Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike
That's not that far from Conna is it..? What amenity do they have ie power and accommodation etc at altitude, do you know?
Mike
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Hi Mike,
It's not far from the township of Narrabri which itself is 1.5 hours drive away from Coona.
There are camping areas at the top with full amenities but the NPWS has available
some wonderful cabins that have kitchens, a fridge, a stove-top, a microwave,
toaster, crockery, pots, pans, a jug, hot showers, multiple beds, fire places and that are
very reasonably priced and when shared with some friends, an absolute bargain.
They are situated at the top of the mountain (1510m). There is power at the cabins
but not at the observing site.
See
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/na....aspx?id=N0038
Because there are a lot of trees at the top, there are no good places that are
normally readily accessible to setting up the scope. However, the NPWS has their
office in Narrabri and if you call beforehand, they may be kind enough to loan
you the key to the gated area they use for helicopter landings. We have observed
from there and it is only a few minutes back to the cabins.
There is a second area that is suitable to observe from and which is not gated
but it is not practical for carrying large Dobs to. For more portable rigs if you
don't mind carrying the gear a couple of hundred meters, then this alternative
site is ideal.
The road to the top has improved dramatically over the years but it is narrow
and one has to exercise great care, remaining vigilant for on-coming traffic
around blind corners.
Remarkably, given its location in the north-west of the state, it snows up there
and you will see a lot of snow gums. A stark contrast to the plains below.
The views are to die for and you can see across to the Warrumbungles
and surrounding plains.