Yes, the Auster was actually recovered – towed out on a trailer behind a bulldozer if I remember correctly. I actually flew Jim Hazelton over the area in July 2013 and he pointed out where he believed the crash occurred. However, when I took Max back to almost the same location, he wasn’t at all sure that was the location of the crash site. I know Max has been up there since and we are trying to locate the exact site – perhaps fragments of perspex were left behind when they recovered the aircraft. It would be great to find the location and perhaps leave a little plaque there.
It should be noted that not far away is an actual aircraft fuselage of another plane which crashed many years later – that aircraft has been left there and many bushwalkers walk to that site.