Lord Howe Island by Sunderland and Ball's Pyramid climb 1969
 

A friend of mine was a member of an expedition that climbed Ball's Pyramid (~12nm SE of Lord Howe Island) in 1968/1969. In talking with him recently he recalls flying to Lord Howe from Sydney in a Sunderland (or at least so he believes), but isn't certain now whether it was a chartered flight, or if they were passengers on a regular service.

I see has some interesting footage that suggests it could have been a regular service, as does this site. However I wonder if anyone here is able to fill in more detail - or better still has any recollection of this particular trip?

Out of interest I came across mention of said friend in Dick Smith's book "Balls Pyramid: Climbing the World’s Tallest Sea Stack, by Dick Smith, 2015". In that there is a recounting by John Davis of something that my friend is meant to have done - except he has a completely different recollection!

I have been ribbing him about this, but sadly John was victim of a helicopter accident and is no longer with us, so cannot settle the issue. Dick Smith , if you should read this by any chance, do you recall when you got that piece from John? If it was shortly after the trip then one might suppose his recollection could be more accurate than one 53 years later, or at least that's a line I could follow :}

1974 was when the regular flying boat service ended, though I guess he could have been on a charter. Brief history,

https://www.sea.museum/2015/11/26/lo...-and-bw-c-1951

Thanks Megan, I'll add that to the other information and pass it on - from what I read I suspect the aircraft they travelled on was Islander, in case that prompts any memories here.

As an aside, and rather commendably in my view, Dick Smith has scans of his books here. This is where I came across the Balls Pyramid detail, but also where I read about Kookaburra.

On that, Dick Smith in order to read Kookaburra more easily I cleaned up the original scan somewhat and produced a searchable PDF which I'd like to give back to you, if it's of any interest. I did email but imagine it got lost in the noise so, should you read this and want the file, please PM me and I'll pass it on.

FP.

Thanks. Will do
DS

Pedant Mode on/ Ansett operated Sandringhams (converted Sunderlands)./ Pedant Mode off

An Ansett Sandringham still exsists at the Solent Sky museum in Southampton.

https://www.solentsky.org/exhibitions

Had a climb through the aircraft during a visit, interesting museum for some of the aviation oddities it contains, they had what they said was the only remaining Spitfire jig, a small wooden contraption used to make up a fuel feed pipe, women used to congregate at the kitchen table during the war in a particular house to manufacture the pipes. Southampton was where the Spitfire originated.

Top thread. Great video clip and pics. Chichester,s arrival in a Gipsy Moth in ‘31 must have been an eye opener for the locals. Awesome nav skills to get there. The practical skills and assistance of the islanders were of great help in his Moth rebuild. I remember seeing those big 4 engined aircraft moored in Rose Bay a l o n g time ago.
LHI what a unique place.