Off on a jaunt in the countryside #3

I eventually arrived at my destination after adventuring up the kloof and was relieved to find the rest of the star partiers relaxing in a large bricked courtyard. The main building looked out over a large dam at the foot of the hill and the soaring fold mountains directly behind, and our accommodation was arranged around the courtyard in an almost Mexican hacienda style, with tables and chairs amply supplied. The brick company had a field day when this place was built, as the entire complex is brick-paved and the rooms are all rough brick, but it is charming and completely suited to the purpose of the place, which is for people who wish to spend a quiet time, birdwatching, stargazing, walking around the dam and just generally chilling out in the mountains of the Karroo. My room was nearly the size of my house and could accommodate a family of four, with a shower that could easily fit 6 people! A huge kitchen with gas and electric stoves, 4 or 5 fridge/freezers and multiple work stations provided a communal area for food preparation, with a lounge, dining room, bar room and games room also available. Everything was perfect for a relaxed weekend away from home.

Within minutes of my arrival, the heavens opened and the rain slashed down as if thrown from a bucket, and 5 minutes later it was all over. Two hours later, the last of the clouds had evaporated and the outlook for a night's staring out into space was excellent. The previous day had been over 40 degrees, but the thunderstorm had cooled the air considerably, although not to the extent that a jersey was required. There were about 10 people there - some comings and goings in the night, although how they all got there in the dark, I don't know - seems like I was the only one who took the road less travelled.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, expensive equipment was brought out and set up in the courtyard - reflectors and refractors, computerised drives, video and camera attachments for the telescopes for those whose interest was in astrophotography and binoculars of all sizes for general viewing and the odd bird.

The purpose of a star party is to stay up all night and observe whatever it is that interests you in the night sky as the earth turns and reveals the wonders of the Milky Way around us. To do this, it is vital that your night vision remains unimpaired and so no torches or other artificial lighting is allowed after sunset, to allow everyone's eyes to adapt to the dark, which takes 30 minutes to an hour. Exposure to white light will set you back to the beginning of dark adaptation and hence anyone who breaks the rule is as welcome as bacon at a Barmitzvah. As usual, there will always be someone who is completely unconscious of the purpose of the occasion and who seems oblivious of the irritation they cause by constantly opening the kitchen door to make coffee or get something to eat, thereby flooding the courtyard viewing area with artificial light, and so there was considerable muttering in the ranks from the professionals! However, everyone eventually settled down, and with at least 8 hours' viewing ahead, it didn't really matter too much.

The people who were there have devoted their lives to sharing their passion for observing the universe and educating those who wish to know more. There was a diverse mix of people, from academics to ordinary people like myself, and conversation was stimulating and varied, ranging across biochemistry, geology, palaeontology, birds, telescopes, binoculars, GMOs, astrophotography, etc. It is only by stepping out of your comfort zone and actively going out to interact with new people that you realise how much of interest there is in the world and how many people actually are making a difference in trying to preserve our heritage and increase useful knowledge for posterity. Having no cellphone or internet contact made for much more interesting conversation!

I nearly forgot to mention that barely a word of English was spoken the entire weekend and I am pleased to say that I hardly noticed it. It shows that the Afrikaans community remains a source of our intellectual and academic strength in this country, together with their pioneering spirit that seems to compel them to share their knowledge and expertise with all who wish to learn. As ever, their English is always impeccable as they switch between languages effortlessly, to ensure that we English-speakers never feel uncomfortable or out of the picture. I have yet to meet an English speaker, myself included, who voluntarily offers to converse in Afrikaans to make it easier for them, and I can only put that down to our reluctance to make ourselves look inferior through not being completely fluent in one of the easiest and most descriptive languages available to man. We would do well to revive its use.

I'll eventually get to the actual stargazing bit!