Camp Announcement

Below is a copy of the announcement sent to the mailing list:

Hi Barambah fans,

As you are probably aware, the Barambah Dark Sky Camp is run by a small handful of volunteers and sometimes it's hard for people to devote the time necessary to organise a successful event. Such has been the case for us the past few months as we considered the future of the BDSC.

But I'm happy to say that due to some very positive responses from the astronomy community, we are going to reorganise ourselves and target another camp for Autumn 2012.

Please note that part of this reorganisation is reworking the web site, so it may disappear for a few weeks as we organise new hosting options. Don't panic, it will be back.

We will also be looking for some committee members to assist with the organising and running of events, so let me know if you can help out.

There is no profit in the BDSC, we run the camp "at cost" solely for the fun of getting together with others that share an interest in astronomy and photography. As such, I would really like to hear back from you about the camp... what you enjoyed, what you didn't, and what you'd like to see in the future.

Thank you for your patience and I look forward to getting together again.

We have a new Dark Sky Camp for 2010

Wohoo!

We've just been notified that we can have the Barambah Centre from 30-Sep to 3-Oct. We've had a heck of a time in 2010 trying to get the camp during new moons, so it's been very difficult to plan ahead this time around. Sorry about the late notice, but hope you can still join us.

And we're doing something little different this time around. A lot of astronomers are also photographers and this year we are extending a warm welcome to terrestrial photographers to join us for the weekend. Barambah is famous for its birds and wildlife, a perfect spot for day trips into the forest and mingling with other enthusiasts to share ideas and techniques.

We're pretty excited about this new dimension to the Dark Sky Camp theme and we're looking forward to a fantastic weekend with friends, new and old.

We'll see you there!

This is it...

Hi all,

Well, Barambah is on this Friday and everything is ready to go. At the time of writing this post, there are still some spots available but you'll have to be quick as registrations close on Thursday.

We have a large contingent of astro-photographers at this camp, which is fantastic. Some incredible photos have been taken at previous camps and I'm looking forward to seeing what they can come up with this time around.

Check-in is 2:00 pm on the Friday. Be warned that people arriving earlier will be put to work helping us get things set up :o)

And a note to any newcomers to the hobby... you don't need a telescope to attend, there will be plenty of scopes for you to see and see through. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with fellow enthusiasts and maybe learn a thing or two.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again and meeting some new faces. I'll see you on Friday.

Clear skies -- randall

Important Change to Camp Dates

Hi everyone,

For a number of reasons we've had to cut the camp a bit short this time around. So the camp will now go from Friday 18 September to Monday 21 September.

That's still 3 great nights of really, really dark sky and a chance to catch up with fellow astronomers.

Time is running out, so I encourage you to get your registrations in as soon as you can.

See you there...

Registrations for Spring Camp Now Open

Wow... it's that time again already. The website is updated and we're ready to take registrations for the Spring 2009 Barambah Camp.

As always, everything you need to know about the camp and registration should be on the website, but if you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us.

See you there...

Registrations for Autumn Camp Now Open

We are pleased to announce that registrations for the Autumn 2009 camp are now open. The camp will be held from Thu 23-Apr-09 to Mon 27-Apr-09.

It's the International Year of Astronomy and this is a fantastic way to celebrate.

Everything you need to know about the camp and registering should be on the website, but if you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us.

As always, the camp only holds 60 people and it's first in, best dressed, so start planning now. Hope to see you there...

Next stop... Barambah!

Howdy boys and girls,

This will be my last post before Barambah. An entire week socialising with fellow astronomers under dark skies... can't wait! The weather is shaping up to be a glorious Spring week here in SE Queensland.

I'm still not sure how many blankets to bring. It can get quite cold up there but I was camping in the region last weekend and the nights were very pleasant. Better to be safe... blankets are good packing material for the scopes anyway.

Our cunning plan is to post daily wraps from the camp... but that will depend on us getting access to the Internet. So if you're coming up on the weekend or later in the week, keep a watch out for news and announcements.

I'll be seeing most of you on the weekend, and for the rest of you... if you're in the area, drop in. We'll find a spot for you and your scope.

And finally, to answer the important question some have been asking... YES, apparently we can get channel 9 up there and you will be able to watch the NRL finals.

cheers -- randall