A Crisp Club night at Snake Valley

[Tannehill]

Sorry, don't know true driving time...I stopped a bunch of times en route, dropped the family off at Ballarat that night, had dinner, etc etc before driving out to SV from Ballarat...

I'm guessing travel time from the CBD is probably, like, 1.25-1.5 hours, since we left mid-day...

Eric is a much better judge....Eric?

Expect it really matters when you leave and from where....Melbourne traffic is fairly dense at commuter hour. I'd bet from the far side of Mel during commuter rush, it'd be a 3 hour trip up to SV.....

Scott

Originally Posted by Sentinel

I was just checking out where you guys observe on Google Earth. Your observing site just misses the High Res photo for the Ballarat region.

Scott, how long did it take to arrive from Melbourne?

[erick (Eric)]

Ken will correct me if I'm too far out.

From the junction of the Western Hwy and the Ring Road - about 50-55 min to Ballarat, about 7-10 min through Ballarat, then about 20 min to Snake Valley.

Getting from Central Melbourne or elsewhere N, NE, E, SE, S Melbourne, very dependent on traffic conditions. From my home SE in light traffic I can get to Western Hwy/Ring Road in 35-40 minutes.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Sounds about right Eric. It takes me approx 1.5 hours to get to central Melbourne from Snake Valley, and 2 hours to the north eastern outer suburbs of Melb.

[Sentinel]

Do you stay overnight or drive back? 1.5 hours drive is a commitment, especially if there is a return drive.

My own personal rule goes...1 minute travel to 1 minute observing. There must be an equal or greater observing time than travel time.

Of course more observing than travel time is preferred, but to drive to Snake Valley would mean 3 hours travel and 3 hours observing in my book. That is some commitment, especially mid week. And there is set-up time.

The sky and seeing must be worth making the trip also. This is made easier if a local presence is there to indicate whether there is any chance of weather interfering with the observing.

Can you get out of the city to a semi-rural place? Like 30 minutes to 45 minutes? Do you have somewhere like that to go to?

[Tannehill]

Good points, for sure. It's always a challenge living in the middle of a big city. Mel is no different. Finding a fairly dark yet secure and safe site (no giant ditches to fall in!) with the comfortable amenities (power, toilet, etc) that is close is always a challenge.

Ken and Eric will have more accurate facts re all this, but I can give you my first timer impression of Snake Valley.

Snake Valley is just 20 min from Ballarat. Straight roads from Ballarat, easy drive. The observing site is the town sports oval. While you can't back your car right up to the spot where you will set up your scope, it's a short carry.

The field is short grass. If you have an extension cord, you can run power out to your scope.

There is a building with a toilet, and a heated (or heatable) room with a microwave and power for simple snack prep. And two couches, and more space to lay out a cot if one wanted (and had a collapsible cot) to nap or sleep. Very uncrowded for sure. Low key. Instantly comfortable place and crowd, to be sure.

But, yes, an easy 1.5 hour plus drive each way, more if leaving Mel at the wrong time of day.

Then there is the MPAS site in Mt. Martha. More dedicated site, with very nice clubroom. Again, very comfortable. Concrete pads with power, and if you time it right you can back your car up to the pad and leave it there except on busy and/or public nights. Closer, only about 45 min from the SE Mel suburbs. But, less dark. The zenith to the south and west are fine, easily mag 6.0, but north is all Frankston and Mel sky glow which I would say precludes me from pointing a scope there.

If you live in MEL and want truly dark sky, you'll have to drive at least 1.5 hours anywhere I think....

Scott

[Sentinel]

In Auckland we have Kumeu Observatory, it's exactly 30 minutes from home , however it is close to the edge of Auckland.

It is conveinient but not strickly dark sky, the lightdome is up as high as 30 degrees in the SE. Safe etc but no toilet.

We can get very good skies at the Maramarua Forest, an hours drive south. It's a rural road. No facilities. However none of us have been there for 3 years. We tend to trade off the skies for a bit less travel time and security etc.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

You will find as years roll by that dark sites will get further and further away from cities. Think about the Northern Hemisphere folk. They can't really get away from light pollution anywhere.

[erick (Eric)]

Paul, since I got started in this hobby late last year I've really wanted dark skies. When you share a home with more than 3 million other people who seem to like to have some light at night, there is no choice than to travel distances if you want to see faint fuzzies.

I'm toward one side of Melbourne. I can travel 40 min from my place to an observing spot which is useful, but forget about the Melbourne side - too much glow. So I travel the 1.5 hour plus to dark skies. But, you are right, you need enough observing time to make it worthwhile. I have traveled the distance and spent a few hours looking at cloud-covered skies, before setting off home again. That's part of the game!

Eric

[Sentinel]

Originally Posted by erick

I have traveled the distance and spent a few hours looking at cloud-covered skies, before setting off home again. That's part of the game!

Eric

A few of those type of nights and the enthusiasm for observing certainly wanes, especially if there is a big drive.