Tiger Safari 2017

IMAGE CREDIT: tigermothclub.co.nz

I had thoughts ticking away in my mind to walk the Milford Track as I came up to the end of 2016. I had thought mid March might be a good time being after the summer rush and still mild weather to the enjoy this escapade. Fly south for the Otago rail trail then Milford or maybe the Roxborough river ride then Milford?

When out on one of our Whitianga Tramping Groups last of seasons walks, I tabled this at our lunch stop, up in the hills behind Hikuai in the Coromandel. Interest was immediately taken in this expedition and it was suggested that I put it before our WTG to see if we could do a group walk as Lesley was already to be in the South Island at a similar time to do the A20 cycle track.

This was emailed out in the following week and a positive response got us 3 members to take up the challenge. But when exactly to book and how to tackle this? Doc huts or Travel in style with something like Ultimate Hikes guided package? Fortunately for me, DOC was already booked out, so me being the softie, I just lucked in! I only had to carry my day bag and lunch and camera plus the raincoat we were all required to carry. Lesley did all the bookings for us.

With plans made I got a call from Gavin to ask if I was interested in accompanying him with my flying machine and his Europa on the Tiger Moth Safari to the South Island in March....share accommodation and have fun. Mmm, what dates? And so the summer adventure was really underway with gusto!

Excitement mounted as the weeks rolled by and after a very successful week with Ken on Healthy Bastards it was off to Wings over Wairarapa with tent, supplies and an outdoor week getting there (and unfortunately a wet experience which saw the event cancelled!) and back.

D DAY

1 March arrived, D Day for Tiger Moth Safari, with a good weather pattern that allowed Gavin and I to launch southwards, with Gavin out of Ardmore via Taumaranui, Wanganui, Omaka with me and Mike Alpha Lima departing Whitianga under a drizzly morning sky south to Tauranga, East of Rotorua, Kiangaroa where the overcast lifted into a blue sky and allowed a climb to 6000' south to Waipukurau,  then onwards to Martinborough. I arrived earlier than expected and Alistair had not cleared the stock from the strip as he advised he would, so I had to create my own fun and managed to land short of the stock before taxing back to the farm gate. Alistair must have given warning to the stock to give me space if I arrived early!

Backtracking to the gate, I saw Alistair appear and hurriedly opened the gate, to usher me through so we could relax and have coffee, cake and catchup without the stock nibbling bits off the Pelican! This is where a high winged aircraft is extremely useful to tiki tour in! Four years since I shifted north from this wonderful spot in the Wairarapa, so friendly and so welcoming, from Alistair and Pauline from the day I turned up on their doorstep to talk aeroplanes and airstrips before I even knew the word Martinborough! 😀 or they knew their first Indian! (Another story)

So much happens and time goes by too quickly, so we adjourned our lunchtime catchup with a quick inspection of the '52 Land Rover in reconstruction mode in the homestead hangar ( a fine refurbished chassis inspected) and a bulldozer under transmission repair, ably detailed  by Alistair, before a quick tour of Pauline's garden with roses still blooming and lawns looking a bit less green than a Coromandel boy has become accustomed to, then a red can or two in the Pelican before we pushed the MAL thru the gate and taxied for departure runway 27 for Omaka, on a beautiful sunny Wairarapa afternoon. Ahh, the reminiscing and enjoyment of tiki touring is hard to beat. Why did I have to leave such a wonderful environment?

Alas, the old Wellington Control was forthcoming in clearing me 'outside of controlled airspace' by not remembering MAL was once one of their "home birds". So, it was descend from 4500' and crawl across Cook Strait, at the widest gap, under controlled airspace (1400') to keep me out of the traffic approaching for runway 34 at Wellington International Airport. Having done this many times in the past it was at least possible "to see the other side" this time and no head wind made it another memorable crossing!

Mike Alpha Lima was first away when I saw the cloud sufficiently clear of the southern hills with my intention to call into Fairfield Downs, in the Awatere River valley, to wait for the weather to improve in the direction of Hanmer Springs. Clearing the hills via the Taylor Pass, I realised the weather was on the ground with poor visibility in the direction of Frank's airstrip against the hills, so another change of plan had me on the way to Hanmer springs via the coast at Sedden, where the weather improved markedly, so I relayed this info back to the team at Omaka.

Interesting scenes around the Kaikoura area showed me the damage that the slips had caused and blocked the rivers with debris. Smooth flying allowed me better views as I climbed higher around the south of Kaikoura and I then heard the first of the Omaka high and fast machines descending into Hanmer on the direct track.

The following day saw us all dispatch back to the airfields we had our aircraft on, with me collecting Mogas along the way for my machine. The Tiger fleet were refuelled from 200 litre drums of 91 Mogas that the support team drove between each destination on the Safari. 

A bit of last minute confusion on departure had me finally owning up to the 'found black bag' ..."being mine". That's another story, eh Graeme? Thanks for your persistence Ace and Graeme for ensuring my ownership was confirmed! How else would I have been able to go south with you? It would have been one of life's missed opportunities!

A fine morning dawned but I seem to remember a weather related event delayed our departure from River Road strip. Gavin and I had plans to drop into Belodise strip, at Cust, as we headed south. I had touched base with Evan the previous day to advise that we were loitering in his immediate proximity with the Tiger Safari and would like to pop in and see he and Penny as we flew south.

Gavin and I flew south in close proximity, yet far apart, in company of some of the south bound Tiger fleet heading for Rangitata Island. Closing in on the Belodise strip, I correctly identified where we were to land and became the number one in the landing sequence. This was successfully done on the northerly runway and I taxied in to be greeted by Penny, in the shadows of the hangars beside their home. Just as I remembered it from my last visit. Penny greeted me and suggested that it might be a good idea to wash off the Pelican because the stock had only been taken off the strip this morning, due to the late advice of our arrival. No worries Penny. "Should be Ok" (I thought and believed, until Gavin pulled up beside me in his Europa) "Gavin, Penny has suggested that we "hose you down while you're still wet!" He looked at me quizzically wondering where I was coming from! "Take a look at your Europa." Covered in s..t! I then had a look at the other side of the Pelican and agreed with Penny's earlier suggestion. So I was number two in the queue! Penny opened the hangars for us to review their fleet of planes, cars and projects. Very impressive! How does a Pelican pilot get to have this much fun? As I have previously mentioned in dispatches, this is flying and aviation in a sense I have never experienced throughout my aviation career. And morning tea on their deck with son, fresh from Aviation College,...confirmed the thrill of aviation and exploration.

With a wave goodbye it was back into the air to wend our way south over the Canterbury plains to Rangitata Island for "lunch with the Brodie's".... Another absolutely wonderful, outdoorsy aviation experience.  Tigers in the air, on the ground and generally everywhere. Who notices a Pelican and a Europa when we are in such great company.....Gavin and I slide into the arrival sequence, park and head off for the lunch....but stumble our way there as we see "stuff" that delays us in getting fed!

After the top lunch spot it is back into the air to fly south to Omarama, an event delayed by the weather that was being monitored throughout the lunch stop over. Wind! Wind and more wind. Clear sky though! Good briefings while awaiting the departure call had us well prepared for the flight. 

Up we go 7-8000' as we approached the Mackenzie Pass to avoid the turbulence and down drafts in the expected wave. Following a Tiger and Fox Moth out of Rangitata Island, I lost sight of them in the climb as we all flew south at our varying speeds. I found myself one of the first to arrive in Omarama, a yet unexplored airfield! Well set up, I must admit. Used to wind! Tree lines to enable us to tiedown in the lee of and wire rope strops to attach to suggests that wind really needs to be taken into account here. Seriously!

 For Gavin and I, it was off to Roxborough, where we thought a quick sortie into town might be possible. The countryside was spectacular as we flew south checking out the riverside awesome bike ride track. Landing at Roxborough was a typical Grass airfield, outlying a small country town. Not much activity. Not much to taxi up to in terms of Clubhouse or other buildings. Yet there is always something there to delay us. Today it was a bloke on a motor scooter who arrived while we were checking out the hangar and surrounds of the "Clubhouse". Got the low down on the ag operation from him and the good stuff on the Roxborough river ride before we bade him farewell and got airborne across Southland to Nokomai, to the south of the major mountains.

Next day dawned a beauty and this was the day planned for the big fish experience! Two Tigers and a Glastar managed to fly through the early morning low drizzly weather from Te Anau to Ryan's Creek in time for our 11am departure to catch blue cod. So 6 of us enjoyed a few hours pulling blue COD from the bay to enable us to take 40 filleted fish onwards to Mandeville later on. This was sent forward with Keith, in his C180, since they had arrived too late for the days fishing but were the fastest of our bunch to depart Ryan's Creek that day.

Now, the arrival into Mandeville was a great event for us boys from the far north! Dodging Tigers and other tiki touring fly boys over this sunny afternoon in this Southland green space, we managed to get into the flow and arrive into our parks "on the other side" keeping the Tigers all in a line near the public area outside the cafe. This was good for all of us dudes and allowed the public to watch the habits of those leather topped and skinned brothers & sisters of ours, to talk with enthusiasm about their steeds of choice. The audience came from far and wide and I was impressed with their enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm was borne out as the evening approached and the steam tractors manoeuvred around the parking areas beyond the flight line. All manner of machinery had convened on Mandeville aerodrome to make this a great event. In my eyes an event worth the flight South.

As the evening descended on us the BBQ meal was prepared and the fish caught earlier in the day was both BBQ'd and steamed - steamed in the front compartment of one of the steam engines who obligingly opened his front compartment for the Tiger Club presence and allowed this "cooking to take place" in front of the gathered Tiger group!

All done in a convivial way we dined outdoors and Gavin & I reminisced about our flight south and pondered our next few days here. We also wondered how our night stop was going to eventuate and how we would get there!

Gavin and I had shared lodgings all the way south and so this was another roadie night for us and we were pretty relaxed about where we would end up. A good nights rest in Gore had us ready to go in the first shuttle ride to the aerodrome next morning, so it was downtown Gore for brekky,  then refuel red containers and back to the aerodrome. Museum visit (I have read about the wonders of Mandeville and now first hand experiencing it) and a couple of sorties watched from the sideline, the day evolved as we watched all manner of these mechanical things and the steam tractor race down the airstrip. So it was lunch then farewell to the Safari as I made my planned dash back to Te Anau, to head off the next day's adverse weather forecast, that had the chance to destroy my planned Milford Track expedition so carefully dovetailed to integrate with this Safari expedition.

SOUTHLAND HOSPITALITY

Arriving at Hagens airstrip, just to the south of Manapouri, had me finding my own entry point to the hangar which Murray Hagen had advised by phone. He was in the rain in Auckland (Patumahoe ) to check out a club members new aircraft purchase when I phoned to advise " I'm here on your strip how do I get into the hangar?"

Ahh, the wonders of a tiki tourist Pelican Pilot!    No stress  .... yet!    Given the hangar entry instructions by Murray, I duly accomplish the task and am horrified to find that I ding the starboard wingtip on the hangar door which I had thought was opened wide enough for entry! With a formidable hangar door closure before me I could not stress the wingtip damage as I was alone here trying to accomplish the unfamiliar task of getting these formidable doors shut by myself! This is a story I will not go into here ......it is a story in itself thank you Murray Hagen!

 Southland hospitality had me drive a loan vehicle back to the owner at Te Anau airfield then I was dropped into the Te Anau for my prebooked camp accommodation, and got me checked for the night, throw my gear into my room, then head off to the downtown shopping centre via the river walk before the weather deteriorated to the point that walking was not an option. This was a great afternoon exploring the delights of Te Anau. I discovered my last minute purchase shops for track gear, purchased dinner supplies, walked around downtown, discovered the movie theatre and timing for something on my viewing List then headed back to camp for my luxurious dinner.

What a life of adventure! Why do I like doing this stuff?  'Cause I can and haven't had time most of my working life to do this stuff! .....Dinner prepared among the other backpackers cooking up a storm in the camp kitchen, I talk briefly with other chefs and wonder why they are here and having as much fun as me, then I decide it is movie time and head back into Te Anau for my viewing session. What a great way to spend a solo day here in Te Anau enjoying all that is on offer. Weather still holding up too.

Rain next morning confirms my reason to fly up the previous day and gives me a chance to try my raincoat out as I walk back into town to look at my " last minute purchase " shops to see if I really need this gear. This done I head back after a relaxed sortie through the shops and spend the afternoon in camp. Next day is departure day so I have my gear together early and wander into the Ultimate Hikes departure point to await the arrival of the WTG group, busing in from Queenstown. This is a whole story to be told elsewhere but the three of us had a great time in fantastic weather over 5 days on the Milford Track.

Return from the track 5 days later had me dropped off in Te Anau with 3 Milford Track women heading for Invercargill. After a coffee and drop off of us leaving the expedition here, it was wave goodbye to our WTG team still on the coach to Queenstown then head off for lunch at the burger bar near the bay.  My friendly female companions who lunched with me, obliging agreed to drop me off at Murray's strip on their way back to Invercargill. Wow. This is real outdoors team spirit. 

After lunch we all ventured south through Manapouri to our Hagen strip turn off and found the strip without too much problem. All were interested to see my flying machine yet only one was ready to fly with me. Was it because they saw me using duct tape on the wing tip or was it because they didn't like the colour of the Pelican, or even because it was too small?

Lisa agreed to go flying so we refuelled, preflighted and taxied out for an airborne view of our trip from Te Anau to Hagen strip in the delightful afternoon Autumn weather. The lake was superb with the mountainous backdrop on one side and the towns of Manapouri and Te Anau spread along the eastern shores. All too soon it was return to Hagen for the gentle alighting of the Pelican on the grass beside a hard working helicopter pilot spraying in the field across the road.

Bidding farewell to the girls from Invercargill and Milford Track I then packed my gear aboard Mike Alpha Lima ready to dispatch for Alexandra. This done it was close the hangar doors ready to fly and that is exactly where my next problems arose. The doors wouldn't close and so I had to phone Murray to get help as he was close by (in fact straight over the road) topping up the helicopter each time it came back in for more spray. Murray dropped the phone and cranked up the loader each time this happened. After this occurred a few times I made more effort without success and eventually found the doors had sprung off the top rail. Advising Murray of this he said "hang on we'll be over, as we've finished spraying". Next thing there is a big green baler tearing down the road adjoining the airstrip followed by a couple of Utes. They turned into the paddock I was in and roared up to a standstill beside the hangar and out popped Murray! He and his friends and I then tried without success to relocate the doors and get them to close. This became an impossible feat and he advised the wind had got up down the valley and the helicopter pilot had been told to stay in Manapouri. He suggested I do the same. He said "we will leave a ute for you so tie down the Pelican and bring the ute into town" ...." We will be such and such a place baling hay before dark, see you later ".

I was dumbstruck but enjoyed the cuppa that his wife prepared and the view over the lake from the front room of their lovely new home as we chatted about the reasons for the stay etc. After enquiring as to whether a pizza shop was in Manapouri (and there was), I volunteered to get pizza for dinner, with wine, and any other supplies required for the evening then away I went to collect the supplies.

While still waiting for the pizza to cook at the local pub I got a call from Murray again "where are you?" Explaining that I was still waiting for pizza at the pub he says "I'm heading out to the farm to park the tractor can you pick me up there,  I will be there shortly, as have to have a beer with a mate before heading home"... And so I head off at a great pace to catchup with Murray, in the baler, and eventually caught him about 100 meters from where he turned into his farm (that I didn't have a clue of where it was and wouldn't have found him if he had already turned off up his driveway with its avenue of trees to camouflage its location) We adjourn to the bar for quick introductions and a few Speights and a natter to his friends before we collect the pizza to head off back to his lakeside home, for dinner with a few drinks. Phew, this is a crazy way to live but it's a heck of a lot of fun!

So pizza and a few drinks and stories relaxed us all into a very convivial evening at the Hagens. I now know why they have a new home beside the lake, the Fiordland Aero Club has a new clubhouse and why it is so far from Te Anau! Beer was good there too when we arrived from Nokomai last week.

GETTING TO ALEX

Arriving at the now familiar airport of Alexandra, I taxied gingerly towards my selected tie down area dodging the drainage and road making equipment of the construction zone of the airport refurbishment. Pelican parked, it was unpack for my stay and await Shirley's arrival to take me back for coffee and a look through her new house that was high on the hillside in Clyde, relatively close to where I had last stayed with her when she had owned the B and B in Clyde.

The view was tops, overlooking the township of Clyde, and decorated with the Shirley flair for comfortable living so I can see why she didn't want to leave town. I did however question her about being in the shadow of the hills all winter. "Heat pumps Wally and good insulation." Her ancestors had come from Nevis! Cold, cold country and celebrated each year with the arrival of the Overlanders into the Cromwell Racecourse about this time of the year. I was fortunate to be in Clyde for this celebration five years ago, when I rode the Otago Rail trail, stayed with Shirley and explored the central Otago environs with her as my very knowledgable guide.

Confirming with Shirley that I was here for dinner with her and Roxborough trail ride, she took me out and about to check in at the recommended bike shop to arrange my bike for the afternoon, checked into the local hotel and threw my bags into my room before lunch and into my bike gear and away on the Roxborough bike trail. I had thought I would get all the way to Roxborough on this trip but had been advised the previous week, while on the airfield at Roxborough, that it was only part ride part boat trip then ride again. Why? Landowners had not wanted the track on their land so that's where the boat ride came in to ferry riders to the next leg! 

Confirming with the bike shop staff that the afternoon ride was possible to Doctors Point and return,  I set out on the trail to Alexandra on a beautiful sun illuminated afternoon with little or no breeze. Perfect conditions for this pedal powered exploration of the Clutha environs to Doctors Point. What a stunningly beautiful area and day to go riding in a landscape so different to my own in the Coromandel. Both areas have long histories of the early years when gold mining was King in this new country of New Zealand. 

Out and back on the same track beside the Clutha but returning to Alexandra allowed me to divert on to the south river ride back to Clyde, past some of the old gold workings. Magic! And comfortably back in Clyde before sunset, in time for a beer in the garden bar and a win on the pub raffle, before showering and tidy up for dinner at the cafe previously dined at with Shirley. A great way to finish off my southern tiki touring in the Pelican. I can see why Shirley loves her town of Clyde and is happy that everything is within walking distance of her home on the hill.

I walked around to Shirley's next morning and sat on her neighbour’s fence, on the sunny side of the street, to await her planned collection to take me back up the hill to the airport close by. Shirley, in turn, had been up early to collect a very agreeable bottle of Pinot Noir from her favourite vineyard close by, to present to me for a departure gift for Anne and I ( saved and sampled for our wedding anniversary the following month) Wow! What a superb way to be set off from Central Otago! Thank you Shirley for your wonderful hospitality.

DESTINATION NOPERA

Always good fun to look through other pilots base hangars just to see who is having fun and what else is being flown around NZ. Quite different to Whitianga, Chris! Well, a top up with Mogas and another call forward to Mike and Lynley at Hopewell Lodge, in Kenepura Sound, got me some accommodation in another of my favourite parts of New Zealand.  I waved Chris goodbye and flew off into the afternoon sun along the Kaikoura Coast. I am a tiki tourist as a life style and I just love the great outdoors of New Zealand and the top people I meet wherever I fly. How do I know these places? Hopewell Lodge was advertised on the Marlborough Aero Club's notice board some years ago and I grabbed a flyer to put in my Nav bag for future reference. This is where had I lunched one day when Lester, at Simply Avionics, had carried out my biennial transponder radio check at Omaka aerodrome. 

On completion of the check, just after midday, I was airborne for Martinborough via Picton when I thought the day was too pleasant, fine and calm to head straight back to Martinborough so what else can I do? I pulled the brochure from my bag and called Mike to see where and how long the strip was located. Open today? "When will you get here?"  A quick eyeball of my watch and a look at the map "20 minutes " ...”ok, I will collect you and clear the sheep" So with Mike's guidance and offer to pick me up from the strip the deal as done. A slight left turn from my current heading took me to Nopera and a few orbits around the strip had me landing on the correct area - next to the golf course - rather than "on it"!

Chatting away as we drive back to the Lodge, I see the Sounds and environment are as beautiful as my last visit. I am given a nice spot beside the water close to all other amenities and after placing my gear in the room, drift off to the lounge area with a couple of afternoon snacks and a bottle of red wine purchased for this occasion. The temperature is still warm and a pleasant spot on the deck allows me to take in the magic of being here once again. Chatting with others as they pass is a wonderful way to get the feel of why people come from far and wide to enjoy the serenity of the sounds and the friendly hospitable nature of the common lounge kitchen deck area. I get talking with a couple of women who have travelled together from Picton to spend a few days here and am offered a share of their evening meal, wonderfully prepared by them both, as we chat on the deck over some sundowners. (Little did they know I had my own very simple meal neatly awaiting its release from the can - back at my room - beans and wine is a great way to have fun meals while winging it around the countryside, isn't it?)

TIME TO MAKE THE BREAK

Mike and Lynley were to dine with me a little later after their chores were finished. I later had to divulge that I had shared hospitality on the deck at the kitchen-lounge but I still had wine to share and a bite or two of the wonderful pizzas that they had prepared for dinner. As we chatted away the next hour or so I felt Mike was ready for change but I also discovered that the mussel evening was the next evening, so I had arrived a day early! It was tempting to stay on another day and I very nearly did but as I had been away on this tour for 3 weeks already and there was wind brewing in the forecast over the next few days, I felt it was better to make the break in fine conditions rather than chance a homeward journey in adverse conditions. So, next morning after breky, it was pack gear and load aboard Mike's vehicle and dispatch for Nopera strip farewelling my new found friends and Lynley and climbed aboard the ute bound for Nopera. 

Untying the Pelican, throwing gear aboard, it was fire up the Rotax and a wave goodbye to Mike , then throttle open for a run down Nopera strip and lift off midway before circuiting Nopera and away to Wanganui, Turangi and Whitianga ending another great adventure in Mike Alpha Lima.....

Until the next adventure......

Wally from Whiti