drive, spectacular coastal road that will take you up through the Royal National Park.
www.travelmate.com.au will help you from getting lost.

And while in Sydney, it's not radio/aviation but a night at http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/could interest and I see it is now connected with the Powerhouse Museum, something else possibly for hub while you're at the meetings.

If a chance between sessions and you're in the CBD, take the plastic to Queen Victoria Building in George St. between Market and Park Streets which going south will take you to Hyde Park, nice cool spot in city and more museums and historic buildings about.

http://www.sydney.com.au/qvb.htm and http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/

If your husband hasn't already seen if, I'd highly recommend this wry Australian film about the Parkes telescope and the first moon landing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dish

I lived in Canberra for 3 years and can second longhorn's recommendation with respect to the Tidbinbilla Tracking Station. Certainly the easiest option if you want to avoid driving yourself.

That being said, I think you will have a much better experience and much more flexibility if you rent a car and drive yourself. With 3 days you could easily visit both the Tidbinbilla and Parkes telecopes. Or perhaps fly to Canberra and rent a car there?

Regarding Narrabri, I didnt know there is a radiotelescope there. But I do note that Narrabri is quite close to Coonabarabran and the Warrumbungle Ranges, one of my favorites areas in New South Wales. Not only is the Siding Springs Observatory located in the Warrumbungles, but the scenery is beautiful, the wildlife very abundant (lots of roos, koalas, emus etc), and there are several great walks to do. So if you choose Narrabri, do consider a trip to the Warrumbungles as well!

http://www.visitnsw.com/area/Warrumb...Surrounds.aspx

So many great ideas!
I am sharing the websites with my husband.

His first choice is Parkes, but he is understanding of traveling a long distance just to see one sight versus a destination where we might combine several interests, so he is looking at Canberra/Tidbinbilla.

We prefer public transport between major stops, but will rent a car if necessary to reach destinations. We both have a better time if we don't have to drive. We managed on several recent trips to find plane/train/bus/shuttle combos to get from town to town or resort, then use local taxi, day tours, and our feet to get around. I did a great similar stay in NZ a few years ago after a meeting. Flew Auckland to Rotorua with hotel next to geothermal park with kiwi display and hotel pick up for Maori dinner. Flew to Dunedin with shuttle to hotel and bus around town, tour pickup for penguins and albatros center. Bus to Wanaka for glow worm cave and day tour hiking and fiord boat. Flew back to Auckland and home.

I've found descriptions and photos from the Yankee Hat hike and will explore more in that area.

I may be using inaccurate tech talk. From website: the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), at the Paul Wild Observatory, is an array of six 22-m antennas used for radio astronomy. It is located about 25 km west of the town of Narrabri in rural NSW.

Blue Mtns also look attractive. We will skip caves this time and the coast. Husband does not want to drive a winding coastal road--has done enough of that repeatedly in California Big Sur and some other places. We like a day on a beach, but that's it. We live close to Florida, but only go once or twice a year.

Kay, whereas NZ is easy enough to get about to main touristy areas using buses/flying etc., you'll find that approach somewhat less practical for the radio telescope locations but look into it by all means.

I know we are spoiled with having someone else handle the transport.

We did similar trip in Costa Rica twice in last few years--shuttle buses then local tours have gotten us to volcanoes, rivers, rain forests and cloud forests there.

However, Japan was not as easy to get away from the cities by public transport, so sometimes it doesn't work.

If you did decide to visit Narrabri there is a regular air service between Sydney/Moree stopping in Narrabri.

I may be biased, but if you have a few days Canberra, as the national capital, offers a great deal more than Parkes or Narrabri. We have free range kangaroos too.

My husband has chosen the site near Canberra to see the large dish and because it just seems more practical/easier to reach with other interesting sites nearby. I am glad he has taken an interest in this part of the trip so he is just not accompanying me, but seeing something of interest to him.

I am thinking of using all our spare time to visit this area, including Tidbinbilla and Namadgi, maybe driving back to SYD for our flight home. Still working on that part.

Local guys--have you visited Tidbinbilla since it has reopened after the restoration from the fires? How does it seem compared to before?

If you can, take your time driving back to Sydney from Canberra should you choose to do so. The trip can be done in 3-4 hrs on the main hwy. However there are some very nice areas to explore off the main drag if you have the time (an extra half day) to meander. I'm thinking of the Southern Highlands and the South Coast - Kangaroo Valley, Fitzroy Falls, Nowra, Kiama, etc. There are also several great lookouts near Bungonia and Bundanoon that look down into gorges. You'd never have a clue these places exist from the main hwy.