Good dark site Gold Coast?

[toddster77]

Hi I live on the gold coast in qld and have done some viewing at home, i want to see alot more so wondering if anyone could tell me the closest site to broadbeach for good viewing.

Thanks

[Zubenel]

Have a look at this Ice in Space thread.
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/archive/index.php/t-555.html

HAve a look at the TIF Map. It shows that you don't have to go that far west from the Goldy to find OK sky's. ( Light grey) Leyburn South West of Toowoomba is very dark. I have been there a couple of times and it was great .

[that_guy]

you could come up to SAS meeting, they have a "fairly" semi dark sky. its right next to the high way but the other side of the field is relatively dark, dark enough to hunt for brighter galaxies and planetary nebs.... but other than that, Leybourn or further inland is the way to go

cheers
tony

[toddster77]

Thanks for the reply guys, I was hoping for something with 30 mins drive that I could visit fairly regular.

Tony where does this meeting take place?

[that_guy]

http://www.sas.org.au (http://www.sas.org.au/)
here you go mate, download the event horizon newsletter for whats up this month and how you get there :thumbsup:

cheers
tony

[toddster77]

Tony

LIVINGSTONE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, 62 REEDMANS ROAD, ORMEAU looks like the site, can I go there any night or only when the meeting is on?

Thanks
Todd

[that_guy]

The next meeting is on saturday this week, so pop over and ask, i only went to a few cos im always busy :\

[madbadgalaxyman]

Living on Brisbane southside, I needed a dark site that I could get to in reasonable time, without having to make the Long Journey "way out west" to sites that are W of Toowoomba!!

I start at Beaudesert and then I just head south along the Mt Lindesay Hwy.

See the attached map of the area:

91471

There aren't a lot of easy places to park a telescope, down here, so I have resorted to making an arrangement with a couple of farmers.

Being so near to the high mountains around the border, the areas near Rathdowney do get quite a lot of cloud and Mountain weather...... so it is a waste of time setting off to these sites if the weather is not absolutely clear.

The driving time is so much less than to the very dark sites that are "far out west". I can easily get back home to my comfy bed in the early hours of the morning!!

cheers,
madbadgalaxyman