Jump to content

NLCbanner2024.jpg.2478be509670e60c2d6efd04834b8b47.jpg

Emigrating to Brisbane

johnh

By johnh
in The Astro Lounge

Recommended Posts

johnh

johnh

Posted
Posted

Hello Guys.

Was a teenage astronomer 1986-93 after break started again in 2005 when imaging became affordable with a DSLR and then a SC3 on an old BeaconHill mount before moving to EQ6 and cooled mono and DMK - would never give it up as I have a great time apart from weather!!! I have been on this forum for 18 months now but have been planning emigration for past 5 years now and we finally fly out April 1st.

On Monday/Tuesday most of house furniture will be taken away by Pickfords and I have taken down my mount and packed all the astro stuff away - felt quite sad but I am off to see a better sky.

Will take my 80mm refractor in my suitcase as well as DSLR 18-55mm/Mintron with 8.5mm CCTV lens and tripod for Milkyway shots so I will have something to do as it takes 10 weeks for stuff to arrive. Seems to be clear every night in Cleveland even in Winter so hope I can find a place to get restarted - plan on starting with Eagle and Trifid nebs. Also Venus and Mercury will be on grand display as the Sun sets directly down below horizon so would love to image these as I have never been able to see these at my location in UK.

Here are some pics of our house and the area at 27 degrees South +10hrs UT.

Cleveland, Brisbane. - a set on Flickr

We will be in Redlands, Cleveland on the coast 15 miles from Brisbane.

Cleveland, Queensland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

North Stradbroke Island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Light pollution is a lot less and Milkyway in Sag to Carina has to be seen to be believed and makes Cygnus look embarrassingly poor. Milkyway looks like vapour trails in places it is so bright and you can locate the centre of the galaxy near M8, binocs show MW like cotton wool.

Will take some images with DSLR and Mintron to show you what I am seeing. Stars Hadar and Alpha Cent are like 2 Vegas next to each other pointing to the S Cross and Carina in binocs has so many galactic clusters that Cephues/Cygnus/Cassiopeia cannot compare. Omega Cent like a massive bright M13 but 5 times bigger. Binocs show nebulosity around eagle neb and M4 next to Antares I have never seen before. Gemini still gets to 40degress in North and I could still see Ursa Major low on the Horizon. There are 2 streetlights but sky is still dark and neighbouring houses are bungalows so I may setup on the varanda off the smallest bedroom but will wait and see.

Many thanks, JohnH.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RobH

RobH

Posted
Posted

Have a brilliant time John, and a safe journey of course.

I have many friends and relatives in the Brisbane area, so you may well get a visit when I finally make it over for pleasure rather than work!

Really looking forward to what you come up with on the southern targets :)

Cheers

Rob

Link to comment
Share on other sites
barkis

barkis

Posted
Posted

I wish you and your family a happy and comfortable life down under John. SGL members will be delighted you won't be leaving the forum, although we appreciate you will be very busy in your new home for a while. Have a safe trip home, and good luck.:)

Ron.:mad:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sam

Sam

Posted
Posted

Best of luck for the move John! I hope everything goes smoothly and the packers are gentle with your gear. Our stuff made it to NZ in one piece which was a huge relief. I know what it's like packing all of the gear up and seeing it sealed in a container - a bit scary!

Brisbane is a fantastic place so I'm sure you'll have a brilliant time. The southern skies are amazing but you may miss some of the old sights - I know I do.

Sam

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tim

Tim

Posted
Posted

I hope all goes smoothly John for you and the family, and we are waiting with bated breath for your first set of images from down under, I hope the 14" mirror makes the journey unscathed.

Good job we have the internet eh?

:)

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites
david o

david o

Posted
Posted

John,

Best of luck to you and yours in your new home. :mad:

Hope the journey goes OK, that everyone and everything arrives in one piece.

Looking forward to some of those southern sky images. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
omneferuss

omneferuss

Posted
Posted

G'day johnh, I dunno who told you skies are always clear here.. I haven't seen a good night in 4 months :p

..but I live on the North side of Brizvegas 25km the other side of the city centre.. it might be more clement where you're going

There's something like six thousand immigrants a week arriving here in SE Queensland (Bris. & the Gold Coast region).. so that light pollution is going up as rapidly as the houses !!

Right at the moment it's 27-28° C , 9 am 98% humidity and overcast.... but now that it's into Autumn there's fewer mosquitoes and sandflies :mad:

...but don't be discouraged by my comments. Winter can be absolutely fabulous, even in the 'burbs. (and I'd guess that it'd seem mild and balmy to one from Old Blighty, too :D )

I just happen to have lucked upon this astro hobby at a time and place (this microcosm that is my abode) when fortune wasn't particularly smiling. The drought/monsoon cycle and El Nino etc (Climate Change ? :) ) conspired against me.. after several years of immaculate skies and dwindling dams, dead gardens, and increasing restrictions on water-usage, I hit upon stargazing to suit my insomnia... and since? .. the last two Summers have been a deluge, torrid, perpetually grey-skied affairs :( ..but the dams are full again :hello2:

...luck and weather come in cycles wherever you are.

...and don't worry too much about the termites.. the redback spiders kill most of 'em ..same as the crocodiles around here.. the sharks get most of them :evil6:

..if the exchange-rate holds, you might find gear more affordable here than you are used to.. UK and Euro prices seem higher from what I've observed.. but anyway,

you'll soon get used to the sky being upside-down and seeing the unknown other half of the Universe... and seeing those familiar things you know too low, North instead of South, and in the wrong Season ;)

so wellcome !! , in advance, to the land of oz :headbang::D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
johnh

johnh

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks Guys, atm weighing cases so we don't get excess baggage charge. Took heavy 350mm mirror to OrionOptics Crewe near where I live and said goodbye to Barry and he packed my mirror with cotton wool and big bubble wrap as Australian aurthorities won't allow in any wood unless heat treated with a certain stamp so only cardboard and bubbles but should be fine. Pickfords have made a treated wooden case for the tube and the secondary will remain inside the tube. One thing concerns me that the Australian authorities will unwrap and damage mirror surface if they inspect it, there is a good chance they will not check things as they dont do it for all imports.

We are renting out our UK house as selling seems impossible atm and with exchange rate collapse from 2.25 to 1.65 AUD to £ this is not the best time to leave but we are past caring. House prices in Oz half the UK price and petrol half price too and in Queensland you do not need an MOT - they laugh in the face of health and safety.

Kriss77 - your right that variation is not as great but you get long winter nights in Brisbane - 1830-0500hrs in June + 2000-03hrs in Dec. NO ASTRONOMICAL TWILIGHT! I know it is not always clear and last 2 years have been wetter in QLD but there should be a noticable increase in sky time?

I know you all hate me for going to a better sky and I will still be on the SGL to brag about what you are all missing. Hopefully all my astro stuff will arrive unscathed and I suppose I should go on IceinSpace forum as I have already introduced myself and found a few members who already know me from UK forums, there are loads of guys from the UK downunder.

But in the dark with all those spiders and mozzies and all those new objects to learn. Weather in UK has been terrible, I had a 5 week spell without a suitable clear sky in Jan/Feb and last 2 weeks have been grey and once April/May starts there is little point to imaging with short nights.

We fly out from Manchester and change at Dubai and Singapore each filght lasts about 7 hours very boring.

I will miss those big galaxies in Canes/UMaj/Dra/Peg and Cygnus/Cepheus/Cass nebula are among the best in the sky, there are just more bright nebula in the SHemisphere. Light pollution is better Bortle green instead of orange which is no suprise and fewer jet plane vapour trails.

Will take a couple of weeks to get internet connected in Cleveland hope download is faster there than in UK?

Thanks, John.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kev

kev

Posted
Posted

Enjoy yourselves. Would be following you if it werent for our Koi Keeping.

Had a 3 month tour of down under a few years ago, really enjoyed it. Took my bins and went to several observatories and star parties that were local to where I was at the time. Best views... LMC/SMC from near Ayers Rock, and the great views also on Fraser Island. Most learnt lesson, DONT go away from the hotel there onto the tarmax road around the rocks hotels - they are nice and warm so thats where the snakes are!

Take care, Im quite envious.

Kev

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Merlin66

Merlin66

Posted
Posted

As an Ozzie in exile I think I can say I wish it were me!!!

I'm sure you will find the place full of friendly outgoing people who want to help!

Practise getting use to the Vegemite... no Marmite in Oz!

They say there are two types of astronomy:

eta carinae and the rest.....

Best wishes...

Ken

ps Join the Iceinspace forum... a great bunch of guys!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.