Hey Ikey !
thanks for the heads up
No seriously, I had known that with a bit of effort that dark skies were available not too far outside the metro area. But as others have mentioned on this forum, I am concerned about security issues. And it does take a fair amount of effort too
But I might just make the effort to check out the Dryandra SP. When's the next one - any ideas?
Regarding Norfold Island as a holiday destination, - if 'quiet' is what you're after then NI is THE place to be. Crime is non-existant (in fact people are almost non existant
) and everyone leaves car doors unlocked all the time - even with your valuables in (laptop etc). Young kids are perfectly safe being allowed to wander around the township too - which is such a change from what we're used to in metro mainland.
NI is way way off the beaten track, and of course they have that fancy 'funny' Pitcairn English chatter which they can turn on and off at the drop of a hat. Explanation: - what I hadn't realised was that the 'native' population are generally all descendants of the Bounty Mutineers - you know, Fletcher Christian and Captain Bligh and all that. They all settled en-masse on Norfolk when they outgrew Pitcairn Island in 1856. A few actually returned to Pitcairn, but most were happy on Norfolk, and the same half dozen names dominate the place even now - (Christian, Quintal, Evans, Adams et al).
But don't go if you'd miss nightclubs and pubs and shopping centres as there are none. And I mean none. But if peace and quiet and time for reflection are important to you then it's perfect. And it's full of history with it's former use as a penal colony to investigate.
Would I go again? Probably once was enough - for a few years anyway. But it was incredibly nice and I'm really glad I went.
Clear skies and happy resurgence of the hobby
There was so much more to see than from my regular viewing location, and I was left wishing I'd been able to take a scope. You guys who live in dark sky locations are so lucky 
