So, 1 year old huh?

It's been an amazing year. From small beginnings - a personal homepage, into what has grown to become the largest and most active online amateur astronomy community in Australia, perhaps in the Southern Hemisphere!

The Forums now have over 450 members, over 43,000 posts and an average of 200 new posts are made each day! We've helped newbies get into the hobby, recommended telescopes and accessories to buy, helped them overcome problems and get the best views from their equipment, and we've seen the standard of astrophotography increase dramatically over the past year. Everyone is so encouraging and helpful, so willing share their advice and expertise to help others to improve. We're lucky enough to see the works of some of Australia's best astrophotographers, and to read the advice of some of Australia's most knowledgeable amateurs.

We've truly surpassed any expectations I had when I first created this site. What's been most rewarding for me, is the friendships that have been made. When I started in this hobby about 18 months ago, I didn't  know a single person in my area who was also interested in astronomy. Now, I know at least a dozen other amateurs around the area, most of whom meet up each month at Kulnura for some dark sky observing and generally just having a good time in each others company. And I'm proud to call many of these guys my personal friends.

And that pattern has been repeated all over the country. Small groups of IceInSpace members have found others living near them and now they too get together for observing sessions, help each other out with equipment problems and have made real and lasting friendships.

Without IceInSpace, astronomy may have been considered to be a very lonely hobby by many people, and they may have pushed the telescope to the back of the shed never to be used again. But now, there's people to talk to about your hobby, people to meet up with and observe with, people to help you and for you to help. It's a great hobby that can be very rewarding when you're able to share it with others.

So we've come a long way - and we're still growing! The next year is going to be a big one for IceInSpace. Word of mouth is starting to spread. We're being linked to by more websites around Australia and people are starting to take notice. There's really been nothing like this in Australia for a long time. There's been a gap to fill and people are now starting to embrace it.

With your continued support, spreading the word, telling your friends and your astro societies, contributing regularly to the forums we'll see another great year ahead.

I'd like to take this opportunity to say a Huge thank you to everyone who has contributed in some way to make this site what it is. Special mentions and thanks to:

• Terry (mojo) for his technical and design expertise, for being a friend and for putting up my regular phone calls on the way home from work :) 
• the generous forum members who have donated money towards the upkeep and continued running of the site,
• the moderators Geoff (starkler) and Paul ([1ponders]),
• Australian Sky & Telescope and Sky and Space for their support,
• Bintel, Eddie Trimarchi and Australian Sky & Telescope for sponsoring the 1 year anniversary competition

And of course the IceInSpace community. This site is nothing without you guys, without your daily input on the forums, asking and answering questions, posting your astrophotography and observing reports, asking for and giving advice, and your contributions of content to the site.

Here's to the next 12 months, bigger and better than the last!