P2-KIK
Well I haven’t seen that balus for some time. Like you CC, I hope
JS is okay and your sighting in Oz is just retirement for the old girl. She was one fine taildragger! Did you have keys to
JS’s oil flap and fuel cap padlocks as well? Sootie was a prankster! didn't his son Bill run for office in the Gulf Province or something? He'd flown me a couple of places to fix busted stuff too.
Gees, I haven’t been to Kikori for years, Last time I was there, I stole some Jet A1 (sorry fisheries) from a 44 on the strip.
Long story, but suffice it to say we woz on our way to Victory Junction and got lost. The 20-minute fuel warning had been on for, well let’s just say “a while” and were we ever glad to pop out of the murk and spot that lovely little airstrip!
Flew from there up to camp and spent the first night listening to rain on the roof of the cabin trying to drown out the noise of the circling mozzies.
Was hilarious the next morning coz the Caterpillar blokes had offloaded a D6 off the barge we woz sleeping on and overnight the river rose about 15 feet from the rain. I got up and helped check the moorings and was silly enough to ask, “where’s the dozer guys?” One pointed to a swirling eddy about 30 feet away and said, “there she is”. Was I glad the helipad was up the hill a good 200 yards.
Was a good add for Cat though, coz when the water subsided, the guys drained and flushed all Cat cavities, filled her up with nice golden oil and fuel and away she went! After they broke her up into job lots we then lifted her up on a hill and she was reassembled to work flat out non-stop for a couple of weeks prepping a drill platform. Amazing!
Oh the memories.
