Nature and Telescopes

05 June 2023 / Word and pictures by Norm Barker and Rod Nicholas

The day was sunny but a little on the chilly side and 12 cars with 19 members gathered at the Caltex servo on the Monaro Highway at Hume. After a briefing we set off and made our way via Jerrabomberra and Queanbeyan to Googong Dam. Most of the group braved the cold and had the top down on their cars. The countryside was green and the dam full, with mist on the surrounding hills. The group stopped here for photos and the compulsory chat which is one of the great aspects of club outings. The group has a diverse spread of backgrounds and conversations are always interesting. The lone non-MX-5, a respectable Mazda 6 in regulation Soul Red, struck a lonely figure, parked well away from the fleet of sports cars.

Rhys and Ashley's Mazda 6 cut a lonely figure

Leaving the dam lookout, we continued via Burra and the Monaro Highway, back towards Canberra. The group was able to mostly keep together which made a good sight on the highway. At the first intersection we headed to Tharwa and out to the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. There was not a lot of traffic and so we had a very relaxed drive. 

The group selected a spot beside the information centre and set up our chairs and tables for a picnic. A few got coffees from the shop to warm the body as it was still rather chilly. As usually happens on picnics a few people had brought cakes and biscuits to share, and conversations continued. At this point Norm and Roz had to leave as did a couple of others. Rod took over leading for the afternoon shift. 

Leaving the Nature Park, the convoy wound its way just down the road to the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station where photos of the cars backdropped by the dishes were popular. Unfortunately, the visitors centre there is still closed so we were unable to poke around and explore the connection between the Tracking Station and the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing.

Contemplating the exploration of space

With one more telescope to check out, we headed back towards the Cotter and on to Mt Stromlo Observatory. The road up to the observatory from the Cotter Road is a favourite for pushbikes, and, this being a Sunday, there were plenty around. The road is a bit of a mess in parts – the asphalt’s been chewed to pieces and gouged great potholes on some of the corners. Who would have thought a few mountain bikes could do so much damage? 

A chilling wind made itself unwelcome as soon as we stepped from the cars, but there were still snaps to take, conversations to be had, and a little exploring to do. The views back to the Brindabella Hills are gorgeous, but the wind didn’t encourage many of us to hang around, nor did the thick belt of rain that was visible streaming towards us. Even so, a couple of us took the opportunity to stage a little ‘walking on the moon’. To be fair, all we did is peek at the sculpture by Anne Graham that’s set in a grassy area near the burnt out observatory – it’s a red and grey granite plinth embedded into the grass, etched with (I presume) a ‘map’ of the moon’s surface. It's worth a look, but keep an open mind about what ‘sculpture’ means to you.

Steve does his moon walk thing

Rod was last to leave, snapping a shot or two before doing so. The day may have been a bit chilly and grey, but a day shared with MX-5 mates is a good day whatever the weather.