Healthy Bastards
This all began with a seed of an idea, as I withdrew from active charter work, supervising operations with Flystark. Retirement is what we all make of it but one of the essential ideas I have had, is to have time to carry out some of the deferred plans which have been put off for far too long.
With Christmas holidays and Merriment behind me and some very dry and fine weather prevailing in the Coromandel area of New Zealand, I gathered suitable posters from magazines and websites and stuck them to the wall behind our PC screen to keep the goals before me.
A couple of sorties away from Whitianga earlier in the season had primed me for action and Facebook had engaged Ken, from Casino NSW, into asking for a place on the first New Year adventure south from Whitianga. We had flown together in our Aero Club days from Ardmore years before but more recently had been separated by the Tasman, family growing and incompatible leisure times and work commitments.
As the timing drew near the excitement of adventure mounted for both of us and, as per normal, the only real plan was to get to Healthy Bastards, with the weather being the intervening medium that has a habit of interrupting any plans which are too firmly laid. A chance afternoon beer with Warren, on our deck, the day before departure, had him phone his mate Paddy, in Gisborne, to arrange for him to meet with us....... A fellow Tiger Moth enthusiast who was ready to hangar us on arrival.
Preflighting the Pelican the evening before departure ensured no surprises to delay us on "the day" and allowed us to have a healthy review of weather, Notams, flight plan lodgement and Flight Log production on a computer based model on my PC, to engage Ken in the process since he hadn't really flown "lighties" recently in NZ.
All this done and a wheeling out of the Pelican ensured the adventure had begun! Boeing do this to great fanfare but we did it for our own adventure commencement, somewhat less ostentatiously.
Taking the ute
Our offer to "take the ute" by being given the keys, after arriving with our two red containers, was a welcome addition to the coffee and inspection of the Classic Flyers Museum. "Cheerio for now" got us restarted for Galatea (where the heck is that?) to put a container of fuel in tanks and a leg stretch before phoning ahead to advise Paddy that we were “departing now for Gisborne” to ensure hangarage still available. "Winds got up" was the response to our taxi report "might be rather bumpy".......
We got away with it as the wind had abated a little by the time we arrived in circuit at Gisborne to a 15 kts westerly and a smooth run over the mountains into the dry, dry golden brown easterly Slopes of Poverty Bay - an unusual sight for a Coromandel pilot who generally sees greenness around all year.
Paddy greeted us on arrival and opened the Museum-hangar, to secure the Pelican for the night, before dropping us into the backpackers where a late afternoon knock on the reception door secured us a room with a view, within walking distance to Gisborne eateries and drinking establishments. Great stuff and a very pleasant evenings eating and imbibing allowed us to have a spontaneous "boys own adventure".
Departure next morning, with a couple of refilled red containers, we had our next days adventure underway and a farewell handshake from Paddy got us relaunched into a fine mornings departure, southbound to Mahia peninsula, to review the rocket range that Rocket Lab are in the final process of commissioning for their imminent launch of "Test flight one". Exciting stuff to see that it is a reality and what a great spot for rocketry in NZ!
Continuing coastal to Wairoa had us landing to avoid the approaching frontal band of rain and drizzle so introduced us to the team at Farmers Air who were interested in our flying machine and where we were flying from/to. "Healthy Bastards" was also on their agenda, with a 300 hp Fletcher but had been cancelled due unforeseen reasons, at the last minute. A loan of their mini bus and a recommended township cafe got us a relaxed "rekky" around the township of Wairoa with a wonderful lunch and time for the rain to pass over, allowing us a clearing sky to continue south to Napier.
A quick taxi ride into Napier City (without the normally accompanying red fuel containers) had us deposited outside the Masonic Art Deco Hotel, where we misguidedly thought accommodation for the night was available! A quick review of the status at the front desk had us "winging it again" to find us a bed for the night...great stuff Ken, and you didn't get to sleep on a park bench at all on this sortie to Healthy Bastards!.....maybe a future expedition can resolve this!
A friendly hostess at the Archies Bunkhouse close by, also had a full house but came up with a plan that was formulated around Ken and I having to "go and have a beer" while "we get a bed sorted for you guys". Now of course neither of us needed much encouragement to seek shelter in an appropriate establishment close by! "What a great, no stress, arrival we are having here Ken!" 'Too right, Wal!' Accommodation sorted in the heart of Napier allowed us time to head off and explore the Marine Parade and inner city to really get the feel of the place. Most interesting way to get around was "foot falcon" so that also got us into checking out our food stop for the evening which was absolutely delicious at a Thai cafe on the parade.
After an informal and relaxing "breky" at a sidewalk cafe next morning it was call our friendly cabbie and return to the airport. "Ken, we will drop into Waipukurau to refuel as the pump is close to the airfield" and not far to carry our red cans. So that's where we headed into a fine warm day to take in the wonders of the Hawkes Bay environs with vineyards and orchards passing below as we headed south. A bit windy in Waipukurau but we had the telephone number of the local florist to ring for the current weather...."rather windy" according to the flapping flag outside her shop!
No worries, as it had settled a little by the time we arrived, landed and set off for the fuel station and a lunchtime sandwich in downtown Waipukurau. "How are we going to get these full cans back to the airfield Wal, they are too heavy to carry that far?" 'No worries Ken. This is New Zealand and somebody will stop and pick us up'..... "How far do we walk Wal?” ' Just to the corner over there' ......"hey, you guys, where are you off to with those cans?" ...Comes a shout from the driver of a ute who is stopped across the road. 'Just out to the airfield' I call back. "Hang on I'll come round and take you out there" and with that drives off in the opposite direction leaving us wondering what he had really said, but lo and behold he turns into the Mobil Service Station we have just walked out of and comes back on our side of the road and pulls up. "Throw them in the back and I'll have you there in a flash".... Now that's what I call good old NZ friendliness which I experience all over this country! With a wave goodbye he leaves us to our refuelling duties and he is off to his next sheep muster!
Masterton beckons after we top up the tanks and "this should get us through to Omaka, Ken" but we will land at Masterton and check out the Museum and aircraft visible through open hangar doors, as a little peek a boo for Ken. Also plan a landing at Martinborough but after discussions with Alistair are advised "cattle on the strip and nowhere to put them today as got a crop this year in the adjoining paddock" (where I used to keep the Pelican in times gone by) "but OK after Thursday next week if you're still in the area". Sorry to pass up the opportunity for a landing in Martinborough but cattle can be a little rough on unattended aeroplanes in paddocks!
A quick check of the weather in Omaka indicated strong westerly winds so a wait until late in the day, when the wind normally drops in strength, is called for, so we manage to participate with the Ruahine Aero Club members at their Friday night club social activities until about 18:30. Another call to Woodbourne Tower suggests that wind is dropping as expected so a good time to dash across Cook Strait before dark. Ken found this an interesting event being told to "maintain 5000' VFR squawk 0432" by the controller as we tracked across Cook Strait with about 20 kts of head wind. Although the evening was fine and we were about 15 nm south of the Wellington International Airport, it is always a better feeling to be crossing all this water with a tail wind rather than a head wind but Ken was concentrating hard as I said "you will have to maintain plus or minus 100' Ken in controlled airspace". Well done Ken! It was a good feeling to be "cleared to leave 5000' on descent" as the White Cliffs passed by and our descent into the Omaka VFR lane assured us a trouble free entry into the Omaka circuit.
After landing, it was a speedy tiedown required as the airfield was largely free of pilots at this hour of the day but we were not far behind Whiskey Kilo Kilo, a C182 from Whitianga, who had come on frequency with Woodburn Tower about the same time as us but had entered airspace from the north. We observed them tying down and putting their tent up underwing as we taxied into our tie down position but then they had disappeared. We caught up with them again as we entered the club house to see what we needed to do for transport into Blenheim. Their ordered minibus was just arriving so with red cans and overnight gear hurriedly bustled into their transport, we raced off into Blenheim with them. John (pilot of WKK) told us they were to have dinner at the RSA before heading back to their tent. So as we pulled up outside the Club, I spied a Backpackers across the road and said "Ken, here is our accommodation for the night... Let's go and see if they have any room for us", so we bade farewell to the others and trotted off with our gear and two red cans to sort out our rooms.
Fortunately for us the Irish pub by the name of Biddy Kate's was just the ideal spot for us as it is placed fabulously in the centre of Blenheim which not only provided us with a share room for three but also our meal for the night and drinks from the bar. After wondering where our third room partner was, we assumed he had gone away for the long weekend, as we never did have anyone other than the two of us share the room while there!
This was done while we were on our visit and doors opened behind exhibits such as the Airspeed Oxford, to allow it to be withdrawn from museum display into active display on the flight line. The exhibits are so life like it is tempting to try and touch "don't touch that" (where did that come from? As I look over my shoulder to see my "display police" sternly walking my way) .... to see if the mud is actually still wet on the display!
Each person who goes into this display will get something from it that others do not see, but it was also surprising to see the odd plinth mounted piece had taken a tumble in the more recent shaking that has been ongoing since the Kaikoura earthquake of late last year.
A quick check of watches said we should be out on the flight line to ensure we were entertained by the aircraft competitions we had flown south to see. Back into the sunshine we went and gathered along the edges of the threshold to runway 27 to eyeball the aircraft preparing to depart for their turns at the action.
Being first time eventers at the Healthy Bastards weekend ensured we were front row at the action beside the threshold markers where we were like judges with our heads nodding in agreement "with that's a winner" being muttered or "oh just missed out there" as the wheels touched before the line, for those too zealous in their actions to win.
A fine sunny day suggested it was to be a top event so after time on the line Ken and I returned to the Museum for lunch then took in the new Museum extension where we were able to check out the WWII additions, in realistic display areas, before returning to the action beside the 09/27 vector in the middle of Omaka aerodrome. Walking back out to the spectator’s line I was shocked to see the wind had got up to gale force in the time we had been inside the museum and realised the Pelican was in danger of lifting off from its position in the middle of the field. Ken and I made speedy tracks across to the tied down Pelican to arrange for it to be shifted into a more protected area and the Airshow was cancelled at this time to protect participants from the wild conditions before accidents became the reason for stopping! Wing walking was necessary to ensure the Pelican wasn't flipped while beam on to the wind and so it was safely manoeuvred to the Lee of the main hangars, up tight against the fence in front of the clubhouse. Tied down again, I managed to obtain another set of pickets from the aero club office, to doubly secure Mike Alpha Lima to the ground and then sat with other visitors as we looked skywards to see the distinctive arch above the South Island indicating the wave that formed above us in the strong northwesterly afternoon.
Great stuff! Real action day here in Omaka! A quick beer at the club then we climbed aboard the next departing shuttle to be dropped at our downtown accommodation on a picturesque Marlborough afternoon which allowed us time to take in a walk around the town before a riverside restaurant caught our eye on a site above the river, where we thought dinner would suit us just fine.
Next morning we both awoke at day break so Ken and I took off along the river path and walked into the fine sunny morning until we arrived on the outskirts of town and the scene gave way from suburban housing to vineyards green leafed against the golden hills of Marlborough in the background. Names like Witherhills, Yealands, Alan Scott, Cloudy Bay sprang to mind as we took in this magnificent view. Ah, what a way to go tiki touring and time to meander through Blenheim like this before the grapes are harvested. The estates were looking great to our untrained eye and a very different scene from where we both reside when not 'on tour'!
A quick check of time suggested our cafe should be open for breakfast so we meandered back along the suburban streets until we came to our starting point then dived down an alleyway, to our opening Manhattan Café, to be first in the queue for a big breakfast, Marlborough style. "This is the life, eh Ken?"
Back to pack our bags and grab our red cans, it was check out and walk to the local BP, to refuel then trudge out to the aerodrome. "How we going to do this Wal?"... Asks Ken. "Waipukurau style" I answer and Ken looks happily back at my ridiculous suggestion and shrugs his shoulders to see what happens.
So we pay for our fuel and ready to grab cans to walk out of the BP station but before we do, a local guy calls out from refuelling his 4x4 and asks "where are you guys going with those cans?" " Omaka Airport" Ken calls back, and so we are provided our transport to Omaka by a fellow enthusiast who is just leaving for Nelson to visit family. We reminisce with him about the aerodrome in earlier years when the Clubhouse was the Blenheim Terminal for Union Airways and their Electra service across the straits. Funny coincidences happen on the way to the airfield!
Spare tiedown gear dutifully returned to the Marlborough Aero Club office, gear back aboard, we warmed up the Rotax and made our departure across Cook Strait, in settled conditions, heading initially for Whanganui via Kapiti Island and heard others hugging the coast up past Paraparaumu and Foxton on their return journeys. From Whanganui it was clear to Mt Ruapehu so we decided that a landing at Turangi was an appropriate way to wend our way home to Whiti. A quick call to Wendy and Ray established that they were in town along with Alan, so a lunch at the pub ensured we caught up with a few months of intervening gossip, keeping up with our Turangi team. A top up of the red can on the way back to the airfield ensured Ken and I had a comfortable stress free journey in fine stable conditions, all the way to Thames......a week’s journeying around the wonderful countryside of New Zealand to confirm why we are inspired to flight!
Great weather and a slight tailwind got us to Thames ...Cliff McChesney was just seeing off his mornings student when we clambered out of the Pelican with our 20 litre red can, so a quick discussion with his student had us a ride into the nearby BP which was well within walking distance of the airfield and with two of us to take turns was not going to be an issue getting back. Cliff's very chatty student from Ngatea was more than happy to drive and wait for us, so the Mogas refuel was quickly accomplished and with a wave goodbye our very hospitable new friend drove off back home.
We in turn fuelled Mike Alpha Lima and clambered back aboard (gets easier each time we do this, eh Ken?) and departed Thames via Kauranga Gorge and Table Mountain to give Ken a magnificent view of "our world in the Coromandel" as we flew back to Whitianga.
Ahh, a week’s tiki touring around New Zealand in the fine weather we experienced, is an absolute joy in a Pelican. But wait there is more! .....Ken, let's get the oil change done this arvo and check to see if Greg is on the Barrier? If he is we could grab some mussels tomorrow morning and fly over to have kunch with him!.......
Posted: Monday 28 August 2017
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