Max Range
9th Sep 2002, 04:53
Thanks everyone for your advice to my post "2 weeks up north in a 172" a few months ago.
For those interested, we flew Moorabbin-Broken Hill-Birdsville-Argadargada Station (try saying that confidentlyon HF!)-Tennant Creek-Daly Waters-Mataranka-Katherine-Cooinda-Jabiru-Darwin-Timber Creek-Kununurra-Emma Gorge (ElQuestro)-Halls Creek-Balgo-Giles-Coober Pady-Leigh Creek-Loxton-Horsham-Moorabbin - a total of 36 hours flying hours.
Highlights were watching the terrain change north of Broken Hill and around the Moomba gas fields, staying the night at Argadargada Station in the musterer's quarters and the sunrise next morning, the Daly Waters Pub with the limousine pick-up from the strip (I'm not kidding!), the dawn Yellow Waters tour at Cooinda, the Darwin lifestyle, the scenery north west of Timber Creek towards the gulf, the accommodation, wine and food at Emma Gorge resort, the boat trip up the Chamberlain Gorge from El Questro, The Bungles, and the Balgo Artists Centre.
Most hospitable award goes to the owners of the Copley Caravan Park near Leigh Creek (great new cabin accommodation, they couldn't do enough to help us), least hospitable award to the Timber Creek Hotel who need some lessons in customer relations - they're non-existent, most luxurious to both the Emma Gorge resort for the whole experience and also Daly Waters for the limo, and most unusual to the road house at Giles where we taught the new manager how to refuel an aircraft, and made our own dinner in the kitchen in the roadhouse kitchen while the manager served truck loads of secret men's law aboriginals who were travelling around communities performing initiation ceremonies.
The weather? Well, we didn't see a cloud from Broken Hill until we left Leigh Creek and were blown to Loxton by a cold front that pushed our ground speed to a supersonic 160 knots! (We were in a 172 remember).
Thanks to the various pilots we met along the way who gave us great advice, including Mark at Cooinda, Jason at Timber Creek, Scott at Flight Standards Darwin (yes, we remembered to request the "Passing Bay" not the "Runup Bay" in our taxi call), Matt from somewhere who I only met on the phone, but told us about fuel at Giles, and the pilots at Alligator Air who gave us local knowledge on the Bungles and a copy of their passenger information book.
Finally - a big thank you to the Ppruners who provided advice:
Capt Vegie - Yep, it was a beaut trip and we only stopped at Coober Pedy for self-serve fuel and kept going (been there, done that)
429 CJ - didn't stay at Kunna for a cold beer but the red at Emma Gorge that night was pretty damn good
High Altitude - You're right about the $$$$'s on the ground - had a look at the Far Away Bay website and got some prices and didn't go there - Emma Gorge/El Questro was our luxury for the trip and no we didn't stay at the $1000/night homestead - the tented cabins pretty good at < 1/5 that price.
Clakajak - where's Doomadgee - never saw it? I'm a bit worried about how you said that though, what's at Doomadgee?
Jimmy Pop - we thought long and hard about going to Smith Point as your description of the cabins close to the strip and the awesome fishing were tempting. But that would have given us only one night in YPDN which was just not enough so that's on the list for the next trip.
Howard Hughes - As above to Jimmy, we just didn't have time to get to the Coburg Peninsula but next time definitely. Had already been to Ross River on a previous trip to Alice. Thanks for the reminder re the P charts - especially with all the camping gear in the back of the Cessna.
Islander Jock - didn't get there and still not quite sure where Mt Hart Homestead is??
No Further Requirements - Flight over Kakadu around Cooinda spectacular. Good food at Jabiru. We also did the Ranger Uranium Mine bus tour while we stopped at Jabiru for lunch which was interesting. And yes, just for you I had a seafood laksa at the Mindil Beach Market on the beach, watching the sunset, before we met friends at the Trailer Boat Club to drink wine and watch the rest of the sunset - what a life!
Nig & Nog/Yowie - Didn't get to Rabbit Flat (no fuel there). Have been to William Creek a couple of years ago when we did the Lake Eyre trip.
Tinstaafl - Mataranka Springs - stayed there in the cabins right next to the strip. Walked past the main thermal pool and found better pool at the river away from the maddening crowds. Katherine Gorge tour good but oh dear, the prices of the hire car just to get out there, they know how to charge. Wished we'd had more time to canoe as you suggested. I rang Mataranka to check the strip beforehand as you said, it's pretty good as they drive a ute up and down every day pulling a heavy metal bar to knock down all the termite mounds. And no, we didn't have to walk from the strip to the Daly Waters pub - see comments about limo earlier!
Transition Layer - Yes, had an awesome time. Must get back to the Kimberley ASAP and yes, I have seen photos of Cape Leveque area and it looks fantastic, but we just didn't have time this trip. Flew over Wolfe Creek Crater but only en route Bungles to Balgo.
I can't remember who suggested Balgo (I seem to have mislaid a couple of pages), after your recommendations re the art work I HAD to go there. Navajo parked when we got there, plus a local in a vehicle that looked like something out of Mad Max doing wheelies around the windsock, with dog and loud C&W music. I was a bit concerned about the security of the plane in case he got bored but the people at the art centre assured us he was being paid to stay there and guard the hospital plane. It turned out he was the husband of the artist whose paintings (x 2) we bought so there would have been cause for celebration at his place that night.
And finally to Compressor Stall - you are a legend for sending me all that extra information and I really appreciate the time and trouble you went to.
If I have missed anybody I am truly sorry (as above, have mislaid a couple of pages) - the advice you all gave was greatly appreciated and very useful. Can't wait until the next trip. Aren't we as pilots lucky to be able to do this? Otherwise we'd be waiting til we were old and grey to retire and do the trip in a bit new shiny Landcruiser dragging a caravan with frilly curtains.
Max.
For those interested, we flew Moorabbin-Broken Hill-Birdsville-Argadargada Station (try saying that confidentlyon HF!)-Tennant Creek-Daly Waters-Mataranka-Katherine-Cooinda-Jabiru-Darwin-Timber Creek-Kununurra-Emma Gorge (ElQuestro)-Halls Creek-Balgo-Giles-Coober Pady-Leigh Creek-Loxton-Horsham-Moorabbin - a total of 36 hours flying hours.
Highlights were watching the terrain change north of Broken Hill and around the Moomba gas fields, staying the night at Argadargada Station in the musterer's quarters and the sunrise next morning, the Daly Waters Pub with the limousine pick-up from the strip (I'm not kidding!), the dawn Yellow Waters tour at Cooinda, the Darwin lifestyle, the scenery north west of Timber Creek towards the gulf, the accommodation, wine and food at Emma Gorge resort, the boat trip up the Chamberlain Gorge from El Questro, The Bungles, and the Balgo Artists Centre.
Most hospitable award goes to the owners of the Copley Caravan Park near Leigh Creek (great new cabin accommodation, they couldn't do enough to help us), least hospitable award to the Timber Creek Hotel who need some lessons in customer relations - they're non-existent, most luxurious to both the Emma Gorge resort for the whole experience and also Daly Waters for the limo, and most unusual to the road house at Giles where we taught the new manager how to refuel an aircraft, and made our own dinner in the kitchen in the roadhouse kitchen while the manager served truck loads of secret men's law aboriginals who were travelling around communities performing initiation ceremonies.
The weather? Well, we didn't see a cloud from Broken Hill until we left Leigh Creek and were blown to Loxton by a cold front that pushed our ground speed to a supersonic 160 knots! (We were in a 172 remember).
Thanks to the various pilots we met along the way who gave us great advice, including Mark at Cooinda, Jason at Timber Creek, Scott at Flight Standards Darwin (yes, we remembered to request the "Passing Bay" not the "Runup Bay" in our taxi call), Matt from somewhere who I only met on the phone, but told us about fuel at Giles, and the pilots at Alligator Air who gave us local knowledge on the Bungles and a copy of their passenger information book.
Finally - a big thank you to the Ppruners who provided advice:
Capt Vegie - Yep, it was a beaut trip and we only stopped at Coober Pedy for self-serve fuel and kept going (been there, done that)
429 CJ - didn't stay at Kunna for a cold beer but the red at Emma Gorge that night was pretty damn good
High Altitude - You're right about the $$$$'s on the ground - had a look at the Far Away Bay website and got some prices and didn't go there - Emma Gorge/El Questro was our luxury for the trip and no we didn't stay at the $1000/night homestead - the tented cabins pretty good at < 1/5 that price.
Clakajak - where's Doomadgee - never saw it? I'm a bit worried about how you said that though, what's at Doomadgee?
Jimmy Pop - we thought long and hard about going to Smith Point as your description of the cabins close to the strip and the awesome fishing were tempting. But that would have given us only one night in YPDN which was just not enough so that's on the list for the next trip.
Howard Hughes - As above to Jimmy, we just didn't have time to get to the Coburg Peninsula but next time definitely. Had already been to Ross River on a previous trip to Alice. Thanks for the reminder re the P charts - especially with all the camping gear in the back of the Cessna.
Islander Jock - didn't get there and still not quite sure where Mt Hart Homestead is??
No Further Requirements - Flight over Kakadu around Cooinda spectacular. Good food at Jabiru. We also did the Ranger Uranium Mine bus tour while we stopped at Jabiru for lunch which was interesting. And yes, just for you I had a seafood laksa at the Mindil Beach Market on the beach, watching the sunset, before we met friends at the Trailer Boat Club to drink wine and watch the rest of the sunset - what a life!
Nig & Nog/Yowie - Didn't get to Rabbit Flat (no fuel there). Have been to William Creek a couple of years ago when we did the Lake Eyre trip.
Tinstaafl - Mataranka Springs - stayed there in the cabins right next to the strip. Walked past the main thermal pool and found better pool at the river away from the maddening crowds. Katherine Gorge tour good but oh dear, the prices of the hire car just to get out there, they know how to charge. Wished we'd had more time to canoe as you suggested. I rang Mataranka to check the strip beforehand as you said, it's pretty good as they drive a ute up and down every day pulling a heavy metal bar to knock down all the termite mounds. And no, we didn't have to walk from the strip to the Daly Waters pub - see comments about limo earlier!
Transition Layer - Yes, had an awesome time. Must get back to the Kimberley ASAP and yes, I have seen photos of Cape Leveque area and it looks fantastic, but we just didn't have time this trip. Flew over Wolfe Creek Crater but only en route Bungles to Balgo.
I can't remember who suggested Balgo (I seem to have mislaid a couple of pages), after your recommendations re the art work I HAD to go there. Navajo parked when we got there, plus a local in a vehicle that looked like something out of Mad Max doing wheelies around the windsock, with dog and loud C&W music. I was a bit concerned about the security of the plane in case he got bored but the people at the art centre assured us he was being paid to stay there and guard the hospital plane. It turned out he was the husband of the artist whose paintings (x 2) we bought so there would have been cause for celebration at his place that night.
And finally to Compressor Stall - you are a legend for sending me all that extra information and I really appreciate the time and trouble you went to.
If I have missed anybody I am truly sorry (as above, have mislaid a couple of pages) - the advice you all gave was greatly appreciated and very useful. Can't wait until the next trip. Aren't we as pilots lucky to be able to do this? Otherwise we'd be waiting til we were old and grey to retire and do the trip in a bit new shiny Landcruiser dragging a caravan with frilly curtains.
Max.