Mudgee

[paulheath]

ok so im off to Mudgee on 24th July just for the day back on 25th, so question is wildlife photography and night time milkway etc shoots, any ideas on milkway locations? pretty sure ill take a little look around Putta Bucca... ill await your answer Mark

[mpb]

I would recommend going on to Dubbo, I hear no one goes to Mudgee.

[Mark L]

^ I would recommend that also, much more wild life up there.
Sounds like you have limited time so you probably don’t want to travel to far.
Putta Bucca will get you some birds, though they are decreasing at this time of year. Have been slowly trying to document the Swamp Wallabies out there, but that's hit and miss. At least they are breading.

19b J.jpg


There used to be a heap of roos at the end of Bellevue Rd each morning and arvo, but haven’t been out there for a while. It's being build out and turning into a mini city suburb.
Not sure which direct from here that milkway is ATM, but could suggest some places if I did.
And know for some useful info about the night sky. Check out this .... http://www.mudgeeobservatory.com.au/index.html
They have adapters to get your Canon onto there telescopes. Think he opens it up for anyone, anytime. That ratam will know and comment no doubt.

[farmmax]

I was out at 1:30am yesterday morning and the milkyway was was spectacular. It was running approximately ENE WSW from memory. I'll be back outside in around half an hour and check, if the sky is clear. It should be similar for anywhere through the central tablelands. I did think about getting the camera out, but it was wet, and cold and there was still work to do.

Ring or email John at the Observatory and see if you can visit. He was only charging around $10/person, even if there is only one person. Beautiful night skies there. Not much night sky at Puttabucca


Go for a just after dusk/dawn drive on any dirt road in the district, and you should literally run into a kangaroo

Go and give Nosey a pat for me.

[Analog6]

You'll be spoilt for choice. Anywhere a few miles out of town and off the main drag will be great for dark skies.
If you want a good feed, the Lawson Park Hotel used to have a great cook your own steak / beer garden at the back, with big heaters too. And there is a nice park opposite that goes down to the river, I took some nice bird shots there.

[bricat]

Hmmmm Let me see....What rhymes with Mudgee???????Budgie!!!!!Apparantly there is an infamous budgie around the area that has a trained human as a companion. Would be worth a few shots of the said trained human to put on bird sites say they know what to look for. I'm afraid that is all I can offer as the last time I was there I blinked and missed it.

[ameerat42]

Paul. Try to get out of town for the star shots. Once, you could be in town, but not any more. (Unless there's a blackout)
Try to 1) get an intervening hill between you and town, or 2) head a fair way out - any direction - until the township is "below"
the horizon.

Bricat. "Price" rhymes with Mudgee, as you should well know. Why, just ask yourself how many times you say:
"How Mudgee's one of those..., or those..., or that over there?" And it's been immortalized in song, as here.
Of course, you've got to make allowance for foreign pronunciation.

[paulheath]

Thanks all, ill try to squeeze as much as i can into the time im there, stopping at the Perry street Hotel . so will be having a beer or 5 round there

[Mark L]

Hmmmm Let me see....What rhymes with Mudgee???????Budgie!!!!!Apparantly there is an infamous budgie around the area that has a trained human as a companion. .....

I've tried all sorts of google type searches for that and the only hits I get are on the side of my head from a lorikeet that wants to know why I'm getting interested in a budgie in Mudgee.

[Analog6]

Nudgee rhymes with Mudgee, and here's a huge list of words ending in 'ee'

[bricat]

When I went to tweet I got confused with lorikeet and called it a budgie to add a bit of mystic. A budgie from Mudgee rolls off the tongue but a lorikeet may sound sweet, rhymes with sheet, or crowsfeet. Enough of my attempts ....cheers Brian

[ameerat42]

Thanks all, ill try to squeeze as much as i can into the time im there, stopping at the Perry street Hotel . so will be having a beer or 5 round there

That sounds like the old Paragon Hotel (I wonder if they've changed the name?). You might wander across the road from there and check out the self-contained apartments
they have installed into the old Mechanics Institute building (which later became the library, and then stood abandoned for several decades). If I'm in the town at that time I'll
let you know.

[paulheath]

perry street hotel is the old mechanics building, and feel free to grab a beer or 2 with us

[ameerat42]

Well, I'll eat my hat, Paul. I didden know they had changed their name. Last time I walked by they were calling themselves something else (I can't recall).
But that was almost 2 years ago. Well, maybe we can meet (if I get there) at the Ol' Parragan (local pron) or something. Let us know about the time.

[Mark L]

A budgie from Mudgee rolls off the tongue but a lorikeet may sound sweet, rhymes with sheet, or crowsfeet.

FWIW, about a decade ago my folks wanted a bird. So I bought a young budgie and calmed it down and started calling it Budgie (what else are you going to name a budgie?). After a couple of weeks, as it sat on my shoulder, I started saying "budgie from Mudgee" over and over.
About a month after I got the bird, it went to it's new home at my folks place. My Mum was over the moon when it sat on her shoulder and started saying "Budgie from Mudgee, budgie from Mudgee, budgie from Mudgee, b..... ."
When ever we visited the first thing that happened was a budgie flying and staying on my shoulder (or hand). But it would never say "budgie from Mudgee" when I was in the house.
True story that only the few of you that visit this thread will see.

[ameerat42]

An epic tale, Mark. Now those unfamiliar with the area may be confused by the locality of Budgee Budgee there.
It is famous not for stories of budgies, but rather of a dog which experimented with dynamite.