- There are 12 bunkhouses (from 2 to 8 bunks) and lots of camping space on the observing field.
- Caravans welcome.
- Hot showers & toilets in a caravan park style amenities block.
- Large dining room for about 60 people
- Recreation room (billiards, table tennis)
- Fully equipped kitchen with all cooking utensils, crockery, cutlery, fridges etc.
- Lake for swimming, fishing, canoeing etc.
- BBQ facilities
*Please note, Bunkhouses CANNOT be booked for one night only.
We have previously lost bookings due to bunkhouses being used for only one night when people wanted to book them for 3 or 4
nights and couldn't because of the 'one night' stayer booking it first.
Exceptions are accepted if you are in a shared bunkhouse with others staying more than one night.
Alternatively, the campsite is available for one night if that's all you can stay.
*Alcohol is allowed, but 'drunkenness' will not be tolerated. Offenders will be asked to leave.
* Aerosols of any description (Aeroguard, deodorant etc) are TOTALLY BANNED on the observing field. Stray spray could (and
has) permanently damage optics.
Snake Valley Astronomy Camps are fun, low key social events. A white light ban is in force (as expected), but due to the
nature of our camps, imagers and observers are all mixed in together having a great social astronomy experience.
Red Lights (Red LED Head Torches, etc) are acceptable.
THE BUNKHOUSES
The 12 bunkhouses range from 2, 4, or 6 bunks up to several with 8 bunks (4 sets of upper and lower bunks).
They have mattresses, but no bed linen. You will need to supply your own sheets, blankets, doona's, and pillows. Or just
throw a sleeping bag on the mattress.
CAMPING
The observing field/camping area is on a very gentle slope to assist drainage, bordered on the west by trees and the
road, and on the east by the lake. Plenty of room for a lot of people to camp and set up.
240v power is supplied.
SKY
Very dark. There is a faint light dome visible low in the east, coming from Ballarat, Melbourne and Geelong.
COOKING
The kitchen is fully equipped.
All cutlery, cooking utensils, pots, pans, jugs, you name it, it's probably there!
Microwaves, grillers, enormous gas ovens and stove top, 3 fridge/freezers.
All you need is your food.
SHOPS
There are supplies available locally.
3k - Snake Valley General Store: Basic groceries, petrol etc
closes 12:00 Sat, shut Sunday
5k - Linton Store: Basic groceries, petrol, hot fish & chips, hamburgers etc.
Open 7 days till 8pm
12k - Smythesdale: Supermarket, petrol, shops.
Open 7 days
20 minutes - Ballarat
LOCAL SIGHTS: Nimmons Bridge, Computer Museum, Jubilee Gold Mine Historic Reserve, Sovereign Hill, etc.
FEES
(to allow more people to attend the camp some people may have to share a bunkhouse)
Name: Malcolm Barker
How many people:1
Number of nights:2
Which nights:Friday and Saturday
Bunkhouse or camping: Bunkhouse
Saturday night feast: Yes Please!
Name: Ken Nicholas
How many people: 1
Number of nights: 3
Which nights: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Bunkhouse or camping: Camping
Saturday night feast: Yes Please!
Name: Paul Byron (byronpaul)
How many people: 1
Number of nights: 3 (perhaps 4 if SHMBO gives the ok)
Which nights: Friday to Sunday (and hopefully Monday)
Bunkhouse or camping: Caravan
Saturday night feast: Yes
Hopefully I'll have the 4WD working properly so in anticipation of the car working.
Name: Paula
How many people: 2
Number of nights: 2
Which nights: Saturday (hopefully friday too)
Bunkhouse or camping: Camping
Saturday night feast: Yes please.
wooohooo thanks Paula for letting me know I have some catching up to do count me in guys your not getting another peaceful camp EVER haha
Name: Jen & Drew
How many people:2
Number of nights:4
Which nights: all of them I'm not missing out on the clear nights hehe
Bunkhouse or camping: Camping
Saturday night feast: Yes Please! Nom nom nom
I might be interested in attending with my girlfriend. We're both noobs in the field though. I bought myself a mount and at the moment am pondering which telescope / accessories to get. That probably won't happen before march at this rate though, as we are going overseas in feb and we're moving house too.. To summarise - is this the sort of star party where we might be able to look through other people's gear and pick through peoples' brains or are we expected to bring our own (gear, not brains)?
Yep sure is Matthew I would suggest going to a Star party before buying any scope I wish I did there is plenty of friendly folks there that are more than willing to give you advice and look through a few scopes including my 12" dobbie
certainly if you have your own gear then that gives you more opportunity to explore the skys in your own manner, but the Snake Valley camps are very friendly and informal and most of us spend more time bouncing things off each other, looking at or through everybody else gears, etc.
These days, there is a higher percentage of imagers at the SV camp, but there are still plenty of visual people and gear as well.
There are also a few other people that lob without gear so don't let that turn you off. To the contrary it's probably what you should do before you invest your hard earned cash on gear that you perhaps shouldn't have.
The March camp will have some pretty good gear there so you'll get to see the difference between what you get for a few hundred dollars vs gear with a few more zeros.
Name: Maximus Pavaloti
How many people: 1
Number of nights: 3
Which nights: Friday to Sunday
Bunkhouse or camping: Camping
Saturday night feast: Pav Please
wooohooo thanks Paula for letting me know I have some catching up to do 
count me in guys your not getting another peaceful camp EVER haha 
