Trip to Australia again in July

LT_Ng · #1 20-06-2007, 12:21 AM

Hello Folks,

I have been quite from this forum for a long long time because academic duties occupy me too much to have time in doing astronomy in the past yea.

From July 12th, my summer holiday will start, and I really love Australia sky very much. So, this year I and my wife Barbara together with one guy will be to Australia again.

Below is my first itinerary planning on this trip.

Arrive Sydney internal airport in the morning of July 12th. Then shop for a car and drive to Canberra to visit Bird (if he is okay with the date and my visit).
Will stay in Canberra for 3-4 nights, depending on the weather.

If weather didn't cooperate, leave for Coonabarabran on July 15th via Wagga Wagga, Narrandera, Forbes and Dubbo. May have one night staying at midway.

Expect arriving Coonabarabran on 16th, and do astronomy there for 3-4 nights, also depending on weather.

If weather not so good, will leave Coonabarabran on 19th, and then drive to Tenterfield via Tamworth. I had droven across Tenterfield once before in 2005. I found it was very dry in July and so just wonder whether that place is excellent for astronomy in July and August. The population is low there, so I believe the sky should be extreme dark there. Am I correct? Thus, we will stay in Tenterfield for one night.

Then drive back to Sydney via eastern coastal route 1. We have to go back to Sydney in the evening of 24th to have dinner with my friend in Bankstown. So, most probably we will have one night stay in Grafton and another night in Port Macquarie or somewhere nearby separately.

In the morning of 25th, we will take the flight back to Hong Kong.

So, if there is any star parties/stargaze gatherings coincide with our trip, please let me know. If those star parties don't reject outsiders, I am strongly interested in joining them.

Or if there is any interesting spots close to our itinerary quite worth taking a look, please suggest them to me.

Of course, I would be most grateful if you could arrange me with any visit to your backyard observatory or even just a short meeting up with each other.

Last year we had very abnormal weather with our trip. 4 out of 7 nights were cloudy or even rainy with our stay in Coonabarabran. Wish it come to normal this year.

If interested, welcome to visit my homepage to take a look on some images taken with my trip last year. As it is a Geocities free website, please try again if any connection failure happens. My homepage is

http://www.geocities.com/william_lt_ng/Starfield.htm

Look forward to having your suggestion.

Clear skies,

LT (William)

bird (Anthony Wesley) · #2 20-06-2007, 07:59 AM

Hi William, you're welcome to stay with us when you;re in this area - we've just moved in to our new house last Thursday.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Bird

xelasnave · #3 20-06-2007, 08:02 AM

William I hope your trip is all you hope for.
I live East of Tenterfield but have done some viewing in the middle of that town... notwithstanding one is in a town the sky there is terrific...the sky at my place is better however.
I am at Tabulam, if you can find that on the map, on 200 acres of bush with not lights anywhere..in the State forest....and you are welcome to stay as long as you like...the only problem there is no accommodation but if you let me know you wish to call in we will build you a tent or a Tee Pee..but you will need sleeping bags.. er we will build some beds as well.. water is in a tank and a dam ...I have some gear ( see below) and you are welcome to it if you call by....
When at Coona there is a spot just down from the entrance to the observatory which is high ..its just off the road and you wont miss it ..on the left going back to town...it looks great and even though near the road you should be able to find a suitable spot there.
Good luck
alex

[1ponders] (Paul) · #4 20-06-2007, 08:55 AM

Hello William.

It would be great to see you again. Sya sends her love.

If you are looking for an astro camp then the Queensland Astrofest is on from the 6th to the 12 th of August west of Brisbane this year, so maybe you can time your next visit to coincide with that. There are normally plenty of Iceinspacers there.

Enjoy you stay and hope the weather treats you better this time.

iceman (Mike) · #5 20-06-2007, 04:30 PM

The CWAS Astrofest is on July 14 at Parkes (Radio Dish), though they're not planning any official viewing.

LT_Ng · #6 22-06-2007, 12:35 AM

Bird,

Firstly, thank you very much for your assistance to my trip this year again, and please see PM.

Paul,

Barbara sends Sya and you her love also. We wish we could visit you next year. How about Sya's book business? You have bought a lot of gears these 2 years. Do you have time to play with them? Unfortunately, I don't have and the sky conditions here is getting worse and worse.

Iceman,

Thanks for your information, but the date of the activity in Parkes seems could not coincide with my schedule. Do you know any more? Any star party or meeting in Newcastle? I knew the disaster happened on Newcastle from local TV news and newspapers. Are you and other IISers in Newcastle all safe from this disaster? Your recent Jupiter images were so amazing. Wish I could have chance to meet you during my trip this time.

Alex,

I am heartly appreciated with your assistance to my trip. That will give you too much trouble for building any tent or bed if we stay at your house. I know where Tabulam is. If my estimation is correct, I think we will arrive in Tenterfield just before the sunset because it is most probably that we leave from Coonabarabran at ~11:00 am, and the drive to Tenterfield is not short.
So, we may visit you next morning of our stay at somewhere between Glen Innes and Tenterfield. If that is okay to you, could you PM me of your address or phone no.? But as mentioned in my post, I am hoping to look for the opportunity to have one night stay in Tenterfield to see the sky and weather conditions. Or could you tell me more about the weather condition in Tenterfield or in your area from July to August? Are these 2 months good period for astronomy, especially for wide field and deep sky shooting?

Thanks for the helps from all of you.

Clear skies,

William

[1ponders] (Paul) · #7 22-06-2007, 08:02 AM

Quote:

You have bought a lot of gears these 2 years. Do you have time to play with them?

I would have lots of time to play with them William, if the clouds would go away. We've had one of the longest periods of poor viewing condition that I can remember. Maybe better lucky on this side of the year

Please bring some fine weather with you

Sya's little book shop is growing wonderfully and is expanding all the time.

GrahamL · #8 22-06-2007, 07:07 PM

Tenterfield is a little to the right towards the horizen (30 kms ) on this shot
Alex would be to the left and further off .. great skys up in the granite belt

hope you have a good time

taken from bald rock national park

take care graham

CoombellKid · #9 22-06-2007, 07:36 PM

Interesting picture there Graham, is that you back in the 70's?

regards,CS

GrahamL · #10 22-06-2007, 10:24 PM

lol .. no thats back in may this year rob .. my youngest son and wife
whos just discovered some bug crawling on her.

LT_Ng · #11 25-06-2007, 11:37 PM

Hello Graham,

Can we do astronomy in the bald rock national park in the night? Can telescope be set up on the "bald rock" surface? Is it safe?

Willima

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightstalker

Tenterfield is a little to the right towards the horizen (30 kms ) on this shot
Alex would be to the left and further off .. great skys up in the granite belt

hope you have a good time

taken from bald rock national park

take care graham

iceman (Mike) · #12 26-06-2007, 05:05 AM

Hi William.

There will be a meet on the Central Coast on the 14th July - I won't be there, but the other regulars should be. Otherwise, I'd love to meet you while you're in the Sydney area.

EzyStyles (Eric) · #13 26-06-2007, 09:41 AM

Hi william. you wouldn't happen to be Tat?

LT_Ng · #14 26-06-2007, 09:01 PM

Hello EzyStyles,

LT = Lun Tat. Then wish you find the answer now.

Where is the location of your new house? Close to Canberra?

Looking for such a day of meeting you somewhere in Australia or even in Hong Kong, if you have a chance to visit Hong Kong.

William

Quote:

Originally Posted by EzyStyles

Hi william. you wouldn't happen to be Tat?

LT_Ng · #15 26-06-2007, 09:05 PM

Hello Mike,

I will drive along the central coastal high way #1 back to Sydney on July 24th. So, do you think we can meet each other at that day? Please PM me if you are okay.

Thanks.

William

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceman

Hi William.

There will be a meet on the Central Coast on the 14th July - I won't be there, but the other regulars should be. Otherwise, I'd love to meet you while you're in the Sydney area.

GrahamL · #16 27-06-2007, 03:30 PM

hi william

yes i guess you could walk a smallish scope straight up the front face
If you have the time take a walk up there in daylight ,its a short drive
(30 minutes )from tenterfied on a sealed road and worth a look .
There may be some areas closer to tenterfield that are a little easier to get at for observing though...beware a cold winters night up there also
I'm not sure about bald rock but i know it can snow not to far from there .

take care graham

LT_Ng · #17 28-06-2007, 10:34 AM

Thanks Graham.

I will try to arrive before sunset so that I can have some time to look around for a spot good for astronomy at night.

Is there someone could suggest me a motel/farm stay with backyard good for astronomy near Tenterfield?

Thanks in advance.

William

LT_Ng · #18 10-07-2007, 01:05 PM

Hello All,

Tomorrow evening I will depart from HK to Australia to start my 2 week trip there.

Besides sightseeing at day time, I hope the weather can cooperate with me so that I can do astronomy at night time. This time I bring 1 set of Pentax 67 system for starfield shooting with film. I also bring one 6x7 format astrograph for deep sky shooting with film also.

From the news two weeks ago, I knew some areas in NSW, especially for Newcastle, were affected by the rain quite much and some roads were damaged. How about the situation now? Is there any main road or highway accessible to Coonabarabran close now or with flood?

Thanks for your information.

Clear skies,

LT

xelasnave · #19 10-07-2007, 01:30 PM

I have travelled down from the North Coast via the coast road to Sydney and its no worries..the inland should be fine.

I am going back up later an hour or so... I gather you had in mind a chat if you are in my area as opposed to viewing... I am getting a new phone and will send you the number... let me know if you have a coffee at Tabulam in mind ..we could meet so you don't leave the main route of your journey...

I hope it clears..its been raining in Sydney for a while but there were still some stars out last night...
alex

LT_Ng · #20 10-07-2007, 01:36 PM

Thanks Alex.

Hope to see you in Tenterfield or your living town Tabulam.

Best wishes,

William