The
proposed trip is shown on the iPad map above, but will be subject to minor changes
along the way. The route as planned, flying counter-clockwise from Kyneton is: Wentworth, Menindee, White Cliffs, Hungerford, Thargominda, Windorah, Albibah Station, Stonehenge, Longreach, Ilfracombe, Winton, Hughenden, Undara, Georgetown, Julia Creek, Mount Isa, Barkly Station, Tennant Creek, Hooker Creek, Halls Creek, Derby, Cape Leveque, Broome, Sandfire Road House, Port Hedland, Marble Bar, Newman, Meekatharra, Leonora, Kalgoorlie, Caiguna, Forrest, Nullarbor, Ceduna, Wudinna, Port Pirie, Renmark, Hopetoun, Kyneton.
Avgas is available at places highlighted in blue, but not those in red.
Avgas is available at places highlighted in blue, but not those in red.
Planning issues
for this trip have centered around fuel availability and a desire to find new
places to visit.
Of the thirty-eight listed above, twenty-nine
have been visited at least once, including seventeen on two or more occasions.
Eight will be totally new experiences, and many from years ago will be old gems
revisited.
No ocean crossing or island hopping is
planned on this occasion, and hence ‘house arrest’ is (hopefully) unlikely!
The red centre has been visited many
times, and the recent ‘dancing in the
sand conference’ at the rock has done little for its attraction to the
writer.
 |
| Indicates flow, used, remaining, endurance at flow rate, fuel required to next waypoint, and reserve. |
With a new prop fitted to
theUGlyDuckling (C172M VH-UGD) replacing the now time-expired one I have flown behind for thirty
years, plus ‘new’ technology in the form of a JPI FS450 fuel scan computer, theblacksheep is again, all set to go.
I believe ‘time-expired’ is a relative term amongst pilots; it’s all in the
mind.
And so at the tender age of seventy-five
and with the ‘plumber’ again in the FO’s seat, we are off on another of life’s adventures.
Thurs 8th June
Later on I got a ride out the strip again with Greg, to collect a few things. Greg is a local bachelor who lives in a ‘five-roomed dugout’ that cost him $65K. They are leased for five years at a time, the lease can be renewed or the ‘dugout’ sold.
Thurs 8th June
After an early frost at Faraday it
was down to YKTN to pre-fight theUGlyDuckling, load up and take off on 36 in
nil wind and sunshine. And the Wx improved all day. On the leg to Wentworth we
managed to average 115kts at 5,500, with the heater on all the way.
Initially flew over Faraday, which is
right on track. The FS 450 fuel monitor performed faultlessly—indicating 40lph
in climb, and leaned at 5,500 it came back to 28-29lph.
A bit of traffic into Mildura on the
shared CTAF with YWTO, and we landed on 17 and taxied for fuel. George, the
plumbers ‘ole mate met us with a thermos of coffee and biscuits.
Then off to Menindee in superb
sunshine, again getting 115kts, and even 125 for quite a while. The lakes are
pretty full at present, fed by the Darling of course. The runway is just on the
south edge of lake Menindee and the Indian Pacific line is beside it. On short
final, the long goods/passenger train came through and we flew over it at about
50 feet just before the threshold.
A great photo opportunity, but of
course neither of us had a camera ready!!
Daryl from the motel came out and
drove us into town and the place has changed a lot since I lived/worked at
Broken Hill and went to Menindee to sail and swim on weekends, fifty years
ago!!
Doesn’t time fly!
 |
| Our Menindee Motel |
Rissoles and mash at the pub opposite
for tea, as only they do in the bush! Brilliant. This Pub was where Burke and
Wills set up their base camp before the ill-fated journey north, and they
stayed in the pub for eleven weeks. The towns’ main claim to fame I guess.
An uneventful first day, generally in
known territory, and superb sunshine. But I think another frost tonight. Might
need a fizzy drink to ward off the cold.
Frid 9th June
Somewhat new territory today, only an hours flight to White Cliffs where lots of people live underground.
Somewhat new territory today, only an hours flight to White Cliffs where lots of people live underground.
Easier to dig a hole than built a
house I guess; perhaps something to do with opal mining!!
A great flight to White Cliffs, even got 135 kts ground speed for a few moments, and 125 most of the way. Pretty, but constant scenery on this leg, we are now getting into the real outback.
Paul from the motel came out and refuelled
us at White Cliffs, and took us back to town.
 |
| Great country out here |
Later on I got a ride out the strip again with Greg, to collect a few things. Greg is a local bachelor who lives in a ‘five-roomed dugout’ that cost him $65K. They are leased for five years at a time, the lease can be renewed or the ‘dugout’ sold.
He does a few jobs round town and
fossicks for a bit of opal which the taxman is denied an interest in.
We are staying above ground at the local motel attached to the pub. The motel 'rooms' are from the Sydney Olympic Village. Comfortable, but would hardly be conducive to breaking world records!
 |
| Tied down White Cliffs |
 |
| The big van behind the sign is loaded with dead 'roos for human consumption--Hungry?? |
The nominal population of White
Cliffs is 103, debatable at any time; but it grows exponentially yet unofficially, in
the winter months, when digging for precious stones is more comfortable than in the daily 45+ heat!!
How civilised!
The extensive menu last night was either T-bone or chicken
parma. The food was hot but the
weather freezing, and the woof fire in the dining area didn’t really do much
with all the doors open. A couple of stray stronads called in for tea also, and
of course a couple of the locals. Mac who we met last year is now ninety and in
a nursing home in Cunamulla, much o his disgust. Back here he still has his
1925 T-Model Ford which he bought new. Marshy however, well in his eighties was
here for a chat, and his daily couple of beers. We also met Aldren, a bit of a
pain in the ass to the rest of the town. He’s only eighty one, the
youngest non-pub resident.
And after a great nights sleep, Shirley the proprietor made us
toast and coffee, plus weekbix. The water stinks of sulphur out here—in the
shower, and the bog; and it tastes terrible from the taps.
We visited the Tourist Info Centre and I thanked the people who
retrieved my ‘mobility aid’ and posted it back last year. For security purposes
I left it locked in theGlyDuckling this time.
At 5:30pm the daily drive to the peak of Mount Slowcombe 2241’, to
view the sunset, leaves the pub in a mini-bus. There were ten of us, all
camping in vans except for us—the only house guests in the Presidental Suite!
The view from up there was magnificent as the sun-set over sparse
endless pastoral plains.
Sat 10th June
White Cliffs came alive last night.
The arrangement between the pub and café/general store opposite is that on a
Saturday the café does meals and the pub sells beer. I think they re possibly
owned by the same bloke who lives in Broken Hill, but the system works well.
At least forty for sit down tea at
the café at 6pm. Many had their own wine from the pub. Also take-away, which
was a much quicker option and the burger with the lot for fourteen bucks was
brilliant.
It’s a long walk to the nearest
Maccas.
Then the diners all resorted to the
pub which continued well into the night. It was much warmer back in our dongas
with the heater on, but it took a little while for the plumber to return to
camp.
Our tariff of a hundred bucks
included a decent breakfast I the dining room: cereals, orange juice, toast and
honey and coffer/tea.
This morning the plumber did a Cooks
tour of the place on foot, and then Paul drove us out to the airstrip. The mail
plane had been in a bit earlier and had departed.
Off to Hungerford, and as we lifted
off and circled the opal fields there was fluffy cloud at 500’AGL, which
cleared a few miles out and we were able to maintain 4,500 in superb sunshine
all the way.
Circled the pub at Hungerford a
couple of times, and landed on the
long (al la RFDS of course) runway.
By the time we had tied down with our
chattels out, Graeme the publican was out to collect us for the ride along the
dingo fence into town.
And so here we are in room
One—fabulous warm and clean.
With corrugated walls and ceilings,
and floors sloping well Southwards! And as mentioned by the proprietor, ‘you’ll need a cut lunch if you have to go
to the bog during the night. But its Ok to have a piss just outside the room in
the moonlight’
 |
| Small Boab tree out front |
No phone reception here, so we fired
up Chris’s Sat Phone for the first time.
A great steak sandwich each for lunch
out in the sunshine.
After all we are almost 50 metres
inside QLD now, and so may get a bit of pocket money bending bananas.
Sun 11th June
 |
| Bus running late i think! |
 |
| Gate to airstrip, QLD side |
 |
| No takers yet! |
The population these days is TEN, including the cop, and the three
staff at the pub.
And they all love it our here, nothing life this red soil country!
Graeme the publican and his ‘partner’ Carol love the place, and
they come from up near the gold coast. No traffic lights, no cops to worry
about, no creditors to speak of, no phones to answer and no TV to get excited
about all the doom and gloom of the word.
Who is Donald Trump, did he Nuke North Korea, who won the British
election—what election?? Who
cares!!
It rained heavily most of the night, including thunder and
lighting. he local are happy, but we had to sit it out till 3pm until it was
clear enough to take off for Thargominda.
And so we are now in the Bullo River Pub at Thargo with a warm
heater on in the room and tea in the oven.
Mon 12th June (Day 5)
Last night the meals were great at the pub. The plumber opted for
MUTTON chops—a huge plate of FOUR with veg and piled with gravy. And I had kids
serve of sausages and chips—they must grow big kids out here.
 |
| Dry lake |
This is from the
Great Artesion Basin which extends across a great area of outback
Australia. The water won’t lather and we needed to buy bottles to drink during
the night.
Fortunately the beer is imported.
 |
| Windorah Road Train |
 |
| R22 Mustering |
 |
| Hot water from the ground |
 |
| The 'Basin" |
 |
| Load of beef |
 |
| Wet lake |
 |
| Thargominda to Windorah |
Our flight today was only 166nm in superb sunshine, and cruising
at 5000’ we got 125kts most of the way. We have been getting great tail winds
so far.
The Rex staff were there waiting for an arrival and we got a ride
into town with the girlie from the pub.
It is ALMOST shorts wx here, and will be before long. But the
nights are bloody cold and we have the aircon heat on all night.
Tues 13th June (Day 6)
Today we planned a short hop to a private strip on a station
called Albilbah, with accommodation in an historic homestead on the property—or
at least the AOPA directory on Oz Runways said so. After calling the number
several time on skype without success, a couple of old timers at Windorah told
us the place had changed hands years ago, and the airstrip probably doesn’t
exist these days, nor is there accommodation now.
I will be letting Oz Runways and AOPA know; many of AOPA details
are WELL out of date. Possibly written by people who have never been bush.
They suggested Yaraka, a tiny hamlet near the Barcoo river with a
population of twenty one and a long RFDS sealed runway and a pub.
Just our sort of spot, still well into Matilda Country, part of the huge channel country
area.
And so here we are in Yaraka.
 |
| Barcoo |
A great spot, even the flies and mozies like it, and our hosts
Chris and Gerry ate great.
Circled the pub and Chris came out to collect us.
 |
| Great sunset |
 |
| Yaraka Pub |
 | |
| Gerry and Chris behind bar |
Then all back to the pub, even all the campers had dinner here. In
got a bit chilly later and so we all sat round a fire of mulga and gidyea wood
and told endless lies.
What a great place.
The Presidential suite is all corrugated iron
lined, no water or heating and the bog half a mile further east.
 |
| Feet up at last!! |
All part of the real country.
Breakfast included in the tarrif
which we have no idea of yet, but don’t imagine it would be more than the
Hilton.
 |
| Flew over (old) Wellshot Homestead on way to Yaraka, 450,000 acreas on several sites |
WED 14TH June (Day 7)
Will fly to Stonehenge today as per our plan, but after a good
look at all the attractions of Yaraka!!
Sylvia, one of the campers here with her hubby, is writing me out
her famous outback recipe for camp-oven damper—none of that black-fella stuff!!
Basically 3 cups SR Flour, Can of beer, teaspoon backing powder (Bicarb
Soda), dessertspoon sugar, dash olive oil, sit for 2 hours in warm place (eg Yakara)
cook in camp over, 45 mins+. Can
add chillies, onions, bacon, cheese, or fruit, even make cherry ripe damper with
cherries and choc chips.
After saying farewell to our host Chris and Gerry, we got a ride
out to the strip and loaded up for the short flight to Stonehenge, which many
aviators don’t believe exists in Australia.
A 1350 meter sealed strip used each second week by the RFDS. Only
got 85Kts on this leg, and again it was a cross wind landing—one strip only.
 |
| S-t-r-e-t-c-h the image to find Ilfacombe, Stonehenge, Yaraka etc. |
Thurs 15th June (Day 8)
Slept reasonably in our dongas after murdering a few million
mozies and kicking off the donnas-light sheets only.
 |
| Uniform at last!! |
 |
| Approach YLRE rway between prop blades. |
Have just had toast and tea this morning as sustenance for the
flight to Longreach for fuel, and then a very short hop to Ilfracombe—what surprises
will that tiny gem hold!
Only a half hour flight to Longreach. It is the largest inland QLD
town, but apart from the Qantas museum and Stockmans Hall of fame which have
taken my church money several times before, it doesn’t have much to offer
adventurers.
Landed on the almost 3km runway and taxied for fuel, none of my
cards worked, so resorted to one marked VH-CND—as pre-arranged with the owner
(NJ)!!
Then off to Ilfracombe, and landed on their long gravel strip a
couple of miles out of town. Pretty narrow and apparently we were the first
aircraft to use it in over 12 months.
 |
| All roads open |
In no time Lowana from the pub was out to pick us up, and took us
for a Cooks tour of the vast hamlet of about ninety residents.
 |
| Part of the 'Machinery Mile' |
 |
| Wellshot Pub |
Lots of locals own race horses here—Oh dear!!—I think the plumber
heard that!
And it transpires that there is a major race meeting in Longreach
on Saturday!!, and it’s only Thursday today!.
I foresee a major compromise to be discussed and arbitrated upon.
Frid 16th June (Day 9)
The anticipated discussion did take place in a robust yet civilised
manner, with myself in the chair and all matters raised through, and with respect to the chair.
The chairman pointed out that provided
all other imposed conditions were met, the plumber would be permitted to
attend, at his peril, the forthcoming ‘dust club’ meeting tomorrow. (There
being no ‘turf’ in Longreach, or for many furlongs around).
The conditions are many and include:
The pilot needs two full days of rest
before proceeding further North.
Winton will be deleted from the
previous plan, and the flight will now proceed from the local paddock here at
Ilfracombe direct to Hughenden on Sunday, thus avoiding an overnight stop at
Winton. (We have both been there, done that!)
The plumber will make his own way to
and from said bookies festival at Longreach.
There shall be no mention made of
inevitable losses incurred at the dust bowl or boasting of unsubstantiated
gains.
No further race meetings elsewhere along
our proposed route will be entertained or considered as possibilities for
interruption to matters of flight.
There being no further business, the
meeting was closed, and no supplementary agenda items accepted.
And so for the rest of today the
plumber has been studying documents he calls ‘form guides’, which are apparenly
written jointly and agreed upon prospectively by jockeys, owners, bookies, drug
dealers and the like.
He has also sweet-talked the owner
lady into the loan of the pub ‘ute for his adventure in return for some formal
plumbing assistance to repair the ageing lines in the bar.
To my advantage, the use of the ‘ute
also allowed us to drive out to theUGlyDuckling to collect some personal
essentials including the hospital urinal; the sink in our room being uncomfortably
high!
 |
| Looks a bit lonely in this paddock!! |
 |
| I should think so!! |
The rest of the day has been spent
productively. Resting in my case, and later, soaking in the nearby natural hot
spar in town, with the water a comfortable thirty- eight degrees.
Brilliant, and doubles as a clothes
washing machine and personal hygiene enhancer.
 |
| Wellshot pub |
 |
| Thermal pool |
Having mobile phone coverage here is
a huge advantage, and saves resorting to Chris’s satellite phone which we will
need somewhere down the track again.
Hence I was able to call a number of
outback places along our route to check on Avgas, beds, transport from
airstrips and the like.
And of course, also able to call my
darling Heather back home.
In the evening we called the blokes at
the ‘flight deck’ Friday gathering in my shed, and had a speaker-phone
conversation. They had a roaring fire going, and we are of course in shorts and
t-shirts with the aircon on!
Tonight the place is booked out here,
apparently the ‘local’ football match is at Ilfracrombe. Those blokes really
hate a beer and I think their bedtime will be after ours.
 |
| Nearby Stations--bit bigger than a 1/4 acre block!! |
Sat 17th June (Day 10)
A great breakfast put on for the
footballers, and we got our share also.
Bumnuts, bacon, baked beans, mushrooms, omlettes; the lot.
 |
| A few of the 'Mile of Machinery |
 |
| Breakfast |
And so for today it is now “Good luck for
him”, and “Good Night from me”.
Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z.........
I may however surface later in the
day to report on any local activity, hopefully before the football lot return
and start playing havoc.
…………Much later, after a good rest in
out room…….
And yes, the plumber returned before
dusk, the pub ‘ute intact, but there was no mention of financial matters or the
intactness of the wallet.
The general demeanour was somewhat
morose but again it would have been a hot and dusty day at the track.
Perhaps as happens occasionally,
those conniving little pricks on horse back may have consulted with their
fellows and come to some devious arrangement.
But that is no business of mine.
 |
| Look at the little prick with the whip out!! |
 |
| Fashions in the dust? |
I strolled around the vegie patch
behind the pub and noted their great patch of tomatoes, melons, pumpkins, green
beans, spinach, and a variety of fruiting citrus trees—all things that grow all
year up here.
This place is the best hotel we’ve
stayed at yet, and probably will remain so.
The hosts Tracy and Paul and their
staff are great, the food is brilliant and reasonably priced, and the Chef
(“Cheffrey”) is a master at everything, especially pies!! –mushroom, ‘Ned
Kelly”, bacon and onion, curry-the lot!
And he cooks about eighty full meals
each evening—none of that ready prepared stuff!
The footballers returned but were a
bit quieter, perhaps their type of losses hurt also.
We have arranged for an early morning
pick-up and transport out to the airstrip, to get in the air to Hughenden
before the heat.
Sunday 18th June (Day 11)
Paul picked us up at 8am as promised
and drove us out to the airport.
After loading up and pre-flighting,
we took off right on 9am, and made a slow climb to between 7,500 and 8000.
Up there the air was cool and smooth,
and we got 110-115kts for the 166nm run to Hughenden.
The view of the outback from up here
is something to behold, it needs to be seen from the air in all its stark
beauty.
 |
| 2,400RPM,27lph straight and level |
 |
| Oh for a Hasselblad |
 |
| Tied down Hughenden |
Landed on the very long rwy 04, again
with a bit of a gentle cross-wind
Called the re-fueler and there is a
$45 call out fee today (the Sabbath I guess) but NO fee in the morning so we’ve
arranged to meet him at the strip at 8am—and then off to Undara.
The pub owner collected us and we’re
at the Royal Hotel, Motel.
The plumber has gone for a
photographic mission (as he should) to take, amongst other things, one of the
Allen and Terry Caravan Park!!
And to correct the spelling of
course.
Monday 19th June (Day 12)
Tues 20th June (Day 13)
Got a ride out to the airport at 8 am
with Linda, who has been a local for years. She agrees that after some six
years of drought, Hughenden is somewhat in decline.
People are leaving stations, the
banks don’t help much, lack of water and hence feed has severely affected stock
prices. Freight services have diminished.
The main hope is for a proposed meat
works, Chinese money of course, which will enhance the industry and the export
market.
Good country pollies like Barnaby
Joyce and Bob Katter are the heroes of the bush. They support the Gallalie coal
basin and proposed infrastructure.
Stuff the barrier reef, it might be
pretty but when did anyone from out here last snorkel there or were in awe of
its rare beauty.
Like other outback places, Hughenden
will again prosper some day.
Are the Greenies loved out here!!
Everyone away from the coastal strip KNOWS they’re nuts.
The most popular bar sign in pubs is
something like “Save the planet: Bulldoze
a Greenie!!”
Peter the refueller was out to top us
up, and to also pump a few million litres of kero into the Rex Saab, which was
due in.
However, the Rex plane had a
bird-strike on short final, possibly one engine ingested a galah—there were
dozens about.
The Captain decided to call it a day
and contacted the company for another aircraft to come out.
All the pax hoping to continue on to
Mt Isa will be cooling their heels at Hughenden for a while.
As I sat in the terminal doing my
daily BP check, ECG check, and waiting for the ACE inhibitor, Beta Blocker,
Diuretic, Aspirin and Clopidogrel platelet inhibitors to ‘kick in’, I reflected
on how life was once less complicated when pilot medicals were realistic.
Less complicated, but certainly not
richer!!
Then a Cessna Caravan came in—loaded
with cops—a few in uniform, many not—about a dozen, both blokes and
girls—probably off on our money for a
conference at the beach—maybe the Barrier Reef!!??
So we packed up the UGlyDuckling and
took off for Undara, an over-expensive resort which would no doubt be packed
with the aforesaid Greenies!
And it was!
Our flight however, at 8000 was over
some real ‘tiger country’ at first—massive gorges, ravines, dry riverbeds and
wooded areas.
 |
| North of Hughenden, above the fluffy Cu |
Occasional station homesteads
appeared every fifty miles or so. Many stations out here are as big as smaller
European countries, and much larger that many Pacific Islands.
 |
| Tiger Country |
 |
| Big Station, Big dam |
At 112Kts average it was a good
smooth flight, but landing here was a bit of a challenge as there was no
windsock, so the runway selection was a bit of a guess, yet uneventful.
The minibus from Undara resort came
out and so here we are in beautifully restored railway carriage, in the middle
of the bush, with wall-to-wall greenies in awe at the expanse of the country, yearning
for their beloved quarter acre blocks.
 |
| Our carriage |
 |
| Bathroom attached |
The plumber joined them to view the
huge ancient lava tubes and listen to the frogshit about saving the
environment.
 |
| Checking if he can afford a small bowl of chips |
We have decided that at prices beyond
our means we will only stay one night here and head off to Georgetown, where
real people live and toil, tomorrow.
Tues 20th June (Day 13)
After a good sleep on Queensland
Rail, we organised a trip out to the airfield—only 6km, and $12 each way.
We climbed out of this artificial gem
of a place, wallets and credit cards shattered beyond belief, and tracked for
Georgetown, cruising at only 3,500 over some pretty rugged former volcanic country.
Landed on the great sealed runway
here at midday, and called the refueller on the ‘Bat Phone’ (AKA the Sat Phone)
He topped us from drums at a reasonable
price, and then drove us into town and we are settled into the Wenaru pub—almost
exactly ten years to the day since we were here last in 2007. Good pub, good value, and we can afford a scotch each tonight!!
Time for a good rest this afternoon,
and a good feed tonight as we didn’t break our fast at Undara.
And then it will be off to Julia Creek tomorrow.
Wed 21st June (Day 14)
The tourist info centre is right next door, and of course we had to
attend the 3pm Julia Creek Dunnat feeding!! About as big as a mouse, but a rare tiny marsupial indigenous
and unique to this area.
And then it will be off to Julia Creek tomorrow.
The pub turned out to be hopeless,
crappy food, very basic rooms.
Only interesting thing to note in the
name Wenaru—seems years ago a bunch of pissheads built the place out of
home-made bricks, and it took so long between hangovers that all the locals kept
asking When Are You (going to finish!!) Hence the name.
The publican showed little interest
in driving us out to the airfield in the morning, phone access etc, so we have
arranged for Wayne the refueller to take us; he’s a great bloke!
Wed 21st June (Day 14)
Wayne picked us up right on 8am, and waited while we pre-flighted
and loaded up; and we were in the air for Julia Creek by 8:45am. We climbed to
6,500 where it was smooth and the air still reasonably cool.
 |
| Flat plains with dried creeks for miles |
Over miles of real tiger country initially, and abut 5o miles from
Julie creek the terrain changed to flat open country again.
 |
| Great Creek beds, some with water holes |
 |
| A bit of tiger country |
 |
| Homestead with airstrip |
 |
| Approach Julie Creek |
Most of the runways up here run basically east-west due to the
prevailing winds, and again we joined down-wind for rwy 04.
A nice modern terminal, used daily by Rex and regularly by the
RFDS, and a land-line to call Julia from Gannons Hotel-Motel to come out and collect us-- the airstrip is quite a way from the town.
 |
| Native Companions beside road into town |
We are in a great comfortable and clean motel room behind the pub.
 |
| We Dunnat! |
Thurs 22nd June (Day 15)
Nice meal at Gannons last night. This pub/motel is very modern and
very clean. Julia and Peter, an ‘elderly couple’ run the place and also have a
station of 35000 acres a bit South.
 |
| Julia Creek |
The pub was recently burned down whilst let to tenant proprietors
and hence is so new. We have come across six or seven similar instances in
outback QLD, and it seems to suggest the good ‘ole Jewish stock-take characteristic
of balancing the budget in the harsh outback still occurs occasionally.
That aside, Julia was very helpful in collecting us from the
airport yesterday and returning us there this morning, right on eight o’clock
as arranged.
And also ringing the council to get the entrance code for access
to theUGlyDuckling.
Julia few light aircraft years ago and learned to fly at Tyabb
(Vic) in the 1960’s.
Despite her age, Julia Creek was NOT named in her honour.
Their son also had a C150 some time ago.
We took off at 9am and landed at Mt Isa at 10:15am,a distance of
126nm. Very smooth at 4,500 all the way.
 |
| Approach Mt Isa |
Lots of hilly billy-goat country approaching Isa, and many mine
sites.
Refuelled, tied down and accepted a $24 taxi ride into town, to
the Central Point motel.
It is a public holiday here tomorrow and I have decided to have a
rest day also. We had hoped to hire a car for a good look around.
However none available from the four well known rental places.
We walked (me with mobility assistance) into the big central
shopping centre, where I spend over an hour changing my phone over from Aldi
Mobile to Telstra, and hence may now have coverage at most places we stop at.
Later, we arranged to take the courtesy bus into town to the
Buffalo Club-what a scream.
 |
| Cooks Tour |
 |
| Had enough! |
We are some 300 meters from the club, however with pick-ups and
drops off, we were taken on an amazing Cooks tour of Mt Isa; in fact it took 55
minutes to reach our 300 meter-distant destination.
Up all the back blocks, out of town and back again, around several
of the mines, past the show grounds, shopping centres; the lot!
Frid 23rd June (Day 16)
My impression is that this town is a clone of Broken Hill. Average
fibro and iron sheeting houses, high tin fences everywhere, dead cars in yards,
humpies for many of the traditional owners.
So who needs a hire car anyway? I will rest here most of the day
and the plumber has booked a tour of the tourist mine areas including
underground, with all the OH&S garb on.
He will probably return as a fully paid member of the CFMEU!!
Being a public holiday for the annual show, there are also many
features for equestrians including rodeo riding and other outback horse events.
I trust the TAB will NOT be involved, however I am holding his wallet just in case.
I would expect the appropriate gratitude when he returns.
Flight Plan Amendment:--
We had planned to fly to Barkly Homestead Roadhouse tomorrow (215nm) and
stay the night there. However, they are booked out completely, so we have no
option but overfly and on to Tennant Creek, total distance 306nm.
So a decent flight for this ‘ole bloke tomorrow. We will leave
early and get well on the way before the inevitable heat.
And likely spend a penny or two at Heathers old home-town of
Tennant Creek!!
Sat 24th June (Day 17)
Last night we got another
courtesy bus to the Irish Club of Mt Isa. A nice, clean place with decent meals
and arrangements for drinkers of alcoholic beverages.
 |
| Sunset IsaWith a longish flight (today) I showed great constraint and had a schooner of soda water. |
 |
| Irish Club |
To wash down an Irish pot-pie with veg, before an early ride home
in the bus again. And so we have had a couple of Cooks tours of Mt Isa ‘on the house’.
The taxi we booked for 7:45 this morning was right on time, and we
were able to pack up, pre-fight and be in the air by 8:30 local time.
Beautifully smooth conditions and we levelled out at 7,000 and a
great run to YTNK.
Even though Barkly Homestead had no accommodation for us, we
diverted over the place and took some pictures.
 |
| Barkly Roadhouse Rwy |
 |
| Barkly at 'three ways' |
There were two fixed wing a/c
inbound, plus a chopper down at 1000 feet to avoid nose-bleeds.
Then back on track for a great flight to Tennant Creek where we
are the only aircraft tied down on the field.
We were assured by the ARO that AVGAS sniffing is not a problem
here, and hope the very high fence assures that that is the case.
 |
| Approach YTNK |
 |
| Handsome bloke with mobility aid |
 |
| Bloke without mobility aid |
Oh dear, this place is sure a sad indictment of everyone I guess.
All the shop windows are boarded up or covered with mesh grills,
the local traditional owners have nothing to do but drink their sit-down money,
and then attend one of the many government charitable ‘agencies’ for more.
 |
| No free drugs here! |
 |
| The cops sit outside the drive-through bottle hop and if the locals wand a two litre handbag they must show some ID, which they seem to have trouble doing. |
I’m afraid it is no longer the place where my darling Heather
lived as a young lady, and where her parents ran a successful and well
controlled retail business.
However the motel room at the Goldfields pub is clean and well
maintained, yet in the bar the local indigenous are served in a wire mesh
enclosure.
Of course it is all my fault, but they seem to manage with free ‘housing’
and even a dog-food subsidy—I wonder what the poor skinny dogs eat while their
masters hit the grog!
 |
| Our Digs YTNK |
 |
| The mighty UGlyDuckling |
Tomorrow we will leave this tourist mecca and head off to Hooker
Creek, refuel there, and on to Halls Creek for the night.
Fortunately the airfield at YHLC is right beside the pub/motel and
the fences are rather expansive!
Sun 25th June (Day 18)
Over some very interesting tiger country, steep parallel ridges for miles, open cut mines, and marginal cattle country.
I may have been a little brutal yesterday in my assessment of
Tennant Creek. Brutal perhaps, but honest and others will of course form their
own conclusions.
The plumber went for his usual between-drinks strole and for those
still smarting from my comments, I have included a couple of his pics.
Kindly go back and see a couple which paint a slightly alternate picture.
Now for today!
We got a ride out the airport with the only taxi—the driver was
still in bed at 8am, but did be bound out!
We were picked up and ten bucks later were loading up, and in the
air by 8:30 local.
The plan was to fly to Hooker Creek, land and top up fuel, and
then on to Halls Creek.
In fact we flew to direct, without diverting into Hooker Creek, and still attired at YHLC having used 108 litres, ie with 72
useable remaining.
Total distance for the day—380nm.
Thus we crossed from NT into WA and completed a non-stop crossing
of the Tanami Desert.
A nice modern pub at YHCL, but not cheap. John Lindsay and I
landed here a couple of years ago for coffee and then on again; and years
earlier I stayed here camping under the wing with Des Pitts.
But that’s another story—these days the airfield is surrounded by
appropriate fences and has ‘secret numbers’ to enter/leave.
The pub of course has its own arrangements for the locals; pub
security all day in the place, but the indigenous seem pretty well subdued with
a slab or two on board.
Again, welcome to
Country!
Monday 26th June (Day 19)
After a good rest and slep, we were up early to avoid the
inevitable heat, for the 235nm flight from Halls Creek to Derby.
 |
| Queue for fuel YHLC |
 |
| Derby Terminal |
 |
| Approach Derby |
 |
| Happy Hour YHLC |
Over some very interesting tiger country, steep parallel ridges for miles, open cut mines, and marginal cattle country.
I think Gena Reinhart would have been out here making a few quid
recently.
Approaching Derby the sea was visible for the first time, and the
main runway is approached from over a flat sand bar.
Derby has the second highest tides in the world—and this smart
arse was able to tell our driver (free drive from the Derby Lodge) that the highest tides in the world occur at
the Bay of Fundy!!
We plan to fly to Cape Leveque in the morning, and after landing
and having a $60 dollar coffee there (Traditional owners these days) we will
fly coastal along the beautiful Kimberly Coast to Broome for a few days R &
R!!
 |
| The tides OUT |
 |
| Sunset Derby |
 |
| Ditto |
 |
| Ditto |
 |
| Boab trees Derdy, and most places up here! |
Tuesday 27th June (Day 20)
Today we had planned
to fly to Cape Leveque, perhaps stay the night, and if not, land there for
lunch and then fly into Broome for about a four days break!
These days
however, Cape Leveque is ‘owned’ by the Kooljaman people however they are, and
run by pale skinned people on their behalf.
Hence the accommodation which is very basic to say the least, is also very expensive even though you get a mozzie coil and a mozzie net thrown in at no extra charge.
Permission to land is also required; the emailed form which I can't post, is a joke!!
The restaurant however is pretty flash and the cooking (mainly) non-bush tucka.
Hence the accommodation which is very basic to say the least, is also very expensive even though you get a mozzie coil and a mozzie net thrown in at no extra charge.
Permission to land is also required; the emailed form which I can't post, is a joke!!
The restaurant however is pretty flash and the cooking (mainly) non-bush tucka.
We headed off for Cape Leveque, but the plumber got some idea in his
head that we should have a look at the horizontal waterfalls.
Now as a plumber he should have had a reasonable knowledge of hydraulics
and been aware that water does not fall horizontally except in severe storms.
He won this futile argument of course and hence it was a fifty nm
diversion to a place called Talbot Bay which is near the falls, and I think the
pictures confirm my point! We did not land at Talbot Bay as theUGlyDuckling is
NOT a float plane.
Our pics were from 3000’ with charter flights circling below, plus
choppers at 500’ to avoid nose bleeds as usual.
And then another 63 nm to Cape Leveque for an interesting landing on
their narrow dirt strip.
 |
| Water doing what it always does--Flowing DOWN to the lowest point! |
 |
| Pretty Specko scenery though |
 |
| 3000' over THAT water! |
 |
| Inbound THAT water!! |
Not at all dangerous, but I
doubt this strip would conform to any cascara requirements, with several
aircraft parked right on the edge of the threshold—the ONLY place.
Two young pilots we had met back at Halls Creek came in here in C210’s
on charter flights for Leopold Air. (Broome based).
 |
| No room to park off the strip |
After breakfast of carrot cake and icecream for me, and barra with the
lot for the plumber, we left this pretty place at 2:30 for Broome.
Broome tower were very helpful directing us in for a RIGHT base on rwy
22—unusual, as it is usually in from over Cable Beach!
Wed 28th June (Day21)
We booked into the Roebuck pub (motel room) last night for the start of
a few days in Broome. Almost the whole place is booked out with the usual
stronads, and school holidays start next Monday! This morning we picked up abut
the very last available hire car-Holden Barina(YUK!!) and are starting to find
a few old haunts since Heather and I flew here in theUGlyDucking MANY years
ago, and again in the camper van recently.
A very interesting town with much to see.
The plumber reakons he may even have a game of golf; whatever that is!
I believe the place has a bar!!
It’s a bit cool this morning, and we will see how the day progresses.
Things warmed up a bit in the afternoon, but we decided we could upgrade
a bit to a motel room.
The ‘Roey’ is a gigantic pub occupying a full block,
heaps of good rooms, plus backpackers, a drive-through bottle shop (with ID!!),
several restuarants and many bars.
I have added a couple more pics from Cape Leveque and a couple showing
the beautiful coastal islets which extent for miles coastal towards Broome.
Our first day touring here included the port area, the golf club, china
town, the pistol club, and of course Cable Beach.
In the afternoon we visited the war museum—many younger people are not
aware how much of a pounding Broome got during WW2.
 |
| Huge losses here |
We dined in the evening at a Thai place nearby. They were quite busy,
but neither of us were very impressed with the food, or the subsequent account
which we were however, obliged to pay!
Thurs 29th June (Day 22)
A top breakfast at what is now known as the Runway and Hangar Bar, where
Heather and I broke our fast one morning a couple of years ago.
For nostalgia I had eggs Benedict (didn’t see the pope there tho); and
as the plumber is just a growing lad he opted for the BIG breakfast. Plus
excellent coffee and hot chocolate.
 |
| Need one of these for the 'flight deck' |
Since then I have driven him out for the inevitable game of golf—what a
strange affair!!
He has hired an electric wheelchair thing to get around the course in, a
heap of wrong handed (ie RIGHT) golf-hitting sticks, some teas (even tho he
doesn’t drink tea to my knowledge), and he has purchased four balls to hit into
the bushes with the sticks!
Bingo would have been much cheaper, safer and predictable!
Each to his own.
For my part, I have visited Broome Aviation Maintenance and the
UGlyDuckling is having an oil change and filter—right on time!!
It will be ready about 2pm by which time the plumber will have lost his
balls and found the bar!!
Such is life!! It will be my duty to drive him home to ‘the Roey’ where
I may even have a single malt after a modest dinner.
Frid 30th June (Day 23)
 |
| Happy Birthday my beautiful youngest Grand-daughter--now 18!! |
Now the plumber is a very disciplined person, and has declared that he
will only have a drink on days ending in ‘y’.
Very resourceful I thought, but suggested that using the French
translation he should imbibe only on days NOT ending in ‘i’.
This suggestion was immediately rejected and he is off searching for the
Irish calendar, where no such severe restrictions exist.
Last evening we dinned on take-away lamb kebabs. Quite superb, but I
think perhaps old Merino wether, not lamb!
Maybe camel, there were dozens of them parading along Cable Beach.
To be fair, I had a couple of beers with him as a treat, and I DID have
that double single malt, for medicinal purposes of course!
This morning it was raisin toast and coffee for me, but he again chose
the big breakfast.
China town this time, right next door to our pub.
For any followers (if we have any) who are unfamiliar with the term
‘stronad’, I thought I should perhaps explain, after all I have been, and will
again become one myself some time!!
Having copyrighted the word in 2015 under the Copyright Act 1968 (as
amended), it should appear as the Oxford word of the year in December.
Basically, it is a composite of Stray Gonads, my former term for Grey
Nomads, with which the surface of the earth is overwhelmed.
Stronad is apparently less offensive and hence its now enjoys universal
acceptance.
Stronads come in a number of varieties; the main ones being as follows:
The top of the range stronads are affluent, but generally boring. Most
drive expensive Winnabagos, and many still own their own homes.
Totally self-contained down to the Sunday roast, generally hunting in
packs, a cut above the rest, and happy to let that be known.
Ages vary from fifty to ninety; the older ones being the friendliest.
At happy hour they open Passion Wine, Cold Duck or Porphyry Pearl and
down it with goose liver paté and crackers.
The next group drive Toyota Landcuisers with collapsible tents on top,
boats behind, mud and dust covered, and always heading for river and sea.
Friendly to all, serious beer drinkers, steak eaters and adventurers. They
have done this many times before!
Then we have
Grownads-- simply, dwarfs on a leash.
And Blownads—Young
bucks in their beaten up bombs, late arrivals at camp and serious exponents of
doof-doof music. They often just stop for a pee, or to open another can.
Glownads—eighteen
to forties. Usually in pairs, often one of each gender and many form Europe.
Their hired campervans tend to rock now and then at night.
Stronads—The
genuine original variety, and head of the pack. Fifty to ninety, mostly
Australian, unemployed, retired or working for centrelink.
Snownads— often
graying or bald, sometimes called greynads, usually travelling on busses.
Serious tea drinkers; but generally cupboard drinkers at night.
Mix well with other stronads, are often from overseas, adventurous and
multi lingual. True stronads.
Genuine stronads are mostly sixty or over, some much older and some much
younger.
In converted Combi Vans, through Coasters to what were once Leyland
buses.
Pretty much self-contained, but often with generators, which annoy the
shit out of the more affluent stronads.
Usually canivores.
Diets include pasta, fresh road-kill and pre-packed food, salami, beer,
wine and occasionally scotch.
This is a brief and very generalized stronadophile.
There are and
will be many more sub-species from time to time.
But as we fly
about we see for miles and they are limited to viewing the nearby bushes or
lack of bushes, or the dust they are creating and following.
Those dust
streams look interesting from far above!
I am blessed to
have done BOTH!!
 |
| Cable Beach |
 |
| Pool at pub |
I have driven
out to the airport again to check that they cut the oil filter open and can
confirm they did and all is well with
theUGlyDucklings’ engine.
 |
| Top-up time for pills!! |
 |
| Traffic Cop I think? It is about thirty degrees here today, and all I have really been doing is resting. |
I will search
for the plumber later and we will dine together, and again call the lads at the
‘flight deck’ back at Minto—usually ten to a dozen on a Friday night—with the
fire blazing no doubt.!
Sat 1st
July (Day 24)
Now I love
Indian food. But the meal last night was particularly savage, indeed almost vindictive,
which is perhaps the Mumbai word for vindaloo.
The spices
would make Tabasco, black chilies or molten steel taste insipid.
Something like tender
pieces of lamb and goat meat marinated in rocket fuel, and spontaneously
combustible.
Very character
building however.
It made the
long waddle home particularly hazardous.
An ice-cream each on the way back soothed things slightly.
The plumber
however was well anaesthetized after a long day at the brass rail; and granted
me first access to the bathroom.
I’m sure you needed
to know all that!!
Today is our
last day in this sunny, warm, stronad-crowded summer place, and it will be on
to Sandfire tomorrow where I have booked a room.
Should be no
trouble getting a clearance out of Broome; I guess they will give us an
intersection departure.
And then on to
Port Hedland on Monday, before starting our adventure southwards and thence
eastwards.
 |
| Yes, diet Pepsi!! |
 |
| Amphib Cessna, base for 04 |
 |
| Tide coming in |
The hire-car hasn’t
had a great deal of use, we may go back to Cable beach at sunset and perhaps
watch a few aircraft come in.
 |
| Popular spot--most are in the bar behind!! |
 |
| Off to the Indian Restaurant?? |
 |
| Going... |
 |
| Gone---No twilight here, just like a light switch! |
 |
| Nearly... |
And then an
early night, following a suitable
Scottish sedative.
Sun 2nd
July (Day25)
Up early and
returned the car by 8am, and then had to w-a-i-t for the Ground Controller to
collect us from the wrong gate at which the secret numbers did not work.
After he
settled down he drove us to theUGlyDuckling about a mile away and we called the
BP fuel tanker and settled down for another wait.
Eventually
fuelled up, pre-flighted, and requested an intersection departure from taxiway
Foxtrot 2, which was granted.
Took off on rwy
04 over the town and was requested to climb coastal and report passing 5,500.
Sixteen minutes later, ‘resume own navigation’—it was a long hot climb!
Then leveled
out and enjoyed the scenery of the beautiful eighty mile beach, and finally
inland a bit to Sandfire.
After tying
down (the plumbers duty), I waddled with my mobility aid the 350-odd metres to
the roadhouse to join the endless file of stronads calling in for diesel all
day.
Those iconic
sausage rolls were popular and as fine as usual, the plumber enjoyed a brace
plus one of them, before he discovered that the place also sold pre-packed
liquids to his liking.
Dozens of
stronads have settled in the park this evening, we have eaten our healthy salad
sandwiches and our room is clean, has aircon and ice and a drachm of Scotch in
the ‘fridge for later.
There are a
dozen self-contained rooms amongst the frangipani trees and I think we are the
only inhabitants this evening.
And of course
why not—all the stronads have their own arrangements.
I have now
booked into Port Hedland for tomorrow night, and we will circle Finicane Island
inbound, where my Heather worked for some time, in another life.
And I have at
last found a place at Marble Bar for Tuesday night, and the proprietor will collect
us from the airfield!
Monday 3rd
July (Day 26)
The stronads
began filing our of the camp grounds at 7am, towing or driving their retirement
villages, mainly towards Broome where temporary camping lots will be getting
pretty scarce.
They left
having mostly consumed sustenance constructed in their village kitchens I
guess, there was no stampede for the Sandfire bakery where those sausage rolls were again appearing at the counter.
Being civilized
we opted for a sit-down breakfast in the dining are—after all baked beans are a
significant, if not challenging start to any flight.
Having checked
the flight schedules for Port Hedland, it seemed appropriate to get into this
place at about noon, after a departing Virgin flight, and just prior to an
arriving Qantas one.
The flight
along the eighty-mile beach was superb, but only getting 95 knots.
Why its called
the eighty-mile beach seems a bit strange as it runs from Broome to Port
Hedland and beyond.
Called the
tower at 20nm advising we had received the ATIS (Delta) and were directed to
land on runway 14. Taxied for fuel, and then parked beside a C150 and a
Cherokee, the only two GA aircraft on the field.
 |
| Inboud YPPD Piles of industrial salt |
 |
| Airfield to left |
And they call
this an International Airport—bit of a joke unless someone flies in from Dili or
somewhere!
 |
| Qantas lounge very busy!! |
We are staying
at the Walkabout Hotel—quite a flash place adjacent to an acre of dongas for
the hard working miners!
Tomorrow will
be a short milk-run to Marble Bar, and the following day down to Newman,
another mining town.
Cloudy and cool
here this afternoon so we didn’t brave the pub pool, outside our room.
Tuesday 4th
July (Day 27)
A short taxi
ride to the Hedland International airport where pre-assigned secret numbers
were successful in gaining access through gate 7, to the busy GA parking area
where the UGlyDucking was parked beside the same 150, Cherokee and a Hornet RAA
thing being slowly reclaimed by the red soil and the searing sun.
After
pre-flighting and warming up we contacted the tower and were offered to taxi to
the threshold of rwy 14, or to do an intersection departure if preferred.
We choose the former,
and at 20nm out woke the tower again and informed them of our heading and
altitude and that was that!
That ASIC had
made us immensely important!
Quite a bit of
lumpy country coming into Marble Bar, which is typical of former gold bearing
country perhaps, and then a flat plateau and into a now-sealed l-o-n-g- runway
and the tin terminal where those same signs in the bogs still warn to check for
snakes in the bowl before settling in!
After tying
down we called the Travellers’ Rest and before long Lang (no relation to THAT
one) was out to collect us in his Toyota ‘ute for the ride into town.
Good basic
motel-type rooms behind the servo/shop/roadhouse, and after booking in we
settled for their home made take-away curried sausages and rice. Great.
Lang does a bit
of flying also. He has over 11,000 hours mustering in a C150, and these days
flies a Robinson 44 chopper to check on the one million acre property just
south of here!
We both had a
bit of a nap in our room, and I didn’t hear the plumber wake and head
out—there’s a distinct possibility be had walked into town to check out the
famous Iron Clad Pub.
The 600 metre
walk was a bit much for me, so I asked a young bloke who was filling his
Landcruiser with diesel if he was going into town. ‘No mate, I’ve just got back, sorry’.
Then it clicked
that I was a tourie, and he said ‘Shit mate, when someone asks if you’re going
into town out here, they mean Port Hedland. Sure, I can run into you town here,
hop in!!’
 |
| 6pm, mid winter |
After a stubbie
at the Iron Clad and a couple of photos, we both WALKED back to our room!! I
asked the barman what beer he had-and he ran his hands along the row of dusty empty cans and stubbies on the
shelf.
‘Got Carlton Draught?’
‘Shit, another one of those wierdos from down south?.’ I quickly replied—
‘if it wasn’t for us wierdos mate, you’d have gone broke years ago.’
A few other
weirdos smiled, and I think he acknowledged the reality of it all! After all the stronads have started to
hear of Marble Bar also!!
As we were
leaving the plumber became very distraught. The sign on the front of the pub
was advertising the Annual Marble Bar Cup!!—held on 1st July each
year—only three days ago!!
 |
| Oh NO!!! |
Apparently the
town was alive with hundreds in for the biggest event of the year.
How had he not
known about THAT from his comprehensive racing diary??
He was beyond
consoling!
 |
| Jaspar 'slice' in park |
Further
reference to said diary indicated that there are races at Kalgoolie next
Saturday 9th July.
A compromise is needed to be reached to accommodate this event and treat his now intractable
depression.
It we could
stay a further day in Kal while I rested, he could go to the races.
This would
however eliminate Caiguna from the proposed plan, and instead require a direct
flight of four hundred miles from Kal to Forest—a real test of bodily restraint.
His condition is
so severe and miserable, that I have agreed.
There could
also be a further day of rest at Forest, which is fine by me!!
Wednesday 5th
July (Day 28)
It is freezing
at 7am here, in the hottest town in Australia. We will leave here later and
head down to Newman, where we have no accommodation arranged yet, but there is
plenty available.
We may need a
bit of local knowledge as the airport is apparently a long way out of town.
In
the meantime, after devouring the continental breakfast
supplied in our room, Lang called and offered to take us for bit of a tour of
his town before dropping us off at the airport.
And it seems
the place is HIS town. A plaque
outside the town hall lists him as a Councilor, Mayor and OAM recipient.
He made no
mention of those matters, but is very proud of all the sealed roads put in
recently; the well equipped community park and general cleanliness of the
place.
 |
| Sturt peas |
 |
| Lang at Jasper outcrop/pool |
 |
| Ditto |
He drove us to
see the jasper outcrops and pool, the historic former town hall, and then for a
close look at his latest toy, a Robinson 44 chopper parked behind his house.
(There is also an older R22 in the adjacent shed).
 |
| Top toy |
 |
| Old town hall |
We were perhaps
hoping for a ride to the airport in the R44, but it was into the trusty ‘ute
for the trip out.
Lang insisted
on helping us load up, waited while I pre-flighted, stared and warmed up, and
was still parked there when we lifted off. Think he’s a bit of an aviation nut.
The flight to
Newman was uneventful at 5,500, but again only getting 95-100kts. The
topography of the land however is interesting and ever changing, with a small
mountain range (Opthalmia Range)
(3,450’) and huge ponds and pools of water near the township, and massive mines
for miles surrounding.
 |
| Ophthalmia range |
 |
| Serious mine! |
 |
| Natural lake behind wing |
 |
| Ditto |
 |
| Ponds |
Perhaps the mining boom is over, but no one has
told the locals yet!
Australia still
has vast deposits of iron ore that even Gena hasn’t found yet and no doubt the
prices will come back again some day!
(We saw a vast
iron ore train at Hedland a couple of days ago, and the locals say the longest
on record in 7.4Km!!!!)
It was a thirty dollar taxi ride into town here, and the pubs, classified as ‘resorts’ are pretty
miserable places, mainly with donga-type rooms.
 |
| WA COPS?? |
 |
| Nowhere much to park GA |
 |
| Approach Newman |
Pizza for tea,
and early to bed. I did however have ONE scotch at the bar—can’t have it
straight because of our traditional owners!!—must be as a ‘mixer’; however the
barman agreed that ice and a teaspoonful of soda would just be within the law!!
I made some
calls to Meekathara for a bed tomorrow night and we have the last twin room in
one of the three pubs there—I hope it’s not because of the Meekathara cup.
Thursday 6th
July (Day 29)
And upstairs
too!
A bit of a look
around Newman, not that here’s much to see in own.
And then a
thirty-dollar ride out to the airport, which is not very welcoming for use GA
peasants.
Even those
brilliants ASIC medallions don’t allow us access to the public terminal, only a
crappy tin shed, and secret number will again be needed for entry to where the
UGlyDuckling is parked. A slow 203nm run to Meekathara at between 7,500 and
8000’, only getting some 95kts.
After one
hundred miles of interesting but empty country we passed over a station. Why
out here, it looks pretty marginal country. But at least they have a dirt
runway and a nearby dirt track that must lead somewhere.
John from the
Commercial pub drove out an collected us and took us to his old place where e
are in the only room twin room in town tonight.
And upstairs
too!
And no, it’s
not the Meeka cup!
The town has been
in decline for many years, but recently there has been a researgence in mining,
mainly for gold.
We passed over
a couple of very large pits. (wrong side for pics).
Unfortunately
for the town the miners are mostly FIGO workers and don’t get to spend too much
time or money in their town
A pity.
It was freezing
here during the night, even with the aircon reverse cycle set on high heat.
The plumber is
back in trackie dacks and I will when I get out to the strip in the morning.
Friday 7th
July (Day 30)
We will be off
to Leonora today, 200nm; and hope to confirm some accommodation there before we
lift off!
I made several
calls early last evening and got return messages from the Leonora Motel.
However. Since changing to Telstra only after just one ring it goes to message
bank, which seems impossible to cancel without talking to someone in
Bangladesh.
We will see!
After the
battle of upstairs living, it was nice to have an included good continental
breakfast down stairs this morning.
I had almost
forgotten what real toast and vegemite tasted like.
And then out to
the airfield again with John, about five Km; for an interesting flight of 200nm
to Leonora.
Again the winds
aloft were not assisting us, and at 7,500 we were only getting 95-100Kts most
of the way.
And under high
cirrus cloud for the second 100nm it became quite lumpy for a while.
Some 80 miles
out we passed over Lake Mason, with a large body of probably fresish-water, and
further in a number of salt lake marked on the WAC, but also looking well
topped up—I guess salt water though.
 |
| Salt lakes |
 |
| Lake Mason |
Many mining
pits out here also, several looked a bit abandoned, but quite a few actively
searching for gold.
 |
| 100 nm out--where would the track go?? |
 |
| Old pits |
The town of
Leonora itself didn’t seem particularly flushed with gold however.
Population
1,200, and pretty static. Again, many miners FIFO, and not spending their
winnings in town to a great extent.
The airfield is
excellent however, with heaps of new sealed taxiways and parking bays for RPT;
Skippers being the main WA mob who fly in here.
Nowhere to tie
down for bug-crushers yet however; I hope theUGlyDuckling is still there in the
morning.
Also Jet A1
only, no Avgas, but e have plenty left in the tanks for YKAL tomorrow, if the
suntanned petrol sniffers are kept at bay.
Massive spiked
security fences to keep the lovely traditional owners out, and secret number to
keep us terrorists with ASICS in. Until they were reluctantly divulged, by a
friendly council ‘worker’ (a misnomer of course) who rang the town hall for the
numbers we needed.
No access to
the ‘terminal’ which was locked, as were the dunnies!
Hence the
tarmac has been cleansed with copious fluids!
 |
| When did we change to metres A.S.L.?? |
We have booked
into the Leonora Hotel and after waiting half an hour a car arrived and we had
a ten Km ride into the town.
Hardly a
flourishing place, three pubs all struggling a bit, and this massive motel with
about ten in for the night.
 |
| Main street just on dusk! |
And it’s
freezing!!
Comparatively,
Faraday is in heat-wave conditions at present!
Saturday 8th
July (Day 31)
There is a
thick fog here this morning, and our heaters are on full rich.
When it clears
we will arrange a ride to the airfield, bound for Kalgoolie.
I think I
previously mentions there are races there today, but that is tomorrow.
No doubt
another serious fiscal issue for the plumber.
His choice,
none of my business!!
So today and
tomorrow in YKAL, then the log flight to Forest direct, on Monday.
(A brief note for the unwashed:
These notes are nothing but a brief personal diary, to be willingly shared
by anyone prepared to take the risk. Written on the run and always hurried, and
Those interested in the FULL story will be able to read about in book
form before too long.
Descriptions of places visited on the ground may be found in detail
using Prof Google, but to really know what it’s all about up there, you will need
to either be a flyer, or become one!
It’s an experience you will become addicted to and it will never be equaled.
End of brief note!)
The fog
eventually lifted, and we scored a ride out to the airfield with the boss from
the motel.
I explained
that it was a win-win arrangement. We put notes on OzRunways such as ‘call bill from the xyz motel for a free
ride into town, or pay thirty dollars for a taxi which won’t turn up’!
‘theblacksheep’ has made comments on every
airfield I were I have landed, including on previous trips; it all helps. Other
regulars in the outback include ‘conscious
pilot’, ‘jabiru barrie’, and ‘john the pap test’!!
The flight to
Kalgoolie was low, slow and with heaps of potholes. The maximum ceiling was
3000, but most of the way was at 2000.
When I called
inbound at YPKG with an ETA for the circuit, a Barron called inbound from the
west with the same ETA. We chatted and I told him we would circle the super-pit
while be went in, and then follow.
It had started
to rain, but the sun was shining over the super-pit, and I think the plumber got some
photos.
After we landed
and taxied for fuel we met up with Ian Williams from Albany Aviation (his
company); on a charter flight out of Jandakot with four pax.
He was a wealth
of knowledge. He regularly flies through Kal, and with contacts at the Palace hotel,
was able to call them and get us into about the last fully self-contained room
at a very reasonable price.
And this place
is a gem—something like the Shamrock in Bendigo was in better times, but far
more opulent.
We chatted for
a while, but it started pissing rain as be taxied out to take off again.
His next stop
with his pax is Forest, and he suggested we should book there straight away for
Monday night, as it was packed out.
A DC3 charter
flight had flown in there and one engine had shit itself. About ten pax had
found other flights home, but quite a few were still stuck in Forest.
An engine for
the DC3 is being flown in by a Carribu in a day or so, obviously with engineers
to fit it.
We tied down
outside the Kal Aero Clubrooms and took a $20 taxi into town.
The taxi drive
said he had to hose ice off hi cab this morning before starting work.
I’m not
surprised, it’s bloody freezing.
Oh for the
warmth of Faraday where it’s 12 degrees today, 10 degrees tops here!!!
I called Kim
and Rob at Forest and we have a house there for Monday night, and probably also
Tuesday.
It should be
fun with a large bunch of fellow aviators, and all meals are with the managers
in their dining room.
Kim asked if we
had any food/drink allergies, and I mentioned that the plumber was allergic to
beer.
He was not
impressed!!
So here we are
in Kal. The plumber will be off to the races tomorrow and I will have a great
rest in our ‘palace’, aware that Hay Street has been declared out of bounds—and
is probably beyond my financial capacity in any case!
After take-away
for lunch, the plumber headed off on his inevitable rounds of the thirty or so
pubs here, and being a good and respectable chap I returned to our ‘palace’.
He arrived home
VERY late; it’s a big place and he probably got a bit lost!
I will no doubt
get his modified version of what really happened, in the morning!
Sunday 9th
July (Day 32)
The plumber
slept soundly and remained in a state of semi-consciousness until it was time
to rise for breakfast at 11am.
 |
| Oh Dear, do I really need to re-hydrate?? |
 |
| Studying the form guide |
He complained
of a severely painful knee, allegedly caused by a bite of some kind.
No tooth marks
however, were evident on casual examination. Obvious bruising was present, which could have resulted
from a collision with an unspecified hard object eg: the ground, the stairs or
other unknown obstructions to his progress.
In due course
he departed for the race track, and subsequently returned at 5:30pm with little
he was prepared to report.
 |
| Doesn't look much, but very opulent inside |
 |
| Herbert Hoover |
A history
lesson for today…..
‘As discussed yesterday, we are staying at the Palace Hotel,
Kalgoolie-Boulder. Established in 1897, the
Palace Hotel has been catering to the Goldfields and its visitors for more than
100 years. This beautiful hotel has accommodated some very famous people over
the years including the writer, and the plumber.
Guests and
visitors can view the magnificent carved wood frame mirror that Herbert Hoover
had designed, made and sent to the Palace Hotel as a gift. It was widely held
that Hoover fell in love with a barmaid at the Palace and the poem he wrote for
her is also displayed in the foyer.
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who
served as the 31st
President of the United States from 1929 to 1933 during the Great
Depression.
A
Republican, as Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s he introduced Progressive Era themes of
efficiency in the business community and provided government support for
standardization, efficiency and international trade.
As
president from 1929 to 1933, his ambitious programs were overwhelmed by the Great Depression, which
seemed to get worse every year despite the increasingly large-scale
interventions he made in the economy.
A lifelong Quaker, he became a
successful mining
engineer around the globe and retired in 1912.
In the
presidential election of 1928, Hoover easily won the Republican
nomination, despite having no elected-office experience. Although
Hoover never raised the religious issue, some of his supporters did in
mobilizing anti-Catholic sentiment against his opponent Al Smith.
Hoover won
in a landslide’.
….And so ends today’s history lesson.
In the
meantime, I have completed a day of total rest, and tomorrow we will again commit
aviation, and proceed EASTWARDS to Forest (YFRT).
In the middle
of the Nullarbor, and just inside the WA border.
Monday 10th
July (Day 33)
A long day
filled with lots of aviation and related interests.
After packing
up early we booked out of our upstairs Palace Hotel room and headed downstairs
for coffee and raisin toast for breakfast.
Here we met
Margaret, who with her husband Harry had been on the DC3 now stuck at Forest
with one dead engine.
Along with a
journalist they had chartered a flight to Kalgoolie and are presently staying
at the Palace Hotel hopefully awaiting the DC3 in several days, to continue
their trip.
And so we
learned of the crowd stranded in Forest, although some have obtained flights
out.
The normal
population of Forest is TWO—Kim and Rob who manage the place.
It would have
to be the most isolated place across the Nullabor, and one of the greatest in
Australia.
Still, silent,
star-filled skies, and brilliant sunrises and sunsets.
The only regular
contacts with the outside world are supplies and mail dropped off by the Indian-
Pacific once weekly, plus occasional light aircraft nuts like us, flying in!
And so now they
have been catering for some nineteen passengers and crew of the DC3, and we
will join them this evening.
Our flight from
YPKG was long an uneventful.
 |
| View from Palace window sunrise |
 |
| River about 35nm YPKG |
 |
| On top, 8.500 feet, superb |
 |
| Down through a hole approaching Forest |
For three
hundred and forty four miles, there is absolutely no sign of human habitation.
We cruised firstly at 5000 under fluffy cu cloud, then found some holes, and
were able to climb on top at 8,500 for a hundred miles or so.
Nearer Forest
the cloud became less porous and we descended through a hole down to 3500 for
the final hour.
Landed at
Forest shortly after 2pm local and immediately refueled.
There was
action everywhere at the hangar. The Caribou had arrived with a spare engine
for the DC3 and there were engineers and hangers-on everywhere.
 |
| One-engined DC3 |
 |
| Caribou with engine for DC3 |
 |
| DC3 at dusk |
 |
| theUGlyDucking-- shoved back out of their way!!!!! |
Their ladies
were in the managers residence playing cards, so we willingly accepted a tour
of the place with Rob in his Landcruiser.
 |
| Forest 'station' |
 |
| Lookout above museum |
 |
| Round the pre-dinner fire |
Out to the
little ‘Museum’ with lots of historic photos and aviation related items on
display, the old met office, the railway line and the Forest ‘station’—the ONLY
one left on the Nullabor; and a general look around the tiny place.
Just on dusk,
Rob fired up a pile of old wooden pallets with the help of a bit of Jet A1, and
the whole group gathered round to keep warm, drink beer, meet each other, and
tell lies. Rob passed round bowls of nuts and chips as pre-dinner nibbles,
which were great.
There were more
retired airline captains and engineers than I could count; all part of the HARS
group. (Historic Aircraft Restoration Group, which owns the DC3, the Caribou, a
Super Constellation and other early aircraft.)
Apparently
there are over 500 ‘members’, and this trip included many pax who are
associated with the HARS group.
As the fire
died down a bit, Kim announced it was time for dinner.
She did a
marvelous job feeding about nineteen people, all seated at tables in a warm
room, with plenty of hot food for all, and then very nice sweets to follow.
A great meal
with the group, and then back to our warm ‘digs’ for the night, with electric
blankets on full!
In the morning
most of the passengers will be flown out in the Caribou, leaving the engineers
and pilots to try and fit an engine to the DC3 over the next few days!
Tuesday 11th
July (Day 34)
An early ride
for the HARS ladies heading off to YPKG and beyond, in the Caribou this
morning.
Mustering time
was 6am and we emerged to watch the loading, and the a/c take off shortly after
7am.
 |
| Sunrise towards hangar Caibou ready to load |
 |
| 70 Carriage freight train |
A loaded
Caribou is no faster than a C172 so they would have a slow trip to Kal at about
2000 feet, into a head wind.
This left 4
engineers and two pilots from the group to somehow graft an engine into the
DC3, which could take until the weekend or longer.
We were all
together again for lunch which included superb pumpkin soup with bacon, and
toasted ham and cheese sandwiches.
Kim again did
an amazing job with little more than a domestic kitchen to prepare food for the
hoards. Rob helped with the serving, and hopefully washing up is also his
duty!!
As today is the
official Western Australian annual geriatric day of rest, I did my duty and had
a great sleep all afternoon.
In the meantime
the plumber was out and about, as he should be, taking photos, some of which
will appear amongst these notes.
We are getting
to know the DC3 crew pretty well, and again at pre-dinner drinks we heard of
their progress.
 |
| Dick, one of the Captains |
 |
| BBQ/Fire area |
 |
| Managers house where we all meet and eat!! |
There are
certainly challenges rigging up and getting an exchange engine fitted out here
at Forest.
Minimal
equipment, maximum and innovative adaption is certainly involved.
Another great
meal prepared by Kim for dinner including nibbles served by Rob beforehand, and
then chicken ‘parmas’ with mash, peas and salad, fresh bread rolls, and a
chocolate pudding and ice-cream for sweets.
 |
| OUR house Only nine to feed tonight, plus a Telstra bloke who is out here installing new batteries for their towers, and Kim and Rob were able to join us at the table also. |
A great sleep
in our cottage after a great evening.
Wednesday 12th
July (Day35)
Another
beautiful morning at Forest, and today we are off to Nullarbor Roadhouse, just
off the coast of the ‘head’ of the Great Australian Bight.
 |
| Sunrise Forest |
After a
comprehensive breakfast of cereal, fruit, juice and toast, we packed up and
visited the managers house two doors away, to settle up our accounts.
After fond
farewells, Rob drove us out to the hangar with the UGlyDuckling tied down
nearby.
Bob, a captain
on the DC3 gave us both a comprehensive tour of the aircraft including the
flight deck.
Pretty cramped
in the LH seat, and far too many knobby-dialy things for me.
 |
| Old and complicated!! |
Pre-flighted
the UGlyDuckling and wished the engineers and pilots good luck with their very
major undertaking.
We took of on
runway 28, directly west, and after turning on track we had a great North
Easterly breeze right up our jack!
Even in climb
we could get 115kts, and in cruise at 6,500 we were getting long at between 125
and 130kts!!
Not a cloud I
the sky, and we could see the ocean of the ‘Bight from about 45nm out from
Nullarbor.
Ipad and phone
times changed to SA time as we crossed over the WA border.
We have settled
into a motel room at this rip-off place!
The dearest
avgas of the whole trip so far.
Stronads
everywhere, and prices for food and drinks are way over the top.
Just take it or
leave it and top up at the next place, a couple of hundred Km either way (by
road vehicles).
 |
| Tied down Nullarbor |
We took it, but
will be glad to get out of this hole in the morning, and will be flying
mainly a few nm off the coast all
the way to out next stop at Streaky Bay tomorrow.
Should see
quite a few whales at this time of the year also.
Thursday 13th
July (Day 36)
My darling
eldest daughters 51st Birthday today. And you can see from the
picture she hasn’t changed a bit since last year!!
Many of the
stronads were up having breakfast in their mobile retirement villages, and were
then off out of here in a flash.
Coffee and
look-at-it in our room, and now the plumber wants to wander out and play one
hole of the longest golf course in the world. It’s the ‘Dingo’s Den' , par 5.
 |
| Top Golfer |
 |
| Other golfer |
Not a cloud in
the sky looking north, and a bit of very high cirrus out to sea.
And winds again
from the North-West so we should get a good run from here to Streaky Bay.
There is a
young bloke doing charters out of here in a C182 over the whale watching areas
and the head of the Bight.
Very expensive,
but no doubt he will get a few quackers. He said he had followed our track on
OzRunways, and was quite amazed how far we have traveled! (VH-BKW, parked next
to us o/night)
After the golf
exercise, we loaded up for the200-odd-nm flight to Streaky Bay.
 |
| About to leave YNUB |
A week ago I
had never heard of it, but from the comments on OzRunways it seemed a great
alternative to Ceduna which has a $100 call out fee, is miles out of town and
not very pilot friendly.
Having been
there several times I was pleased to discover Streaky Bay (YKBY) as an
alternative stop.
And how right
that turned out to be.
Moreover, the
flight today was almost all coastal along the cliffs and sandy beaches of the
‘Bight.
 |
| Beautiful coast, cliffs and sand |
 |
| Great beaches |
With a good
breeze from the north West we were getting 125 to 130kt most of the wat.
And then quite
a way out, with lots of small islands. We passed Ceduna over thirty miles out
to sea. Didn't see any whales, but won't loose any sleep over that!!
 |
| Ceduna thirty miles in |
Called Penny
from the pub when we landed and she picked us up in the pub van, the airfield
is some 10km out of town.
 |
| Biggles Bear has guarded me for my years!!! |
 |
| Tied down Streaky Bay |
What a great
and beautiful town; this will go down as one of our favorite spots.
The pub is a great community owned hotel, and we are in a ground floor motel room attached.
We had lunch at Elliot(t)s bakery, and tea at the pub.
 |
| Wrong spelling again! |
 |
| View at dusk from lounge bar |
 |
| Our ground floor room round the side |
From the front
bar, the beautiful bay is almost within touching distance.
Heather has
been here before, but it is all new to me.
A light shower
of rain in the late afternoon, but the sky has now cleared and the stars are
out.
Tomorrow it
will be off to Port Pirie: 188nm from here, over the Eyre peninsular, and then
about 40nm across Spencer Gulf to the airfield.
Friday 14th
July (Day 37)
Up and packed,
and then into the dining are for a great included continental breakfast.
Juices, cereals, toast, yoghurt, fruit, and tea or coffee.
A mention of
the airfield was all that was needed for a complimentary ride out to the
plane. A great value hotel/motel
for only $110 for the two of us, all inclusive.
Except the
beer, but happy hour more than fulfilled our needs!
There had been
a brief shower overnight, and a few drops again this morning.
Lots of cloud
about, but it appeared to be clearing and the radar and met seemed to confirm
that.
We took off
into the west, just after a Partanavia had landed, possibly the mail plane.
After turning
East towards Pirie we were getting 115kts in the climb, and 125 at 3,500 feet
which was about the cloud base.
 |
| Cu at 3.500 |
 |
| Ship over gulf |
 |
| On top 6,000 |
 |
| Spencer Gulf |
About 50 miles from YKBY we climber through
some hopes and stayed on top at 6000 for about an hour, then down to 4000 for
the crossing of Spencer Gulf, from about 10nm south of Wyhalla.
On landing at
YPIR the re-fueller was there as we taxied in, and the fuel price at $2.06 is
better than mates-rates back at YKTN.
He suggested we
could camp at his Dads’ place, and ‘Dad’ duly turned up with that offer.
A long story,
but very hard to refuse until I came up with some feeble excuses. ‘Dad’ did
however give us a very prolonged tour of the town before reluctantly dropping
us off at the International Hotel.
‘Dad’ is
exceedingly old, yet still flies a C182 frequently.
Indeed he is seventy-five,
an age I can somewhat relate to!!
Here we have a
twin motel room for $110 including breakfast.
‘Dad’ has even
offered to drive us back out in the morning; a genuine offer from a nice bloke
who seems a bit lonely.
We will
graciously and thankingly decline.
In the
meantime, we wonder if there are m(any) takers at the Flight Deck at Faraday
this evening!!??
Saturday 15th
July (Day 38)
Off to Renmark today, we are nearing the finish of this remarkable flight!!
The weather on
our track out of Port Pirie was looking very ordinary, particularly with about
50nm of lumpy ground to cross before the flatter lands further South East.
After
assessing, and checking met and radar we decided to have a go, on the basis
that we would turn back if it was not clearly VFR over the high ground, or
divert if necessary as we have full tanks again.
Initially the
cloud base was 2,500, through a very light mist for a few minutes, but the
horizon always visible.
As we
approached the lumps I was able to climb to 3,500 with the tops well below, and
several escape routes, even though one would involve a clearance thru Adelaide
airspace.
 |
| Lumpy bits |
 |
| Lumpy bits, cloud dase 2,500 |
After 60nm we
were over the lumpy bits, and the rest of the run to Renmark was as flat as a ‘shit-carters hat’ and we could achieve
4000 for the run into Renmark.
Alas, it must be fly-day in the Barossa with lots of calls from the circuit lovers down
playing on many unmarked strips, but all on 126.7
After landing
at Renmark, it was time for some serious decision making.
I had insisted
that theUGlyDuckling had earned a good health check after over 5000nm.
Hence Hopetoun
was deleted from the plan and Horsham inserted instead.
I booked in for
a routine check with Tony Brand for Monday morning. He and Peter Brand were
about to leave for Oshkosh as I had initially planned to do also, but their
engineers could attend to any health check on UGD.
After coffee
and biscuits in the very nice but ‘nobody-home’
aero clubrooms, we decided to head on a further 165nm to Horsham.
 |
| LAKE HINDMARSH |
 |
| AH &DG u/s |
After all, the
WX for tomorrow also looks average, and we would then miss the Monday
appointment.
A good flight
to YHSM, arriving about 4pm.
AND, we are now
back on Victorian time again after just on six weeks!
Tied up, and
collected the car left for us, and headed into town to the Horsham Motel.
I can have a
full day of rest here tomorrow prior to the health check on theUGlyDuckling on
Monday.
I would like to
have the oil changed (third time), perhaps a new vac pump so the AH and DG work
again!!, the landing light fixed PROPERLY this time and a general full medical
for the ‘ole girl.
And this ‘ole
bloke will be due for one again for that Cascara mob in about sixty days!!
Lets see how
inflexible they really are after I interpret their riot act in a sane and evidence-based manner!!
Sunday 16th
July (Day 39)
A full day of
rest was duly accomplished!
Monday 17th
July (Day 40)
Out to the
airfield at 8:30am to check with the Cessna specialists and obtain an estimated
time for completion of the full medical on theUGlyDuckling .
Cowls were off,
a new off-the-shelf vacuum pump was fitted, oil drained and fresh oil added, a
long standing problem with the landing light wires arcing identified and
rectified, new nose-wheel tyre fitted, bearings greased, strut seals replaced,
and a general check of all critical components completed.
At midday UGD
was rolled out of the hangar and an engine run completed and suction and AH and
DG gauges checked following new vacuum pump.
We topped up
the tanks, and took off into a brisk northerly and departed over the top for
home.
Low cloud and
several showers kept us below 3000’ but the ground speed was impressive,
exceeding 130kts for quite a while.
 |
| Just East YHSM |
 |
| Cairn Curren |
I used
discretion and crossed the Pyrenees at the Northern end due to low cloud over the
‘gap’ near Summerfield.
Back on track,
and despite cloud cover we were soon back on track, over YMBU, as usual with ‘nobody
home’.
What a waste of
a superb airfield!
Of course we
had to divert slightly to circle home and let Heather know we were back at
last, and the plumbers home next door.
Faraday has
never looked so good!
 |
| Almost home... |
Inbound to
YKTN, and landed on 36 right on 2pm, just as Amy from the local paper was
arriving for a photo and a bit of a story.
As I vacated
the runway, I announced to myself-- ‘the
UGlyDuckling has landed’.
And so ends an
extraordinary forty-day adventure, the highlights of which are so many it will
take some time to analyze and summarize it all.
