[PeterM]

Careful, they are a strange bunch that lot at Leyburn. Red lights only, some walk slowly around in the dark always asking "and what are you looking at" (cheeky buggers) Strange glows from 10 little "rooms" that have roofs that come off, and there hasn't been the slightest wind! They have dull red lights in their hands (phazers?) and strange machinery that goes brrrr grind rrrr, well the ones they call Meeeeed. They keep talking about GOTO but never seem to go anywhere. Many have what look like cameras attached to this strange machinery and they then spend hours just pressing keys on computers until eventually they have this strange multicoloured painting like thing they call an image. I think it must be where they came from, 'cause they say things like "The Horsehead Nebula", "Pleiades Star Cluster" They are always looking upwards and every now and then screaming look, look, wow, wow, but I turn and see nothing. Sheep have disappeared (completely) and every now and then you see a cows skull, now if that's not sus then I don't know what is. They seem to have some control over the weather because it hasn't rained in ages and they talk about "seeing and transparency" being great, so I assume they all have good eyesight and have xray vision that lets them move around in the dark. Many stay up all night, not moving an inch from their machines and when you see them the next day, especially if its before noon they look like walking dead, zombies and they say wasn't last night great, cant wait until it gets dark, weird eh? Some drink from red filled bottles with PORT written on them and before you know it the contents have disappeared. It just gets nuttier as they talk of more equipment while near parity? But they dare not speak a word to the other half of their species for fear of immediate death! And then on Sunday afternoon they all vanish, gone, nothing, no machinery no nothing. I don't think they are from around Leyburn..... they could be made from the same stuff as the stars above them. Oh yes, I am one of THEM!

Mark is right Toowoomba amateur astronomers have a great facility at their doorstep calling them, that many others drive 100s of kms to get to. Great people, great knowledge and very, very friendly.
PeterM.