Member’s Dark-Sky Nights

Each month near the New Moon date we head out of the city for some casual telescope observing and astrophotography under less light polluted skies.

These evenings are conducted for BAS Members and their guests and are not open to the general public.  It is best that eveyone try and arrive on site prior to sundown as it makes equipment set-up much easier.

We often conduct simultaneous evenings at multiple locations north and south of Brisbane. This makes travel easier for members and also makes for a shorter and safer drive home at the end of the evening. Our current locations are:

Maleny Golf Club – Sunshine Coast
15 Porters Lane
North Maleny QLD 4552
Calvert Radio Aeromodellers Society (Gratton Field)
Calvert,  Bourkes Road – West

Accessed from Calvert Station Road, 7.7km west of Rosewood

Cunningham Lookout – Warrill View
3km west of Warrill View on the Rosewood Warrill View Road

Warwick and District Archers – Darling Downs
Ford Road – Rosenthal Heights, 11.5km south west of Warwick

The details for each month’s event are published on the BAS website on the Events Calendar and on the BAS Facebook page under Events. You are encouraged to indicate on a Facebook Event if you plan to attend one of these evenings. This makes it much easier for BAS to keep you informed of any status changes and if an events needs to be cancelled due to weather of site availability issues.

Maleny Golf Club – Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast location does not have barbeque facilities available to us, so this is just an observing evening. People wishing to stay overnight will need to book accommodation at one of the excellent nearby B&Bs. There is a lock-up shed available for people wanting to leave their telescope on site for two consecutive nights of observing. Contact info@bas.asn.au for more information.

Calvert Radio Aeromodelling Society

This site is easiest to find during daylight. Drive west from Rosewood toward Grandchester for 7.7km on the Rosewood Laidley road to reach the Calvert Station Road turn-off to the left.  Proceed over the railway line and small bridge and then turn left into Bourkes Road West.  Proceed for 600m to a set of cattle yards with flag poles at the entrance gate – this lane leads to the aero modelling facility.  There is a 20km speed limit on the lane. 

The aero modelling society has excellent facilities – good barbecues, covered tables, kitchen, dining room, water and toilets. It is recommended that you bring some mosquito spray and any telescope dew removal gear.

Cunningham Lookout – Warrill View

This is small lookout on a hill 3km west of Warrill View and offers reasonably dark skys and easy access.  The site is controlled by Scenic Rim Council and BAS has Council permission to conduct dark-sky evenings on set dates each month.  If you arrive after dark the boom gate may be locked, but pip your horn and wait a minute for the gate to be opened for you.  The site has no facilities – just one table.  No water, no toilet.  Overnight camping is permissible but all rubbish must return home with you. 

Warwick and District Archers – Darling Downs

Thanks to their generosity and support, we utilise the facilities of the Warwick and District Archers. The club has an excellent clubhouse with basic self-catering kitchen, toilet and shower facilities and excellent dark Darling Downs skies.  Overnight camping is allowed.