There's also a dark sky park in the south west of England, see
http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.u...ape/dark-skies
@Wavytone - with the lack of astronomical darkness at that time of year and latitude, it's no surprise it wasn't all that dark.
They do have the occasional crystal clear day, it's just they're few and far between compared to the Australian desert
but with the climate there astronomy is a frustrating hobby most of the time.
Not to mention the light pollution. 60+ million people in an area not even approaching the state of Victoria dominates...the dark sky parks are consequently in remote areas and not readily accessible to most of the inhabitants.