Curious as to where people would move to or live in Aus with astronomy in mind preferable east coast . Been thinking about come retirement time or even a get away place in the country thats with in a reasonable distance to facilities yet remote enough for dark skies and good seeing ? Any suggestions ?
Curious as to where people would move to or live in Aus with astronomy in mind preferable east coast . Been thinking about come retirement time or even a get away place in the country thats with in a reasonable distance to facilities yet remote enough for dark skies and good seeing ? Any suggestions ?
Been thinking a lot about that too. I don't think there is any comfortable place to live that is astronomy friendly. It's one or the other. As you get older I think it is important to be relatively close to medical facilities and amenities. The weather is getting hotter too by the minute so you need to be closer to the coast. That negates to some extent good transparency and seeing. So it will be a compromise. But I'm sure that there are a lot of more pleasant places than western Sydney. It's now an overcrowded light polluted dust bowl and an oven in summer. Can't wait to get out too.
Well I moved out of Sydney seven years ago to Lake Macquarie, and it has been a great dark site within easy drive back to Sydney if you need to get there. Unfortunately, light pollution is intruding now, particularly the Newcastle direction, but i still get over 20.8 on the SQM meter on good nights. It is certainly much darker than the Mangrove Mtn Pony Club, and the central coast to the south.To the east out over the Lake, and west towards the Watagans is very dark, so since everything rises in the East I can't complain. If I am imaging an object low in the sky towards Newcastle (like the Rosette), I will use broadband short subs or narrowband as a preference.
One thing to consider in picking your location, and you might laugh now, but it has saved my life - time to treatment; in other words, where is the nearest hospital as you will need one eventually; I recommend staying within ten to fifteen minutes by ambulance (in speed mode) to the nearest ED hospital (in my case that was Wyong). Also consider distance to shops, GPS, dentists, etc it gets old pretty quick when you have to drive an hour or more to get to a Bunnings.
That is why my location is so good, still reasonably dark, back yard observatory, on the bush so no lights, but easy access to health care and facilities - a good compromise.
Good luck.
Been thinking a lot about that too. I don't think there is any comfortable place to live that is astronomy friendly. It's one or the other. As you get older I think it is important to be relatively close to medical facilities and amenities. The weather is getting hotter too by the minute so you need to be closer to the coast. That negates to some extent good transparency and seeing. So it will be a compromise. But I'm sure that there are a lot of more pleasant places than western Sydney. It's now an overcrowded light polluted dust bowl and an oven in summer. Can't wait to get out too.
My thinking exactly Marc still need to be within distance to medical facilities , I think most larger towns that should be ok > I had been thinking somewhere around Mudgee .
Well I moved out of Sydney seven years ago to Lake Macquarie, and it has been a great dark site within easy drive back to Sydney if you need to get there. Unfortunately, light pollution is intruding now, particularly the Newcastle direction, but i still get over 20.8 on the SQM meter on good nights. It is certainly much darker than the Mangrove Mtn Pony Club, and the central coast to the south.To the east out over the Lake, and west towards the Watagans is very dark, so since everything rises in the East I can't complain. If I am imaging an object low in the sky towards Newcastle (like the Rosette), I will use broadband short subs or narrowband as a preference.
One thing to consider in picking your location, and you might laugh now, but it has saved my life - time to treatment; in other words, where is the nearest hospital as you will need one eventually; I recommend staying within ten to fifteen minutes by ambulance (in speed mode) to the nearest ED hospital (in my case that was Wyong). Also consider distance to shops, GPS, dentists, etc it gets old pretty quick when you have to drive an hour or more to get to a Bunnings.
That is why my location is so good, still reasonably dark, back yard observatory, on the bush so no lights, but easy access to health care and facilities - a good compromise.
Good luck.
Glen amenities are something I am thinking of and I work in medical so i know that much . Getting harder to find a dark area anywhere reasonable now thats not totally remote .
My thinking exactly Marc still need to be within distance to medical facilities , I think most larger towns that should be ok > I had been thinking somewhere around Mudgee .
Importantly, does, or will, Mudgee hospital provide an angioplasty unit (This is the facility that inserts coronary stents). If the nearest unit is Bathurst you might need a chopper transfer. Some hospitals with ED facilities can stabilise heart attack patients, but as the cardiologists say "time is muscle", meaning the sooner they can resolve a blockage the less damage there will be.
Moving from the city to Whitsundays was a bit of a compromise between lifestyle, fishing n astronomy. Works for me at this stage. Having said that, the best skies I have seen were in Bunya Mountains and also an hour or two inland from the coast around central NSW.
I own a small patch of ground on our family farm (family owned since 1946) in a location clled Moonford - it's about 25km outside of Monto, QLD. At night, it is DARK - hauntingly so (so still, so quiet you can literally hear a pin drop). I haven't done anything with it seeing we live in Canberra, but it is there, when I am ready in another 20 years.
The property is VAST, so even neighbour lights are not an issue You get a VERY small light cone from Monto, but even in town at night it is overwhelmingly dark.
Like others, I'm compromising to get better than what I've got now but not at the significant expense of non-astronomy stuff. It's in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, up in the mountains. Not perfect, but better than Brisbane suburbs.
I get good internet, so I can work from home most of the time (instead of Brisbane CBD). It's not far to shops, etc, so as we age and retire, it should be good enough to live for quite a number of years. There's a few other factors that make it ideal for us as well, so I'm looking forward to getting my dome and gear installed and running again.
There are some nice dark sites around that are close to everything....even the city.
I'm just out of Kyneton (Vic) with bortle 2 (21.89) skies.
Closest hospital/supermarket/hardware/most other things you need is 15 minutes from home.
Melbourne city centre in 65 minutes.
I keep thinking about moving to Heathcote. It’s a nice small town and I can get to work in a little over an hour which is kinda standard for those who start at 8:30-9am and only travelling 15-20km in the suburbs.
I keep thinking about moving to Heathcote. It’s a nice small town and I can get to work in a little over an hour which is kinda standard for those who start at 8:30-9am and only travelling 15-20km in the suburbs.
Seems like I am not alone in thinking about moving away from the city
That is not so far fetched, I have been considering buying data from a remote observatory as a way to stay involved, if I have to relocate nearer my adult children due to health issues.
Already done. We moved to Tamleugh, Victoria in January. Best thing we've ever done. 19mins from Violet Town and 30 from Shepparton.
Dark skies and calm weather most of the time.
Now working 4 days a week in Shepp, never find the drive a chore, countryside is so pretty. It's actually an advantage being away from the town's, as you are prevented from spending too much, too often.
Violet Town has a train service to Melb if we ever need it. I go to Melbourne fortnightly to see my son, I endure Melbourne only for him and other friends.
Now we are settled in and know our place better, we have started specialising in certain animals, so sales slowly starting to build. By time I get access to my super in 10yrs I probably won't need it!
I pinch myself when in the paddock, it's so peaceful. Here is one road I have formed from travels. A custom street sign shall call it 'Milky Way'
If hesitating, DON'T. your body and mind will thank you for it
I don't think there is any comfortable place to live that is astronomy friendly. It's one or the other. As you get older I think it is important to be relatively close to medical facilities and amenities. The weather is getting hotter too by the minute so you need to be closer to the coast. That negates to some extent good transparency and seeing. So it will be a compromise. But I'm sure that there are a lot of more pleasant places than western Sydney. It's now an overcrowded light polluted dust bowl and an oven in summer. Can't wait to get out too.
. Getting harder to find a dark area anywhere reasonable now thats not totally remote .
