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My first scope was my imagination and a book called Stars of the Australian and New Zealand skies by Patrick Moore that my mother bought me for my 11th birthday. I read it back to back so many times trying to understand the "concepts"(this is how I remember it),of Light,maths,time and where I stood on the ground.I spent countless hours in the Canterbury Municipal Library (on canterbury road next to the station for those who remember),trying to find up to date info on stuff that Patrick was writing about. It slowly became clear that the book that I had at home was the up to date stuff.The edition she bought, that I still have today was the 1980 edition. I thought ,excuse the French, the pictures were so f$%*ing fantstic! They look like cartoon drawings compared to the stuff now! Anyhow time past,I come from a fishing family and later on in life when I was 28 ,I was on a trawler ,F.V. Imlay towing a net North at 3.4 knots just outside of three Nautical miles off GreenCape Southern NSW sunbaking on the bow for a few minutes when, and I quote my own mind here,"a green flaming thing" went "Zot" into the water not 30m off the port bow. When we unloaded and due to weather, had a day at home, Idrove to Bega and was lucky enough to find a 110ml reflector Tasco,still in the box for $20. Iwill put it up against the 250ml Meade I now also have,in certain situations, any day. I will never part with it.
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