I’ve been trying to gain experience with IFR and IMC so flew ROC down to Coffs Harbour just before Christmas 2017 to visit my sister Liz.  The Stradbroke Island aero club hosts a breakfast on the third Saturday of every month and that was what it was so before heading to Coffs I did a 20 minute VFR flight over Moreton Bay to Straddie with some other aero club members from Redcliffe. About 30 aircraft attended the breakfast, varying in size from single person ultra lights to six seaters.

Parked at Dunwich

After an hour or so the others headed back to Redcliffe and I took off IFR to Coffs Harbour via the Gold Coast. There was a bit of traffic at the Gold Coast so ATC sent me inland into IMC. I hadn’t reckoned on that so hadn’t calculated a lowest safe for that track. I told the controller so and he let me track direct to Coffs and climb. I emerged from the clouds not far from Mt Warning.

Emerging from the clouds

The clouds gradually cleared as I headed south. First Evans Head emerged between the clouds.

Evans Head

Then I passed Yamba and Iluka straddling the Clarence River.

Iluka and Yamba

At Coffs I was met by Liz and two of her grandchildren who inspected ROC thoroughly and seemed to give it thumbs up, even if it “only fits 4 people”.

On the ground at Coffs

It was a good day to practice IFR with patches of cloud so about 30 minutes of IMC during the 90 minute flight. I tied down the ROC and we headed off to Bellingen to stay the night. During the night there was a very strong wind and I was a bit concerned about ROC’s welfare but I had tied it down firmly and it was none the worse for wear when we returned on Sunday morning for the return flight.

After preflighting and submitting my flight notification I had to taxi all the way to the far end of the very long runway for takeoff. I thought the kids would get bored and depart but no, they waited and apparently thought my takeoff was pretty good – but not as impressive as the sky diving plane that took off with its door missing!

Homewards was IFR again but this time inland, via Casino and Kyogle

Near Kyogle

I then passed over the Border Ranges with Mt Lindsay and Mt Barney then on to and over Beaudesert, Springfield Lakes, Lake Manchester and the ranges west of Brisbane.

Passing Mt Lindsay and Mt Barney

It was another great day for flying IFR with about 30 minutes of IMC and the other 60 minutes clear blue skies.

Cessna 172 – Mount Gambier – Blue Lake – Port McDonnell – Ewens Ponds – Nelson

Early in February 2018, during a visit to Mt Gambier, I did a check flight in a Cessna 172 that belongs to Bob Rowe, one of the local aero club members. Bob signed me off as capable so it means I can now hire it when I’m visiting.

I took mum and dad’s neighbour Simon for a flight the following day, and he kindly acted as photographer.

The Cessna 172 is an older aircraft that has been well looked after. It’s fairly basic with dials, no glass cockpit, no auto pilot and a basic GPS. It also has a carburettor rather than fuel injection.

After waiting for a REX plane to land we took off from RWY 18, heading straight for Mt Gambier city about 10km away.

Soon we were over the Blue Lake at 2000ft, and did a couple of orbits over the city.

The Valley Lake is on the left and the Blue Lake on the right. The Lakes golf course bottom right.

We flew over the city centre and Simon got a good snap of Bay Road leading up to mum and dad’s place, hidden amongst the trees.

Then it was off to the coast, where we passed by Port McDonnell with its breakwater.

And on along the coast to the east, where the beaches were clean and inviting. The sea was calm as there was almost no wind. The sky was clear too and at about 25C perfect weather for flying.

These are Ewans Ponds, a series of freshwater ponds that are fed by a spring. The water flows into Eight Mile Creek and on to the coast a few km away. These ponds are great for scuba diving but you need a wet suit!

Picannini Ponds, at the bottom of this shot, are a favourite spot for cave diving enthusiasts.

We flew along to the mouth of the Glenelg River, near Nelson.

And over Nelson itself.

We followed the Glenelg River upstream to Dartmoor then headed back to “The Mount”. Soon we were turning onto final for RWY 18.

Cirrus – SR22 – IFR – RNAV

In February 2018 I did a few familiarisation flights with Mike Cahill in his newly acquired (second hand) Cirrus SR22 to practise cross country flying and use of the avionics and GPS/auto pilot.

MSF ready to depart

On this occasion I flew IFR from Redcliffe to Kingaroy and back via the Sunshine Coast. It was a perfect morning – about 25C with blue skies and a few puffy clouds around and almost no wind. We climbed out of Redcliffe to 8000 ft and tracked west. 25 miles from Kingaroy I started descending and tracked over to the southern RNAV (GPS) approach for runway 34, did a holding pattern at Sierra Echo at 5100ft AMSL and then used the GPS to fly the approach.

I carried out a missed approach at 2000ft AMSL (500ft above ground) over the threshold and climbed out to 3700ft, then set up the northern RNAV for runway 16 via November Delta. There were a couple of other aircraft doing similar exercises but air traffic control kept us separated.

We landed on RWY16 and taxied to the parking area. After a short break and a chat to a couple who’d also flown up to Kingaroy for the day, we took off again, climbed to 7000ft and tracked direct to Sunshine Coast Airport.

Maroochydore from 7000ft

We passed overhead and then tracked direct to Redcliffe, with air traffic control stepping us down as we passed Bribie Island. Landing at Redcliffe we filled the tanks to tabs plus 30 litres and then taxied out again for 6 circuits with touch and go to get a better feel for the landing. The plane is actually great to fly and lands really smoothly. Even though it has a fixed undercarriage it has a TAS (True Air Speed) of 165 knots and endurance of 2.5 hours flight with 4 adults plus baggage so it should be a great touring aircraft.

Redcliffe – Hervey Bay – Sunshine Coast

In February 2018 we had another club flyaway to Hervey Bay. Sigi and I did the same trip two years previously in a 172 on a very windy day (= turbulence!). This time it was in MSF, Mike Cahill’s Cirrus, and the weather was much better. Sigi decided she wouldn’t go this time as she’s been to Hervey Bay quite a few times already, so Harpur joined us in the capacity of official photographer. Mike took Bryan Galvin, so we had a full complement. It was a good opportunity to fly the plane with max take off weight.

Bryan and Mike wait as Sam takes off ahead of us

This is an advantage of MSF over the ROC. You can fit four adults plus fuel plus baggage and fly a reasonable distance. I flew the outward leg, IFR, with Mike co-pilot. We climbed to 8000ft and passed over Sunshine Coast airport then flew direct to Hervey Bay, passing through a bit of cloud on the way. Good IMC experience! I used the time to become more familiar with the avionics in the aircraft, making the most of the autopilot and GPS.

Hervey Bay Airport

There were about 6 club aircraft all arriving about the same time as well as local traffic so we had to arrange our slots so that we didn’t conflict. We worked together using the radios to increase our situational awareness as we descended from 30 miles out. The wind was from the south east so I passed overhead at about 3000ft, did a right turn and joined downwind. After a smooth touchdown I taxied to the GA parking area which our group had pretty much filled to capacity. A couple of maxi taxis took us into town where we had lunch at one of the cafes along on the esplanade.

For the return trip Mike decided to fly VFR at 1500 ft along the coast with Bryan as co-pilot. I was able to experience the comfort of the rear seat next to Harpur. We waited for a Virgin jet to land, then taxied back up the runway following Sam in his Piper.

Waiting for the Virgin flight to land

After waiting for him to depart we took off and flew across Wide Bay to Fraser Island, over Kingfisher Resort and Lake McKenzie then down the east coast to Rainbow Beach.

Inskip Point barge

As we passed over Double Island Point we were amazed at the number of cars on the beach, even if it was a Saturday.

Cars on the beach at Double Island Point

At 170 knots it wasn’t long before we were over Noosa and tracked through the Sunshine Coast Airport airspace.

Sunshine Beach

and From there we tracked down the coast to Caloundra, where a skydiving plane dropped a load just before we arrived.

Caloundra

They remained over land and we remained over water until we reached Bribie Island where Mike headed straight for Redcliffe via Beachmere.

I flew down to Adelaide recently to have a couple of lessons with an instructor in HJV, a Cirrus SR20 that belongs to the Adelaide Aero Club and is based at Parafield Airport. The idea was to combine a check flight, that would allow me to hire the plane solo in future, while taking the opportunity to familiarise myself with the air space around Parafield. It’s quite congested, being located between Adelaide international to the south and the RAAF Edinburgh air base to the north. There are only two corridors of uncontrolled air space to the north west and north east and they’re quite tight so it’s important to know the visual cues for the boundaries of the controlled airspace either side. On Wednesday we flew out to the north west via St Kilda to Dublin and back to Parafield via Outer Harbour for a touch and go, followed by a departure to the north east via the substation towards Angaston in the Barossa Valley and back via the Warren Reservoir for a few circuits. That sorted out the Parafield airspace in my mind.

Planned route from YPPF to Dublin in the northwest and Angaston in the north east

The next day we departed via St Kilda again and then obtained a clearance to fly through the Adelaide controlled airspace to Aldinga aerodrome near McLaren Vale. We flew along the coast over the water at “not more than 500ft” and had stage wise clearances to avoid the aircraft arrivals into Adelaide.

Passing Adelaide International

We passed out of controlled airspace at Port Noarlunga and soon landed at Aldinga where we had a coffee at the lovely little cafe next to the taxiway.

On the ground in Aldinga

Aldinga is the centre for Adelaide Biplanes who do scenic flights around the area, as well as a many private pilots. Being a Thursday there were only two other aircraft around.

After the break we departed to the south and followed the coast to Cape Jervis at 4500ft. We could see Kangaroo Island in the distance over the strait.

Cape Jervis with KI in background

We then turned and headed east along the coast at 3500ftSoon with views back up the Fleurieu Peninsula as we went.

Looking north towards Aldinga

Soon we were passing Victor Harbour and Granite Island.

Victor Harbour

Then it was on to Goolwa where we had a great view of the Murray mouth.

Goolwa and Murray Mouth

Turning north we returned to Port Noarlunga at 2500ft. At Port Noarlunga we received another clearance from Air Traffic Control to fly through Adelaide air space northwards to Outer Harbour, then back into Parafield. I got the tick and am now approved for solo hire of HJV.

In March 2018 I had a fly-in reunion with two school mates in the Grampians in western Victoria. Russell (aka Akko), Dave (aka Margs) and I hadn’t been in the same place at the same time for over 30 years. The planets aligned as Russell was back in Mt Gambier for a week at the same time as me. We both had two days free so I hired Bob Rowe’s 172 and we flew over to Stawell to visit Dave who has a sheep property and olive grove and cafe nearby (www.redrockolives.com.au). From Mt Gambier we tracked over Casterton and the Western Districts. Passing over Victoria Valley we headed for Stawell, flew over the town and landed on their great long sealed runway. Dave took us to a cafe in town for lunch and then all three of us climbed aboard for a scenic flight around the Grampians, including a few orbits over the farm and the olive grove. In the evening we went to Ararat for the monthly “Ararat live” concert. It was a guy called Steve Poltz from the US who’d just played at the Pt Fairy Folk Festival. He’s best known for his collaborations with singer Jewel, especially the 1996 single, “You Were Meant for Me”, which he played amongst many more and a lot of improvisations. Very amusing. In the morning we headed over to the Red Rock Cafe for brunch and to stock up on olive oil. Then it was back to the airport for departure. We tracked around the northern end of the Grampians then across to Edenhope, Coonawarra and finally into Mt Gambier with a quick flight over the town and the lakes.

Mudgee – Wagga Wagga – Mildura – Lake Mungo – Darling River – Louth – Lightning Ridge

Australia’s three iconic rivers, the Murray, the Darling and the Murrumbidgee drain around one seventh of the continent. The Murray-Darling river system from its source near the Queensland/NSW border to its mouth in South Australia is the third longest navigable river in the world, after the Amazon and the Nile. The water from these rivers has opened up thousands of square kilometres of otherwise inhospitable country to cultivation through irrigation systems that have been operating for well over 100 years. I’ve been fascinated by these rivers since first going on holiday to the Riverland in South Australia and north-western Victoria as a child. Earlier this year, on numerous trips from Brisbane to Adelaide, I noticed that the standard IFR route uses Mildura as a waypoint. As we passed over Mildura I’d look down from 30,000 ft to see the confluence of the Darling and the Murray at Wentworth and think how enjoyable it’d be to follow the Darling from its source to where it flows into the Murray then retrace the route of the Murray and Murrumbidgee upstream. The seed of an idea for a flying holiday that would put my recently acquired private instrument rating to good use was germinating.

We had known for some time that our daughter Sonja would be working in Mildura for a few months from August so that seemed a good reason for my wife Sigi and me to fly down the Darling to see her. I chose October as I reasoned the weather in SE Qld and northern NSW should still be relatively stable while the weather down south should have warmed up a bit.

I booked ROC, the club’s C182, for Monday 16th with a plan to fly across to Bourke and to stay somewhere on the banks of the Darling for one or two nights and then continue to Mildura, returning via Wagga.

However as the date of departure approached, Brisbane and SE Qld was hit by unseasonal heavy rain and strong easterly winds. My delight at having a 40 knot tail wind was tempered by the severe turbulence Sigmet that covered the whole of the south east corner of Queensland from Kingaroy down to the border, centred over the Lockyer Valley. This unfavourable weather was meant to clear by Monday but we ended up having to wait for 3 days.

Finally the winds abated so we could depart Redcliffe on the morning of Thursday October 19th. Due to the forecast weather patterns I reversed my original plan, deciding to travel clockwise rather than anticlockwise around NSW. Our first stop would be Mudgee, about 3 hours to the south on the west of the Great Dividing Range. There was plenty of cloud as we headed out of Redcliffe so it was a great opportunity to make the most of my instrument skills to make it through to clear air south of the border. ATC cleared us direct to Amberley at 6,000ft and we climbed into cloud above the lowest safe altitude. After reaching 6,000ft we remained in cloud for about one hour until we were almost at Stanthorpe. It was good IMC practice. After crossing the border into NSW it was nothing but blue skies with the occasional puffy cumulus cloud as we tracked via Inverell and Gunnedah and on to Mudgee. Perfect flying weather.

Mudgee is a pretty little town nestled within a ring of hills. It has a number of small wineries located within about 5km of the aerodrome. Very convenient for fly-in wine lovers. We stayed overnight at the Hangar House. It’s an amazing property adjacent to the taxi way that was originally intended to be a flying school but is now a Bed & Breakfast with enough space in the purpose-built hangar to park ROC along with a Partenavia belonging to Alex, the owner. Alex told us that about 20% of his guests are fly-ins. He understands the problems of fly in guests who have no ground transport so kindly lent us his car so we could drive to a winery about 5 minutes away, where we tasted a few wines and shared a charcouterie platter. It was great to sit out on the verandah at Lowes enjoying the sun.

Sadly the good weather didn’t last. A cold front went through overnight and Friday morning greeted us with cloud covering the tops of all the surrounding hills and steady drizzle that occasionally turned to rain. The forecast indicated it would ease by lunch time so we waited. And waited. Our plan to fly on to Wagga that day didn’t look too promising and we thought we might be stuck in Mudgee for another night. Normally that wouldn’t be so bad but Alex told us he had no rooms that night and that Mudgee was pretty much booked out for the weekend.

So I pre-flighted ROC , submitted another IFR flight notification, this time to Wagga Wagga via Temora, and waited for the weather to clear. After about another hour the rain stopped and the cloud lifted. I decided to take off and orbit above the aerodrome to lowest safe. Once above lowest safe we could track to Temora, climbing through the clouds. I checked with ATC that the flight plan was still valid then taxied out to the runway. After take off I made a couple of orbits over the aerodrome as we climbed and before we reached our lowest safe of 4700ft a gap in the clouds appeared in the direction of Temora so we headed off and soon were well above lowest safe. We continued to climb to 6000ft in and out of clouds. More practice at flying in IMC. Gradually the clouds started to thin out especially in the direction of Wagga so I amended the flight plan and, after advising ATC of my intention, tracked direct to Wagga. That’s one of the good things about flying IFR. You can not only fly through clouds but can change your mind along the way and ATC help you get to where you want to go. You just have to let them know where you want to go and they provide you with weather and traffic information.

Eventually we were flying over a layer of clouds and we could see the western edge of the frontal system in the distance. By the time we were abeam Temora it was blue sky and clear of clouds below us as well. We descended into Wagga, passing over the Murrumbidgee and followed a few other GA aircraft in.

After tying down the aircraft we wandered across the apron past about 20 REX training aircraft. Wagga is the headquarters of REX so they train their pilots and store their aircraft there. We were met by our friend Trudi who drove us into town by the Murrumbidgee to a park where they had various stalls set up selling local produce and nibbles and drinks and live music. It was very pleasant to be relaxing in the sun again after our gloomy morning at Mudgee.

On Saturday morning we were up early. We wanted to fly with Trudi to Temora, about 30 minutes north, and to visit the aviation museum, before continuing our trip to Mildura in the afternoon. Trudi has started to learn to fly in Wagga and was keen to see what it’s like to fly with a PPL rather than just doing circuits and drills. After a quick breakfast we took off for Temora around 10am and after a smooth 30 minute flight landed on RWY 18 and taxied to the parking area next to the museum.

The museum is a private one that specialises in military aircraft that are all restored and fully functional, including two full scale Spitfires. They have monthly flying events where the various warbirds are put through their paces. We didn’t have a lot of time there but were able to see all the aircraft and also a display on Leonardo DaVinci’s machines that was visiting at the time. It was a very professional setup with some really interesting hardware on display.

Soon after 12 we were taking off and heading back to Wagga. We landed, taxied to the AvGas bowser and filled the tanks ready for the trip to Mildura. We said bye to Trudi and taxied out, took off and climbed out to the west over the town.

From Wagga we tracked west, following the Murrumbidgee as it meandered its way past Nerandera, Hay and Balranald. The green pastures gave way to wheat fields and finally to irrigated vineyards as we approached Mildura. We landed, tied down the aircraft, and caught a taxi into town and enjoyed a refreshment at the Mildura Brewery, one of the establishments created by Stefano de Pieri, Mildura’s own Heston Blumenthal. Sonja joined us for a late dinner after finishing her shift.

Sunday morning dawned disappointingly. Mildura, a city famous for its blue skies, had a grey one. Overcast with cloud at about 2000ft. We had intended to fly first thing to Mungo National Park about 30 minutes to the north but, given the weather, we decided to have a casual brunch while waiting for the clouds to clear. We dropped into Stefano’s Café, another of the establishments that Stefano de Pieri created. By the time we’d finished brunch the clouds had burned off, the sun was out and there was the clear blue sky that Mildura is so famous for.

I prepared ROC for the short flight and then taxied out to RWY 18, backtracking most of its length as there’s no separate taxi way. We took off to the south and turned to climb over the CBD and the river. After about 30 minutes the Mungo Lodge airstrips appeared in front of us. We continued on to the Walls of China, a line of sand dunes that curve about 30 km around the northern edge of the dry bed of Lake Mungo. After following the dunes from one end to the other we headed to Mungo Lodge and landed on one of the dirt strips. After a quick look around the lodge, a cup of coffee and a chat on the deck we prepared for our return to Mildura.

As we headed back to ROC we noticed a couple of emus strolling across one of the runways. This was a bit of a concern. Bird strikes are never good but an emu strike would be especially bad, even on the ground at low speed. So Sonja and Sigi kept a good lookout as I taxied to the active runway. I practised a soft field takeoff, flying just above emu height to pick up speed before climbing away.

About 10 miles north of Mildura we tracked west towards Wentworth so we could view the confluence of the Darling and the Murray from the air. It looked much better at 4,500 feet than at 35,000! We orbited over Wentworth where some local traffic was doing circuits and then tracked to Mildura.

Monday was a non-flying day. I wanted to refuel ROC ready for our departure the next day, though, so drove out to the airport in the morning. The refuelling business had recently been taken over by a US company and they hadn’t set up automated credit card facilities on the bowser yet so I had to call the supervisor to help me. He unlocked the bowser and as I refuelled chatted about how he recently had to refuel a plane for one of the customers because the pilot wasn’t able to refuel it himself. And the reason? He was 92 years old and didn’t feel safe on the ladder. He said the elderly gent was travelling around the state in his private plane with his wife who was about the same age. Impressive!

We drove over to Trentham Estate on the NSW side of the river for lunch. This is a winery we visited a couple of times in the distant past. It really impressed us then and did so again. They had a good selection of wines to taste and made a couple of platters for our lunch. The gardens looking over the river are great and the weather was perfect for a picnic.

On Tuesday it was time to depart Mildura. We were heading to Louth, a town of approximately 50 people on the left bank of the Darling River about 100km south west of Bourke. Just after 8am we drove out to the airport. When you’re flying into an outback town I like to take the day’s newspapers with me as the locals don’t get them very often and appreciate them when they do. It worked in Lawn Hill last year and given that Louth really is “back of Bourke” it was likely that the newspapers would be a hit there too. So before departing we bought a couple, along with flat whites to provide our morning hit of caffeine.

After starting the engine and watching a QLink Dash 8 arrive from Melbourne we taxied out to runway 36 and took off to the north. Soon we were cruising at 6000ft while roughly following the course of the Darling River. We were definitely on our own out there. No other aircraft within cooee. Just us and ATC. There were a number of properties hugging the Darling along the way and a few airstrips associated with them and occasional mines but no sign of activity. Our first waypoint was the town of Menindee, about one hour from Mildura, on the shores of Menindee Lakes, Broken Hill’s water supply.

From Menindee we tracked direct to Louth, just over an hour away and descended to 5000ft. ATC advised that there was another aircraft carrying out survey work for a new instrument approach at Wilcannia. The pilot was flying at altitudes of up to 5000ft and could potentially fly across our path. Closer to the capital cities ATC would keep us separated by referring to radar but there’s no radar or ADSB coverage at 5000ft that far out. So ATC ensured that the other aircraft descended below 5000ft before we were too close to it. All done simply, smoothly and professionally. At times like that you have to love IFR.

Continuing along the Darling we passed over Tilpa, a one house town with a bridge over the river and a sealed runway. There seems to have been a project out west to install sealed runways in key locations to allow the Royal Flying Doctor to fly in with the larger aircraft they use these days.

Another 10 minutes and we started descending into Louth, known in some quarters for its annual races. Not quite as famous as Birdsville maybe but still very popular amongst the NSW outback population we’re told. Back in Mudgee a friend of Alex had told us that she went to the races this year and had a great time.

We orbited over Louth at 2000ft and checked out the sealed strip from above. Cath, the owner of the local pub, Shindy’s Inn, had told me on the phone that I didn’t have to worry about kangaroos and emus on the strip as it was fully fenced, and so it was. A real bonus in such an out of the way place. We wouldn’t have a repeat of our Mungo Lodge emu encounter. Once again some good infrastructure installed for the flying doctor.

Tackling a slight cross wind we landed smoothly and taxied to the tie down area. Following a quick call to Cath a 4WD arrived to take us the short drive to the pub where we’d booked a cabin for the night. Our cabin had a deck overlooking the Darling. The river flows through a deep tree lined channel between levee banks and you could see that the water level is much higher at times of flood. Originally we’d thought we could go for a swim in the river but after Cath told us she hadn’t swum in it the 20 odd years she’d lived in Louth and wouldn’t recommend it we decided to give it a miss. The temperature was only about 30C so we were quite happy to settle into the pub for a drink and lunch instead.

Louth is not big. It’s really just a river crossing and road junction with the pub, a school, the race track, a cricket oval, a somewhat decrepit church, a post office that has been converted into a B&B and about 20 houses. And the bitumen only stretches to the edge of town. Then it’s a 100km drive on gravel to Bourke. There were about a dozen people in the pub. Locals in high vis vests , some grey nomads and a young guy doing a tour through NSW on his Yamaha trail bike.

Apart from the races Louth is famous for its cemetery so we wandered over to check it out. The main reason for its notoriety is the grave of Mary Mathews, the first wife of one of the early pioneers . At about 10 metres, the granite memorial towers above all the surrounding gravestones. Mary died at age 22 after having 4 children. Thomas Matthews married three more times but 17 years after her death, and after being married to his second wife for about 15 years, he had the memorial erected for the wife he still missed. The story goes that his second wife didn’t mind too much!

Back at the pub we had a couple of beers with the locals. When they heard we’d flown in and I mentioned how good the airstrip was one complained about the deterioration of the service provided by the flying doctor.

“They used to fly in small planes that could land on any dirt strip on any property. Now with their King Airs and Pilatus’s they need long sealed strips and so people have to drive from miles around to places like Louth. Not good!”

That was one angle we hadn’t thought of.

Oh, and the newspapers were a great success!

Wednesday dawned with a clear blue sky. It was time to head home. We’d be following the Darling and its tributaries across northern NSW. Cath took us out to the airstrip and wished us “bon voyage”. It was a short VFR hop to Bourke where we filled up with AvGas then headed off IFR to Lighting Ridge. I’d lodged a two stage flight notification with a guesstimated 90 minute stopover in Lightning Ridge. As we climbed to 7000ft we were identified by ATC who notified us that a Piper Chieftain was coming towards us a mile or so to our right descending into Bourke. We kept a lookout but didn’t spot him.

We passed over some pretty desolate country on the way out of Bourke. Not much in the way of farming out that far. Officially the Darling begins about 50km east of Bourke at the confluence of the Culgoa and Barwon rivers. A large number of tributaries flow into these rivers further east with the Border Rivers around Stanthorpe and Inverell generally considered the headwaters of the Darling.

About an hour out of Bourke we descended into Lightning Ridge. Overflying the airstrip I noticed some workers with a truck parked next to the runway threshold. One of the guys called up on the radio.

“Hey mate are you planning to land here?”

“Yes sure am.”

“Ok we’ll get out of your way.”

“Thanks.”

After shutting down we wandered over to the terminal building and considered how we’d get to town. A pinup board had a hand written sign on it. “If you want a lift to town call the Outback Resort and they may help you out”. So I called and explained that we wanted to get into town for some lunch.

“Oh we don’t have any taxis in town love but our handyman can pick you up.”

5 minutes later Barry the handyman appeared and drove us into town.

Lightning Ridge is an opal mining centre and has a largely itinerant population. A sign at the edge of town says: “Lightning Ridge – Population ???”. There are thousands of claims and mullock heaps spread around the town and reaching out up to 50km according to Barry. The town has thermal baths and a few opal retailers and jewellers with some great designs for sale and a couple of nice cafes. Barry drove us to one of those. A light breeze blew through the shaded verandah as we tucked into our steak sandwiches. It was a perfect day. Apparently the tourist season was coming to an end though as the 40+ days would soon arrive. Barry returned at the agreed time and drove us back to the airport.

“Thanks for the lift Barry. How much do we owe you?”

“Oh I reckon twenty bucks would keep the boss happy.”

We returned to ROC and were soon cruising at 7000ft on track for Goondiwindi. The land gradually started to green up as we approached the border. Banks of puffy cumulus clouds appeared ahead of us with their bases just below 7000ft so we flew in and out of them like passing though waves of fog. It’s great to fly into a cloud and pop out the other side and take in the new vista. Another plus of flying IFR. Over Goondiwindi we turned towards Brisbane and were soon passing over Wellcamp Airport on one side and Toowoomba on the other. Brisbane Centre passed us over to Amberley Approach who gave us a clearance into Redcliffe at 7000ft. We flew over Lake Wivenhoe, the upper reaches of the Brisbane River and Somerset Dam and were transferred to Brisbane Approach for our descent into Redcliffe. The sky was blue, visibility was for ever, it was a great homecoming.

We landed, emptied ROC of our belongings and dropped the keys off at the aero club. One of the instructors asked where we’d been. “Mildura ,eh? You know that’s where ROC comes from? It used to belong to a geologist who lived there. He chose the call sign.”