Giorgio
10-05-2011, 03:37 PM
Hi all,
Maybe I'm excessively paranoid, but in looking around for a dark sky location, I found my self wandering what attributes you decide make a location, beside obviously a dark sky, a suitable spot for stargazing.
I live in Toowoomba QLD since 3 years ago (coming from Sydney Eastern suburbs where I lived there for 9 years and before it, from Milan Italy, where I was born I lived till then).
I haven't yet developed a good knowledge of the area around Toowoomba, so recently I traveled in a few kilometers around it, to find suitable places.
In doing it I realized it isn't that easy, as beside a few park areas and along country road sides, it is all private properties.
Although Toowoomba is way a more safe place than bigger cities, I feel road sides aren't exactly the safest locations for star gazing. The same IMHO, is more or less true for public accessible parks. Our equipment is expensive and often big enough to not pass unobserved by passing by people. Hence I don't think to be too paranoid in considering they may attract undesirable guests. If I were still living in Milan I wouldn't have any doubt about it, sadly. :(
My current conclusion is that I should look for contacting land owners of suitable dark sky locations and asking their permission for accessing them at agreed terms. Of course finding another fellow star gazer in Toowoomba, who has already found suitable places, would certaintly be the best solution. Who knows maybe I can be so lucky he/she is one of you. :D
So, I'm curious to know, how you faced these issues, if you found yourself having already faced similar issues.
Clear Skies
Giorgio
Maybe I'm excessively paranoid, but in looking around for a dark sky location, I found my self wandering what attributes you decide make a location, beside obviously a dark sky, a suitable spot for stargazing.
I live in Toowoomba QLD since 3 years ago (coming from Sydney Eastern suburbs where I lived there for 9 years and before it, from Milan Italy, where I was born I lived till then).
I haven't yet developed a good knowledge of the area around Toowoomba, so recently I traveled in a few kilometers around it, to find suitable places.
In doing it I realized it isn't that easy, as beside a few park areas and along country road sides, it is all private properties.
Although Toowoomba is way a more safe place than bigger cities, I feel road sides aren't exactly the safest locations for star gazing. The same IMHO, is more or less true for public accessible parks. Our equipment is expensive and often big enough to not pass unobserved by passing by people. Hence I don't think to be too paranoid in considering they may attract undesirable guests. If I were still living in Milan I wouldn't have any doubt about it, sadly. :(
My current conclusion is that I should look for contacting land owners of suitable dark sky locations and asking their permission for accessing them at agreed terms. Of course finding another fellow star gazer in Toowoomba, who has already found suitable places, would certaintly be the best solution. Who knows maybe I can be so lucky he/she is one of you. :D
So, I'm curious to know, how you faced these issues, if you found yourself having already faced similar issues.
Clear Skies
Giorgio