Easily accessible east coast dark skies

[californiastars]

Hi all,

I'm from the US and will be visiting Cairns (to hopefully see the eclipse) and Sydney this November. I'll be bringing some portable imaging equipment and I'm hoping I can get some tips on where to go for accessible dark skies within about an hour-long drive from either location. I'm assuming it'll be quicker and easier to reach dark skies from Cairns, but any advice anyone can provide for either location is much appreciated. We'll have a rental car of our own so no need to consider public transport, etc.

Best,
Daniel Perry
http://www.californiastars.net/

[AstralTraveller]

Where are you staying in Sydney? From central Sydney it's 3/4 an hour or more to the end of suburbia. If you were in northern Sydney you wouldn't head south etc.

[torana68]

Cairns will be the best bet, Sydney , depending on where you are you could head towards the Blue Mountains or drive up the Hume Highway a bit? dont forget to have a look at the Sydney Observatory
http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/whatson/see-why-were-all-made-from-stardust/
and the Powerhouse Museum/Darling Harbour

[californiastars]

Thanks guys. Any specific recommendations for places outside Cairns? By just looking at maps it seems the Lake Mitchell area might be a good bet.

[tlgerdes]

I can see you don't live in Sydney :lol:

I think you add 1 in front of that number.

[mithrandir]

Trevor, do you mean 1.75 hours or 13/4=3.25 hours? 1.75 would get you to Crago (Bowen Mountain). 3.25 would get close to Wiruna.

[lacad01]

Probably meant adding an hour to the original time, but then also depends on definition of "central Sydney"..., Sydney's a big place and I'd say central Sydney is around Parramatta imho. Me in the Inner West which is about 7km from the CBD, takes me about 1.5 hours to get to Crago (Bowen Mountain) and close to 2 hours to Katoomba Airfield...

[tlgerdes]

1h 45m to the edge of suburbia from the CBD.:P It takes at least an hour to get to your place Andrew.

[Barrykgerdes]

From My place to Crago is about 30 mins and Wiruna about 2 hrs 15mins by car if there are no traffic problems

From my place to central railway is 1 hr 10 mins by the quickest transport, bus, however the bus sometimes makes it in 1 hr 3 mins

The bus has priority lanes and uses the M2 and T-way. Last pick up Oaks road and express then to Wynyard.

From my place to Campbelltown is 1hr 30 mins (no toll ways)

Barry

[mithrandir]

Maybe, maybe not. My record from home to parked in the city (at restaurant in Kings X actually) on a Saturday evening was about 30 minutes without doing any obvious damage to speed limits. Since then they have turned the M2 into a 40Kph disaster zone.