Flora Saddle Adventure (Part 1)

Another year has disappeared into history since our last flyaway to the South Island where a few of us have been gathering over the last few years. We are like birds 🦅 as we adventure into the air with new feeding spots to be checked out and favourites returned to.

So after gaining the interest of a few of our adventurers from Whitianga, Cooks Beach, Pirongia, Masterton and Turangi the adventure unfolded easily into a three week excursion.

I needed to achieve an appointment in Tauranga so my journey began with a transit of Tauranga then onwards to Ray & Wendy’s invitation, to overnight in Turangi with them, to spur me onwards. I took in a fine afternoons flying coastal to Tauranga then onwards via Mamaku, northeast of Rotorua, to Turangi. The fine weather allowed another marvellous VFR flight across a very scenic landscape, to cross the Waikato Cycleway below near Mangakino, recapturing the route from above, that I had taken last year on my mountain bike ride through this territory.

The terrain below then took on a more rugged aspect as I rechecked fuel and engine instruments and listened to the happy purr of the Rotax engine humming away up front. The rugged countryside is great to look at when safely above it but wasn’t very appealing in case of an engine failure.

Lake Taupo and Mt Ruapehu stood out in the distance so smooth flying had me on the ground on the ETA I had texted through to Ray earlier. It wasn’t long before Ray and I had tied down the Pelican for the night and dispatched back into Turangi with Ray’s dog safely minding my fuel cans and overnight gear in the back of his Ute.

Turangi is one of my favourite spots that Ray and Wendy introduced me to some years before when weather had me overnight in Turangi when southbound to Martinborough. This is where my Pelicaning adventures were born.

And so another convivial evening was enjoyed in Turangi and I learned that the call to trout fish again had not gone out because of Ray’s trout fishers elbow and essentially poor river fishing. More fun is being hatched though.

Next morning as the dawn arrived and the weather forecast was explored I could see that Port Gore airstrip was a definite possibility enroute to Nopera, in Kenepuru Sound.

An early call to Cliff said “yes” and after a couple of 20 litre fuel containers were topped up, Ray dropped me out to the Pelican, assisted with refuelling then a wave goodbye and into the air we climbed. Another good weather day but headwinds wrecked havoc with my planned ground speed so I was a little behind my ETA at Wanganui but this didn’t deter Ohakea Control from offering me 5000’ clearance through their airspace direct to Kapiti Island. This always makes the trip a little easier knowing I have height and good visual conditions for the water crossings I fly in the Pelican and improving ground speed was more agreeable too.

With Cliff agreeable, after a call earlier in the week to gain permission for a visit, it was exciting to let down into Port Gore across Cape Jackson where Anne, Dylan and I had walked to a few years before, in far worse conditions that today. Then, 45 knot southeasterly winds and rain as we walked past Port Gore and looked down to downbursts on the water in the bay. Today, smooth clear air and blue sky above. Perfect to land in this new one way strip for me.

A quick overfly of the strip to spot the high telephone wire mentioned in my briefing from Cliff and his wife Dianne then around to land up hill across the beach. A very good wheeler landing had me up the hill at the end of the strip and turned around for another takeoff and landing before lunch, stopping at the top of the strip again.

Remembering my first landing at one of my steep strips in Mercury Bay, I made sure I had power on with sufficient speed to come to a rest at the top, unlike the Mercury Bay strip where I only got half way uphill with insufficient power remaining to get to the top and only 1/2 hour before darkness set in! That is another story.

This time, with lunch out of the way, no signal on my telephone to text my position to my flying friends from Masterton who were joining me in Nopera, I decided not to walk down to meet Cliff, but returned to the air in case an Emergency was declared when I couldn’t be contacted. I had not briefed my friends that I was to land here.

A farewell radio call from Cliff and a commitment to return tomorrow took me back into radio and cellphone coverage as I negotiated my way down Kenepuru Sound to my now familiar spot of Nopera Airstrip.

Undisturbed Air made this a very pleasant arrival to put me at the top of the strip where I tied Down the Pelican and awaited Mike’s arrival to transfer me to Hopewell Lodge.

The Lodge is a perfect spot to enjoy Kenepuru Sound from but somewhat remote for those with cars or ferry transport. Ideal for us fliers when conditions are as good as today.

A reintroduction with Lynley on arrival, accomodation for our stay pointed out, use of the utility to collect my fliers from Nopera when they arrived followed by a quiet relax with my feet up until the text message to say “en route now” had me jump into the Ute and head off to the airstrip.

I was looking forward to seeing my flying friends arrive and hoped to be positioned to film their landings at Nopera. Today was ideal with sun and little wind to disturb the air surrounding the strip but, as always, caution is required in these tightly positioned airstrips in the Lee of mountains, no matter what the weather is. I have often flown past without landing but looked down to see the gusts on the water saying “ not today Wally”.

I arrived early enough to drive up the mountain to the north of the strip to obtain a clear view of the approaches and most of the strip and felt this would serve me well. No sooner had I got into position than I heard the first aircraft overhead and managed to film Murray in Cessna 152 - DPS landing then Savanagh ..... arrived in the circuit immediately afterwards to follow in for the second landing. Both made good approaches but a wind gust picked up the Savanagh, just on touch down which gave Peter a wobbly arrival.

I drove back to collect them and assist with tie down locations beside the tall pines at the north of the airstrip.

Peter was on his first visit here but Murray had been in here last year with me so was an old hand and both were just as excited as I was with the fine weather providing us another suitable opportunity to gather in Kenepuru at Hopewell Lodge this year.

Mike and Lynley happily engaged us after we placed our overnight gear into the room allocated but I observed that Peter would have been happier in his tent. Mike and Lynley are great hosts and with Mike’s purchase of a Savanagh kit earlier in the year he and Peter were happily talking planes into the afternoon as we sat around in a typically Mediterranean way, snacking and lubricating our discussions in the warm and sunny afternoon airs in the tranquil spot that Hopewell is placed in.

Next morning I was amazed to hear Peter engaging Nicola (still at work in Wellington ) with what he had discovered in Hopewell and had already made a booking to fly her over the following week! They are both into the great outdoors like me.

I called Cliff early to determine still ok with the mornings weather and advised three aircraft would be over to Port Gore after we had breakfasted and taken Mike for a fly in the Savanagh. The flying was done early for Mike was committed for ferrying passengers across Kenepuru from and back to the Lodge.

We bade Mike and Lynley farewell after breakfast and Were dropped to our aircraft for the return to Port Gore. Looking good initially but arriving overhead we had a layer of low cloud abutting the ranges that Port Gore is nestled beside so we each had to find a suitable descent into the bay before returning to land.

Calm conditions allowed this to occur without any turbulent air to upset us so we each landed and taxied back to the homestead to greet Cliff, Dianne and Chris who were on the field to engage us with their lives in this very remote settlement of Port Gore.

A homestead beside the beach at the threshold of the airstrip was a wonderful spot for morning tea on their veranda to hear a little of the history of not only their lives here but also construction of the airstrip and ongoing operations into and out of this airstrip. Afterwards a hangar tour allowed us a view of the new Airvan about to be operated by Pelorus Air, a look at the tightly hangared Bell 47 beside it and of course the other workhorse proudly on display outside the hangar, Cessna 185 CIM that has been a frequent visitor to Wellington over the years I have operated there.

Departure time arrived so Murray and I taxied off for our onwards journey to Wagner Strip, near Nelson, where Murray was to obtain fuel. Peter had decided that impending weather could trap him in the South Island so had decided to return to Masterton after his visit to Port Gore.

Flying weather was tops, re transiting over our earlier track for Murray and I, giving us an  enjoyable entry into Nelson Control zone to the east of the city which allowed us a descent down the steep slopes of Jenkins Hill and onto Bob’s home airstrip..Wagner Strip ... where Bob has been building and operating his own aircraft from for many years, as well as entertaining drop in pilots and planes like ours.

Bob and his wife Margaret’s enthusiasm caught my attention some years before when I had first met them at Motueka during one of their Clubs marvellous Open Days. Bob and Margaret would truck their partly constructed wooden Peitenpole Air Camper over from Hope, assemble it with G clamps in the hangar for display and Bob would then engage us all with live engine runs of his soon to be fitted Rotec engine which was bolted to the back of his truck. What a draw card and great entertainment!

We had called Bob earlier, from Hopewell, when we had been given a “heads up” by NOTAM advising no AVGAS in Motueka which was going to cause problems for Murray and his C 152. Bob obliged with a loan of his Vehicle ( I had hoped he would take us in his model T but that was not available due battery problem) which allowed us a 'tiki tour' into Nelson Airport to obtain AVGAS in the 20 litre containers I was carrying for exactly these purposes. It also allowed us another look through his hangars where many other pilots have chosen to locate to with their flying machines.

Bob’s Peitenpole has now been flying, as per our last visit, but he was enthusiastically placing his next project on the cowling of the Pelican when we returned, demonstrating what he can do again in wood. A Druine 2 seater D5 Turbi. What a man. What a builder and flyer.

Leaving Bob to his planning, we taxied for departure on his runway 28 at Hope for the “Sawmill Departure” as cleared by Nelson Tower and away we flew, coastal to Awaroa.

Since we had called into Awaroa last year and enjoyed their hospitality I had pondered the need to remain here again as I made my approach and landing. Since our mate  Volkmar was not here this time and also because there were only two of us and weather sneaking up the west coast, I felt there would be limited opportunities to entertain us should we become weather bound in Awaroa. After Murray landed I tabled the idea that we should continue onwards up to Farewell Spit and onwards to Karamea before the weather closed in.

Murray readily accepted this change of planso we departed again in good flying conditions across the bay, abeam Takaka to Collingwood and onwards to Ferry Point strip intending to land there before heading down to Karamea. Once in the circuit at Ferry Point I observed two alarming scenes. First was that camper vans and mobile homes were obstructing the approach path and secondly the cross wind, nil at Awaroa but 15-20 kts here was going to make this a tricky landing.

After a quick airborne review and a look at the low cloud down the coast to Karamea we decided to head back to the safety of Motueka where we knew accomodation, tie-downs and fuel would be available. Also we knew that the approaching weather may delay our southbound journey and keep us on the ground in Mot. At least we knew that good food and supplies would be readily available to keep us topped up and entertained.

Part 2 follows shortly.