Australia Astronomy Trip Planning

Ok, so here is what I did that worked out very well and I would recommend these to all who are considering:

1. Plan the trip at least 4 months in advance, 6 months is preferable. As it was, I barely got the last frequent flyer seats on the trip to Sydney from LA on the dates I wanted.

2. Use your debit card to get cash - don't use the currency exchange centers. They take up to 5% commission. Your visa card is a much better rate.

3. Stay at Magellan - that's a no brainer ;-)

4. Load up on groceries in Goulburn - we cooked our own meals every single night except the night we had dinner with Zane & Fionna.

5. Definitely try the Vegemite! (Although you want to find a site on the internet to understand the proper way to eat it)

6. Pack really cold weather observing gear. I have a Navy surplus on-deck survival suit (one piece) that I still layered underneath. Having so many hours to the night, you really need warm boots (I use Sorrels'), good gloves and hat.

7. Daytime temperatures are a balmy 60-70 degrees (F) in the daytime, but plummet to 25-30 degrees at night, almost at dusk. Jeans and a light sweater worked great for us.

8. Bring cash for Zane's payment (he doesn't have an ATM or credit card machine out in the country)

9. Go to Australia in the fall/winter/early spring - April through August for the best observing. It is much drier at this time of year & your chance of clear nights is very good.

Here's some things I would do differently the next time I go to Australia (and I will go again!):

1. Stay two full weeks instead of nine days, centered on a new moon.

2. Stay 3 full days in Sydney on the back end of the trip - if weather is bad, you can always drive into Sydney. There is a shopping district in Sydney that is simply amazing and you will be blown away!

3. Visit Canberra at least three times to take it all in - we rushed it a bit.

4. Eat at the Thai restuarant in Goulburn at least two more times (man was that good!)

5. Buy Hartung's book BEFORE I go (I have since purchased it)

6. Bring a telephoto lens for my camera (200mm at least) to get better pictures of the parrots & Kangaroos.

7. I'd try & arrange a day meeting with David Herald or Peter Bobroff before I go. I kick myself for not trying to meet them. They are right in Canberra!

8. Visit Wombeyan caves over two days - and return to Magellan.

On Australia customs, language, etc:

1. They don't say "G-day mate" as much as you think they will. They DO say "No worries" all the time (it means "no problem" or "have a nice day")

2. Driving on the left hand side of the car is not that big of a deal, but watch out because they do EVERYTHING on the left side! This means when you are walking in a mall or down a street, PASS ON YOUR LEFT (don't walk on the right)

3. You sound even more funny than they do. The fact that you can't understand them means they don't understand YOU!

4. Beards are almost non-existent (I think I saw three people with beards the entire time in Australia and they were probably all foreigners) - so be prepared to be noticed if you have a beard.

5. They are EXTREMELY POLITE and get offended if you don't say "please" when asking the simplest of things (can I have another beer was met with a stern lecture on how uncouth we Americans are - I neglected to say "please can I have another beer")

6. They refer to us Americans as "Yanks" and it's not a polite term (read #5 again)

7. There is a law that if you have a bar, you must have beds, so that people who get drunk can sleep it off. As such, some "hotels" are in fact little bedrooms in the top story of bars - be very wary of cheap hotels - there IS a reason for it.

8. You can NOT drink as much beer as an Australian. I think they are fed beer in a bottle (much like the Irish who swear they put Guinness in the bottles to calm babies)

9. "Fanny pack" means "groin pack" (actually much worse), so use "bum pack" and don't say "fanny pack"

10. There is NO SUCH THING as "miles", or "gallons" in Australia. It's all Kilometers and Liters. So for you people who have resisted the metric movement, be prepared! (write down the conversions before you go)

11. There is no such thing as "Catsup" in Australia. It's "tomato sauce".