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Hi Joe,
I am certainly in favour of finding a darker sky location.
Whilst it is nice to have less interference from trees than the Paint Ball site (Kulnurra), and a nice open field with better facilities, I for one MUCH preferred Kulnurra.
We have problems at the moment with a bright yellow street light that bugs me every time I observe at the Pony Club, and the absence of trees to the south and south east just introduces more sky glow from Sydney and Gosford. The skies at the Pony Club are certainly better than suburbia, but with another 15-20 mins drive I am sure we can do better.
It is a huge effort to pack the Mary Rose. Oftentimes the conditions at the Pony Club cause me to question whether it is worth it.
This month I chose to observe at a darker site location (on the Friday). It is a private property (someone else's), so I am not at liberty to offer it for general IIS use, but frankly it completely outdoes the Pony Club for observing conditions. At the end of the day, it is more the social contact than the sky conditions that bring to the Pony Club. I would be much happier if we were under darker skies.
Having said all of the above, we are hugely indebted to the Pony Club and to Geoff Byrnes for his efforts in making this venue available to us. I actually think that access is easier than you think Joe....it is just that as a matter of courtesy we should just give them notice. Several members now have keys, so it is an easy thing to organise with a day or two's notice.
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