Dark Sky Sites and Camping recommendations please

[pmrid]

Well, the moment approaches - my wife and I are heading off in a few weeks for 2 months towing a small caravan packed with kayaks, fishing gear and my lightweight astrophotography rig. Not much room for anything else but hey, you have to have priorities, right?

We're loosely planning on heading south through Dubbo then through the ACT to Meribmula and thence along the coast more or less to Lakes Entrance, the Great Ocean Road, Mt. Gambier, Port Lincoln/Coffin Bay then heading back (more or less) through Mildura, Albury, Canberra, Parkes, Coonabarabran, Glenlyon Dam near Stanthorpe and then home.

Along the way, I hope to make a few longer stops - a week or so at each of and hoping to break away from established caravan parks and find some sites where I can set up the astro gear for some serious starscape and astro-imaging.

Since it won't be school holidays during the time we're on the road, I hope we will avoid too much congestion but even so, I would like to free-camp where it is possible to manage he costs if nothing else. We won't be traveling with our dog so we can get into National Parks along the way. But having said that, I know nothing about the parks in NSW and Vic and find it a bit difficult to know where to target.

Could anyone out there suggest locations along that general path where I could set up the caravan and scope/cameras to get the most out of the trip.

Peter

[glend]

I can give you two site recommendations:

The first is Bretti Reserve on the Thunderbolt Way in NSW. Bretti is about 30kms northwest of Gloucester NSW, in the ranges. Bretti is used by NSW Central Coast, Newcastle, and Sydney IIS members for dark site camping and it is a regular free camp for the caravan people as well. Just Google Bretti Reserve and there is heaps of info. Bretti is Dog friendly and you can stay for a month if you like. We tend to setup in the flat area down the back next to the river.

You can watch the ISS Star Parties Forum for the next Bretti Reserve trip which will probably be after mid- March 2014.

The Second is Bowling Alley Point Reserve on Lake Chaffey near Tamworth in the ranges. This is a dark site similiar to Bretti but on a major lake. It is also pet friendly and there is a small fee charged by drop box. It's caravan friendly. There is an IIS group heading up to Lake Chaffey for a week long astro camp at the end of February (starting on the 24th) and beginning of March. Just check out the thread on the Start Parties forum (I think Arthur called it Very Early Notification). Here is the link:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=112807


Hope to see you at Lake Chaffey. Enjoy the trip.

[The Mekon]

From Dubbo through Orange then Blayney south towards Crookwell. About 50km south of Blaney is the Abercrombie river. A great place to stop with the van overnight. You will pass through Trunkey, am not sure if the private observatory there is still operating.
Am presuming you wish to keep mainly to sealed roads with the van.

[glenc]

Peter, Tenterfield airport is a good spot.
See post 2 here http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=27604&highlight=tenterfield

[Davi5678]

I'm currently on a similar trip with the astronomy gear and the kayak on the roof in South Australia, If you have an iPhone, there is an app called 'wikicamps' which I've found really useful in getting a heads up on campsites around Australia, and you can add your own experiences to it, crowdsourcing the data. ( I don't know if there is an android version?)
I've found caravan parks to be be mostly expensive and inconvenient for the most part, so I try to camp for two days at free or almost free sites, but by the third day I need a shower so then I do a night in a caravan park or a motel.
Since I still need to earn a living and finding work on the road is proving more difficult then I thought, I'm thinking of renting in Adelaide for a couple of years and then rolling on.

[pmrid]

Thanks for those suggestions guys. Very helpful. Turnkey Obs is now Grove Creek (or similar) I think and runs as a remote/automated site from private property. Be nice to have a drool over the gear though! It sure looks like that area has plenty of potential..

Any ideas from Vic or SA.


Peter

[glenc]

Peter, I assume you know about http://www.booktopia.com.au/camps-australia-wide-7/prod9780980570366.html?gclid=CNmN9P uYg7wCFcRXpQodXTIAOg
Camps 7 contains over 3900 listings, including free camps, rest areas, community camps, showgrounds, station stays, national parks, state forests and parks, remote caravan parks, dump points and pet friendly sites.

[JB80]

If you are going back via the River Murray to Mildura there are/were some excellent free spots from Morgan through to Mildura. Now I'm not certain of how things are now but Lake Bonney at Barmera was a great free spot to camp for a night.

[pmrid]

Thanks Glen. Yes, I have Camp6 and I plan getting that IPad App mentioned below (wikicamp) which has terrific reviews.

And thanks also Jarrod for those Mildura tips.

Peter

[AstralTraveller]

Just a few places I've been that looked suitable.

Wee Jasper. All tar access. Drive down from Yass, cross the bridge at wee Jasper and go through the village (a couple of buildings and a public phone), turn left at the T and go ca 5km to the next T. Camping area across the road. Water, toilets, shade, open area for scope. There were 2 other campers there just after xmas but I suspect most of the year it's pretty quiet. If you go left at the 2nd T there is the Micalong Creek camping area about 10km further on. Never camped there as it's always too crowded when we've been there.

Cocopara Nat Park near Griffith. Access via about 20km of good dirt road. Lots of open space, toilets, water (unless the tank has been stolen again), shelter with tables. Very quiet.

Wyperfield NP near Hopetoun. All tar access (pretty sure of that) Lots of open space, toilets, shower, shelter shed. Quiet.

Hattah-Kulkyne NP between Ouyen and Mildura. Access to Lake Hattah camping area is all tar but the better spot at Lake Mournpall is about 30km of dirt. Easy when dry but a 5-10mm of rain made it fun in a 4WD (though the sand-tracks were unaffected). Toilets, water, lake. Very quiet.

Have fun. I'm envious.

[leon]

Yep the camps bible is the way to go, we have traveled Australia and mostly camped for free, and love it.

Leon