[Wavytone]

Suggest you buy a MAP and you know where you're going - that's the EAST coast, actually.

Answer: avoid anywhere near a large town/city, or near the coast.

While the pacific highway along the coast from Brisbane to Sydney is arguably the fastest route, there is an alternative that may interest you if you want some astro-sight-seeing and seriously spectacular skies.

From Brisbane head to:

1. Narrabri, and on an evening free of moonlight and the weather is good AND you have a spare night, book accommodation there and during the day drive up to Mt Kaputar to observe the night sky from the peak which is at 1450m. The seeing there can be truly spectacular if the weather obliges. The road up this mountain is a dangerous narrow road only wide enough for 1 vehicle and for first-timers MUST be done in daylight so that you can see the risks you are dealing with.

7x50 binoculars are a must, if you don't have a small telescope.

2. Drop in at the Culgoora Solar Telescope, worth a visit.

3. Australia Telescope Compact Array, also near Narrabri.

4. Then head south to Coonabarabran and Siding Spring Observatory where there is a good visitors centre for a daytime visit.

Press on south for somewhere to stay overnight possibly around Scone or Muswellbrook before tackling the drive into...

5. Sydney... well... forget dark skies.

The truly committed diehards might deviate further west to take in the Parkes radio telescope dish, it's a big one and has a nice display.