[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by spearo

Hi
considering a very potential job in Woolongong/Shelharbour.

Is it hopeless for astronomy (ie skies always overcast etc) or is it ok?
what if I live 1/2 hour away from coast inland ?
any input appreciated
i have a week to decide whether to apply for the job

frank

Gidday. The first thing you need to know about the 'Gong is that we really really hate people misspelling the name of the place. It's Wollongong and there is no wool here.

Now, after calming down, I can also suggest you look at my avatar. I can also report that the first Europeans to come here were logging the Red Cedars which grew here in the rainforests. Yes, the climate is suitable for growing rainforests. At the back of Wollongong is an escarpment about 400-500m high and on days like today when the wind blows onshore the consequent uplift causes cloud and rain. We also tend to get cloud if the wind comes from the north, south, east or west, or anywhere in between. OK not really but it is pretty cloudy.

It is much cloudier than Braidwood but a better observing location than Sydney; it has less light pollution (especially down around Shellharbour) and it is easier to get out of town. I live in Gwynneville, at the base of Mt Ousley and 1km from the centre of town and travel to Bargo to observe, about 40 minutes away (at least I can walk to work at the Uni). Places like Picton and Wilton are closer and there are lots of new places being built at Wilton.

If you are working around Shellharbour then you should consider travelling S or W. Travelling is easiest to the S but you stay on the coast. However the escarpment is further inland and I suspect it is less cloudy. Travelling W involves the scenic Maquarie Pass with its loverly rainforest stands. There are also about 800 bends in 8km. Once up the pass you are on the loverly southern highlands - loverly and expensive. There is also a reputation for cloud up there as the moist winds blow up the Shoalhaven and Kangaroo Rivers' valleys, but I think you should consult a local about that.

On the positive side, Wollongong is IMHO a very pretty city. I also hear that from a lot of the overseas students I meet. The escarpment provides a beautiful backdrop and there are great beaches. Despite rumours to the contrary it is NOT a polluted city and the air here is far cleaner than in Sydney. The heavy industry has cleaned up its act over the past 30 years and the EPA watches them closely. (I knew the local deputy manager of the EPA during my undergrad days in the early 90s and he could quote chapter and verse about the changes over the 17 years he had been at the EPA.) The worst pollution events occur in summer and they are due to Sydneys exported pollution. At night the winds blow directly offshore and push Sydney's vehicle exhaust fumes out to sea. There they react with the sea spray to make smog. The ne breeze the next morning brings them back onshore at Wollongong and if there is a temperature inversion at the top of the escarpment (a common occurance) the smog is trapped here. The worst spots can be in the Albion Park and Jamberoo valleys. This happens 0-3 days per year.

cheers,
David