OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari

Can't make it to our "Classic" OzSky Star Safari in March/April? Or have you already been to several OzSky Star Safaris and you're now looking for a different time of year to explore the other half of the Southern night skies?

Why not consider the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari for your next major observing trip!

OzSky Alumni 2024: September 30 - October 7, 2024

OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari Registration Forms

The "Alumni" edition of the OzSky Star Safari is held in the pristine NSW Southern Tablelands, about 3 hours drive south west of Sydney with the next events scheduled for the weeks of September 30 - October 7, 2024 and October 18 - 25, 2025 (TBC).

Adding to the exclusive "Classic" OzSky Star Safaris scheduled for March/April each year, and driven by the increasing demand for a second OzSky event at a different time of year, we are now offering an alternative 7-night observing adventure during "Southern Spring" (September 30 - October 7, 2024), providing access to the opposite half of the Southern Sky to that which is available during the "Classic" OzSky Star Safaris in March/April.

The OzSky "Alumni" (formerly OzSky "Southern Spring") Star Safari is limited to a much smaller group of only 12-16 experienced observers, and will be held at Markdale Homestead - a completely different location to the classic OzSky Star Safari to give our OzSky "Alumni" colleagues a change of scenery, and is also more suited to a smaller group where we don't need to book and fill the entire motel in order to be able to guarantee onsite darkness.

We ran a number of trials of this event and location in September/October between 2015 and 2018, and their success lead to the decision to continue to offer this "Alumni" event in addition to the "Classic" event in March/April each year. 2024's event will be the SEVENTH event at this location.

The "Alumni" edition of the OzSky Star Safari has been designed to be a far more relaxed, "no frills" OzSky-style observing experience with a much stronger focus on observing and much less focus on touring, organised day trips or activities. Whilst not restricted to OzSky Alumnis, it has been designed primarily to cater for folks who have experienced several OzSky "Classic" Star Safaris and who do not require guidance or assistance in their travels, logistics or observing activities.

Although the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari is a significantly smaller event than the "Classic" OzSky Star Safari, a range of large telescopes up to 25" diameter will still be available for the use of those attending. The final number and selection of instruments provided will be guided by the choices of those attending the event and by the availability of OzSky volunteers to transport those specific instruments to the observing site.

By design, the OzSky "Alumni" event is offered as a "package deal" which includes both your OzSky registration fee and your on-site accommodation expenses all in one simple fee structure, meaning you don't have to worry about additional on-site accommodation expenses once you arrive.

So, if you're a seasoned OzSky veteran who has already explored the Southern Autumn/Fall (March/April) skies with us a few times and are now looking to delve deeper into the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC/SMC) as well as some of the more challenging southern objects best observed later in the year, or if you've never been to an OzSky Star Safari before and simply can't make it to one of the "Classic" OzSky Star Safaris in March/April, this 7-night southern skies observing adventure could be just for you!

If you are interested in joining us at the next OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari, please complete and submit your OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari Registration Form as soon as possible, as numbers are strictly limited to a maximum of 12-16 observers.