One week, one big country... where to go?
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One week, one big country... where to go?
I've got about a week to 10 days in February that I've set aside to go and do a bit of exploring of this fair country starting and ending in YMMB, all with the aim to complete the final chunk of my CPL command time I need ~30 hours.
So if anyone has got some good places to visit, be they challenging, scenic or just one of those places that one has see (but many don't), I want to hear about them all, so get posting ladies and gents.
Cheers!
So if anyone has got some good places to visit, be they challenging, scenic or just one of those places that one has see (but many don't), I want to hear about them all, so get posting ladies and gents.
Cheers!
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Coastal is good, eg Merimbula upwards, but you'll be prone to storms at this time of the year later in the day. If you'd be flying most days before lunch you'll probably have no dramas.
Inland is good if you like the outback and not really that far flying, eg. Broken Hill, Marree, Birdsville upwards if that interests you but very hot (less humid of course) and rather bumpy at most times of the day.
Perhaps over to Adelaide, back most of the way, over to King Island from Cape Otway, over to Tassie and back via Flinders Island, back up to Merimbula. Hopefully there might be some accommodation around at this time of year unless you are tenting it.
Inland is good if you like the outback and not really that far flying, eg. Broken Hill, Marree, Birdsville upwards if that interests you but very hot (less humid of course) and rather bumpy at most times of the day.
Perhaps over to Adelaide, back most of the way, over to King Island from Cape Otway, over to Tassie and back via Flinders Island, back up to Merimbula. Hopefully there might be some accommodation around at this time of year unless you are tenting it.
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Go up tp Cairns, I did this 13 years ago in a Seminole, we went YMMB to Cooly on day one. Lotsa fun in Jupiters. Next Cooly to Airl Beach. Lotsa fun in backpacker bars... Then Airly to Cairns, even picked up a backpacker for a cost share to Cairns ie Box of beer ect.
Toured around FNQ for a week and flew back,Cairns to Archerfield, next day, inland for a bit then Bankstown, did a scenic jolly around Sydney city. Next day coastal back to Point Cook.
Trip of a lifetime, dont waste ya hours stooging around vic...Do it bro, good experience to.
Cosmo
Toured around FNQ for a week and flew back,Cairns to Archerfield, next day, inland for a bit then Bankstown, did a scenic jolly around Sydney city. Next day coastal back to Point Cook.
Trip of a lifetime, dont waste ya hours stooging around vic...Do it bro, good experience to.
Cosmo
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When I went hourbuilding, from Moorabbin over 6 days, at 28 hours or so I flew:
Moorabbin, Merimbula, Bankstown, Port Macquarie, Brisbane, Rockhampton, Emerald, Longreach, Tibooburra, Broken Hill, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Adelaide, Mt Gambier, Moorabbin
It's dependent on your type of aircraft though.
Moorabbin, Merimbula, Bankstown, Port Macquarie, Brisbane, Rockhampton, Emerald, Longreach, Tibooburra, Broken Hill, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Adelaide, Mt Gambier, Moorabbin
It's dependent on your type of aircraft though.
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I've not done it but I always thought that it'd be fun to cross the Bass straight. As a Melb local maybe you've done this already.
~FRQ CB
~FRQ CB
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Longreach - check out the Qantas museum. Good motel 200m from the airport
A fellow hourbuilder and I did:
Caboolture, Dalby, Charleville, Windorah, Birdsville, Longreach, Charters Towers, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Caboolture. - in 4 days. (from memory). Good fun and great exposure to Controlled airspace down the coast!
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Owen
CBP is a must do.....Once!
I have been there twice
.........mind you it was cheaper to fly from the lake and over night there with 185skywagon (great night out too) than it was to stay at Innaminka and buy a drum of fuel 
.
good trip in the Dash Ten one day
CBP is a must do.....Once!
I have been there twice
.........mind you it was cheaper to fly from the lake and over night there with 185skywagon (great night out too) than it was to stay at Innaminka and buy a drum of fuel .good trip in the Dash Ten one day
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There's something eerie but wonderful about flying up the middle of Australia. A buzz around Lake Eyre is amazing, even if the lake is bone, white dry.
Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta are odd little places. If stopping at YOOD ask the man from the pink roadhouse to bring down some works burgers when he comes to pump your fuel. YOOD reminded me of the location of a horror film. All I could think was missing pilots made up the meat in the burgers. Mind the stones, or should I say rocks - major opportunity for prop damage.
Up to Uluru for a scenic and Alice Springs (some controlled airspace work for you). The landing fee at Uluru was $50 last time I landed, and there were no facilities apart from a toilet and drink machine at the airport (don't expect a cafe for lunch).
Head across the Simpson Desert to Birdsville for a night at the hotel. Don't fork out for the Aussie BBQ - a total rip off. Pay for a meal in the hotel instead. Unfortunately you cannot taxi up to the hotel anymore, but still a good experience. Fuel was $2.50 a litre a little while ago, and no carnet facilities.
If going to Windorah say hello to the lovely Bub.
Longreach is a good airport and the Jumbuck motel is just across the road. A bit of a walk in to the main bit of town for a meal after a long day of flying, but the RSL has cheap drinks and massive steaks (750 grams goes down well). The Qantas museum is a bit pricey, especially the tour of the fading 747.
Don't stop in Bourke if going that way. Got stuck there one night, that was enough for me. Unfortunately nothing but run down businesses and houses, and locals in hoodies yelling out 'faggot' on the walk home from the RSL.
If going west, drop in to Forrest for some fuel and a coffee. The names of the new operators escape me, but they were very welcoming. Their hut is full of photos and business cards from visiting pilots, and the toilet is graffitied with banter from defence force pilots.
Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta are odd little places. If stopping at YOOD ask the man from the pink roadhouse to bring down some works burgers when he comes to pump your fuel. YOOD reminded me of the location of a horror film. All I could think was missing pilots made up the meat in the burgers. Mind the stones, or should I say rocks - major opportunity for prop damage.
Up to Uluru for a scenic and Alice Springs (some controlled airspace work for you). The landing fee at Uluru was $50 last time I landed, and there were no facilities apart from a toilet and drink machine at the airport (don't expect a cafe for lunch).
Head across the Simpson Desert to Birdsville for a night at the hotel. Don't fork out for the Aussie BBQ - a total rip off. Pay for a meal in the hotel instead. Unfortunately you cannot taxi up to the hotel anymore, but still a good experience. Fuel was $2.50 a litre a little while ago, and no carnet facilities.
If going to Windorah say hello to the lovely Bub.
Longreach is a good airport and the Jumbuck motel is just across the road. A bit of a walk in to the main bit of town for a meal after a long day of flying, but the RSL has cheap drinks and massive steaks (750 grams goes down well). The Qantas museum is a bit pricey, especially the tour of the fading 747.
Don't stop in Bourke if going that way. Got stuck there one night, that was enough for me. Unfortunately nothing but run down businesses and houses, and locals in hoodies yelling out 'faggot' on the walk home from the RSL.
If going west, drop in to Forrest for some fuel and a coffee. The names of the new operators escape me, but they were very welcoming. Their hut is full of photos and business cards from visiting pilots, and the toilet is graffitied with banter from defence force pilots.
CBP is a hole. Wind the windows up and keep driving. Happy to help myself to avgas and keep going, and that's it.
I would recommend going to the places that you will be hitting up for a job when you've done the CPL. You never know, make the right contacts, buy the right guy a beer, and you could have helped yourself towards your first job.
I would recommend going to the places that you will be hitting up for a job when you've done the CPL. You never know, make the right contacts, buy the right guy a beer, and you could have helped yourself towards your first job.
You want to go to CBP, just so that you too can say (with a knowing grimace) "CBP is a hole, don't go there." 
Fly out to the "dig tree" (you land at Nappamerrie on a small bush strip) and camp for a night for a bit of Australiana.
Fly out to the "dig tree" (you land at Nappamerrie on a small bush strip) and camp for a night for a bit of Australiana.
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Wish I could have done the same. Take a partner to share the experiences. You might ask in advance about facilities: barbecue, after-hours showers/toilet, etc., but if you take a tarp (ropes and stakes) to throw over the wing for light rains, a swag, mosquito repellant and an Esky with a few cold beers, it's nice to spend a night or two under the plane too. Makes it easy to meet people with a big, blue advertisement over the wing. Do clean up after yourself and it'll make it easier for the next person to get permission if it's needed.
Coastal routes will be more tolerable for temperature. My choices would include destinations for sightseeing: Snowy Mountains, Canberra (for the War Memorial and not far from the airport), coastal past Sydney (ask ATC for a scenic tour over downtown...you never know your luck if the traffic's light) to somewhere between Newcastle and Coffs. If you like wines, then somewhere in wine country Vic, NSW or SA would be nice. Byron Bay is good for an hour of joyflighting in the area. Dubbo for the zoo. If you're out that way, Lightning Ridge is "interesting" for the same reason as Coober Pedy. Same isolated character and the opals are spectacular. Armidale is a nice party town on a Friday night with the college. Pick out a few national parks on the way to fly over as well for the scenery.
In Qld, if you have saved the cash from a couple of overnights under the wing, the Hyatt Coolum is a nice stay and will impress the partner. If you get up that way, anywhere on the reef is an experience, but it's not a good time of the year for Nth Qld - prone to floods and very heavy rains/cyclones. So far, there hasn't been much of a challenge to your navigating skills. The coal mines are an interesting area to fly over. The channel country will test your visual navigation, particularly if you stay low. If I was doing the flight over outback areas, I'd plan on just one or two nights out there and then get back to the Gr8 Dividing Range rather than spend a series of nights in the outback. Plan on departing early and landing early rather than putting up with the heat in those areas. There are some wonderful places to visit in the outback, but there is a lot of nothingness with big, consistent turbulence in between and I'd want something more to look at during the flight to feel like I was getting the most for my money. Some of these places you'll never get back to, so make the most of it. Have fun.
Coastal routes will be more tolerable for temperature. My choices would include destinations for sightseeing: Snowy Mountains, Canberra (for the War Memorial and not far from the airport), coastal past Sydney (ask ATC for a scenic tour over downtown...you never know your luck if the traffic's light) to somewhere between Newcastle and Coffs. If you like wines, then somewhere in wine country Vic, NSW or SA would be nice. Byron Bay is good for an hour of joyflighting in the area. Dubbo for the zoo. If you're out that way, Lightning Ridge is "interesting" for the same reason as Coober Pedy. Same isolated character and the opals are spectacular. Armidale is a nice party town on a Friday night with the college. Pick out a few national parks on the way to fly over as well for the scenery.
In Qld, if you have saved the cash from a couple of overnights under the wing, the Hyatt Coolum is a nice stay and will impress the partner. If you get up that way, anywhere on the reef is an experience, but it's not a good time of the year for Nth Qld - prone to floods and very heavy rains/cyclones. So far, there hasn't been much of a challenge to your navigating skills. The coal mines are an interesting area to fly over. The channel country will test your visual navigation, particularly if you stay low. If I was doing the flight over outback areas, I'd plan on just one or two nights out there and then get back to the Gr8 Dividing Range rather than spend a series of nights in the outback. Plan on departing early and landing early rather than putting up with the heat in those areas. There are some wonderful places to visit in the outback, but there is a lot of nothingness with big, consistent turbulence in between and I'd want something more to look at during the flight to feel like I was getting the most for my money. Some of these places you'll never get back to, so make the most of it. Have fun.
Last edited by Lodown; 22nd Jan 2010 at 17:27.
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Outback, mate!
Get yourself the book Pilot's Touring Guide by AOPA Oz. Loads of great places to visit in there! Depending a bit on your a/c, I'd do a mix of big(gish) places with controlled airspace and out-of-the way cattle stations like Carisbrooke (near Winton - itself a fab place to fly to). Above all - enjoy
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Carisbrooke is a well worth stop over, I hope Charlie is still alive! he runs a great minibus tour and is a wealth of knowledge.
There is also a very famous monument on his strip just near the house......I think I have a pic of it..........
My apologies for the reflection....I did not realise it at the time, and funny enough 5 years later I am sitting here typing this post wearing that same shirt!
There is also a very famous monument on his strip just near the house......I think I have a pic of it..........
My apologies for the reflection....I did not realise it at the time, and funny enough 5 years later I am sitting here typing this post wearing that same shirt!
Thread Starter
Some great advice there! Keep it coming!
I haven't decided on the aircraft yet, either an archer, arrow or possibly grab a 182. Endurance on all of those options shouldn't be a problem as it'll only be two of us.
I think CBP will be a definite go'er. I'm very keen on the idea of going off the beaten track. I've done costal flying in Vic, NSW (Coffs area) and SE QLD so that's not high on my list. The "remotest" place I've ever ventured to was Moree but finding it was quite easy with those massive silos/sheds that stand out like dogs balls, so something a bit more challenging would be awesome.
The idea of meeting and greeting some of the operators is a very good idea and an option I've contemplated, however aren't the majority further up north and out west?
I haven't decided on the aircraft yet, either an archer, arrow or possibly grab a 182. Endurance on all of those options shouldn't be a problem as it'll only be two of us.
I think CBP will be a definite go'er. I'm very keen on the idea of going off the beaten track. I've done costal flying in Vic, NSW (Coffs area) and SE QLD so that's not high on my list. The "remotest" place I've ever ventured to was Moree but finding it was quite easy with those massive silos/sheds that stand out like dogs balls, so something a bit more challenging would be awesome.
The idea of meeting and greeting some of the operators is a very good idea and an option I've contemplated, however aren't the majority further up north and out west?
Sprucegoose
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The "remotest" place I've ever ventured to was Moree but finding it was quite easy with those massive silos/sheds that stand out like dogs balls, so something a bit more challenging would be awesome.
Can't believe we've got this far and no one has mentioned William Creek! Not a destination, but well worth seeing, 'Gosses Bluff' West of Alice and North of Uluru looks great from the air. Besides the regular places, Mt Dare and Old Andado stations are well off the track, Borroloola if you like fishing, even venture up into Kakadu.