Tiger Moth Safari 2020 - Part 3

A relaxed afternoon followed as we watched the Tiger Moths arrive and taxi into their tie down positions beside the Fiordland Aero Club. This activity always takes a bit of time to not only position the aircraft into the least wind affected areas for their overnight accomodations, but also to chat to each other about the day in the air which is always something pilots and passengers love to do. Today was no exception as the fleet had covered a large amount of the South Island by flying from Ashburton to Te Anau/Manapouri, after a lunch stop in Alexandra along the way. Conditions much improved on the previous day so great flying yet the head winds were coming in rather significantly by the afternoon when they arrived In Te Anau.

A cheap beer at the club is always a positive sign that this club is a members club where socialising is part of the day out. Many of the FAC members were on site to celebrate the day and talk with old friends so it was a very convivial arrival scene.

As we got our fleet to rest each of us gathered our overnight gear to take the roadie trip into Te Anau so we could get ready for the dinner date in down town. This time at the Te Anau Movie Theatre Black Dog Bar where some of the team viewed the recommended Southern Action movie of the Deer Hunting Adventures that had gone on here in the 60s and 70s before deer farming had become the norm. Dinner was a casual affair that had us nibbling away on delicious food as we talked about our day and the ones going forward from here.

I took the opportunity to phone my friend Jeff who, I had only recently discovered, had moved to Te Anau from the Wairarapa. He and his wife Jane, reminded me of Harvey Wilson, from A Good Keen Man by Barry Crump, who had herded a swarm of bees down the west coast to Haast! That was why Jeff had left the Wairarapa as his “bees weren’t doing too good up there”. So Murray and I met a real Harvey Wilson in Te Anau and I asked him if he had herded them south? “No,” he said, “they came down on the back of a truck!” But “they are doing fine here as there is less competition here but also a bit cooler, the last two seasons.”

These little expeditions around the country side each year are a wonderful opportunity to catch up with people because had I not contacted Jeff, as I did, we would have missed him as he was off to Milford Sounds the next morning, driving a coach. We were to also be off to Invercargill, weather permitting.

An early awakening next morning had me out for a walk around Te Anau from our accomodation near the centre. Always an enjoyable activity in Te Anau which has become more and more familiar to me over the past four years with my achieving 3 visits over this time. The sun was yet to brighten the sky as I set off and hoped to assess if we were to fly or not fly today. To fly meant my last view of Te Anau was now, a most enjoyable estuary walk to Main Street wander, then to and around the centre of Te Anau which Murray and I had wandered through to our dinner last night. This had me looking into outdoor stores, adventure operators and window shopping to ponder how I could shape my next mission to Te Anau.

It also took me into pondering a good place to have breakfast 🍳 as I saw more people coming out into the streets. As it happened, I passed the breakfast cafe I had used 3 years previously which had a good offer at the door. Bacon and eggs $12. Mmm that seems a more enjoyable way to start the day than my dehydrated porridge back at the motel. A very short wait had the meal on the table in front of me, even before I had time to assess the aviation weather and look out the window as the sun began illuminating the street.

A coffee to go while I assessed that the weather allowed me time to decide another day in Te Anau would bring us an unexpected adventure rather than push into marginal flying weather. Would Murray be in for it?

I left the Cafe to table my ideas with Murray and “Hey, you haven’t paid for breakfast” was shouted to me by my waitress from the steps to the Cafe. Oops!

A bit of humour and exchange of cash resolved this misdeed and then had me retrace last night’s walk to our motel. Murray was in for the plan as his assessment was similar to mine. “How do we do this?”..... “Should be a bus to Milford Sounds about 10:30 am from memory so let’s pack our gear and check out then wander back into town and see what transpires. Take gear for a day to Milford and leave the rest behind.”

That’s what we did and purchased tickets on a 10:30am Real Journeys expedition to Milford with very little delay before the coach left outside the door. Standing there with other travellers had us get into conversation with a woman from Tuscany who was also travelling to Milford. When the call to board was announced she advised we hadn’t validated our tickets so back into the cafe we had just left to have the tickets validated...oops again.

All this set us up for an adventure that would mean accomodation to be sorted later but the day was unfolding better than sitting at the aerodrome waiting for weather to clear. Due to recent rains the journey to Milford needed to be timed to allow coaches to travel in convoy so that highway repairs could be continued on with, between convoys. The coach we departed on was a supplementary coach for the overflow bookings so fewer passengers aboard allowed us to spread out to each get a window seat 💺for the best views of the surrounds. Spectacular!

Returning late afternoon had us wondering about accomodation but I had that pretty well sorted after my morning walk, so after we spoke with our friendly Tuscan tourist from the mornings coach lineup, arranging our transport to the airport next morning, we checked into our Distinction Luxmore Hotel nearby then set off to gather our belongings from our previous accomodation.

Next day had us away early to the Mobil service station to top up my Mogas containers and await Christina’s arrival in her campervan for our journey back to the ‘drome. This was rather a cool way to return to the Aerodrome in two ways. Murray and Christina in the front and me jammed in the back with our gear, bowed down to get a view out the front and participate in the conversations, then being deposited outside the aeroclub hangar to drop our gear and refuel the Pelican in 3 degrees Celsius temperatures. Wow! Meanwhile Murray and Christina wandered off along the taxiway to where Murray’s aircraft was parked, out of sight, around the row of hangars. Christina had been promised a flight around Te Anau in exchange for the lift to the airfield so I saw them get airborne as I finished my refuelling exercise on the Pelican.

Plans for the day had been briefly discussed the previous night over our dinner date at the Ranch Bar and Grill since the Invercargill overnight had been bypassed due weather. Murray and I had decided Mossman, Fortune strip - near Thornbury, Gore and Balclutha would be an appropriate way to get us onwards to the next destination of Taieri while the rest of the team split into their own groups to get their lists ticked off before arriving in Taieri.

Morning tea at Mossman was achieved as we were the first few aircraft to get airborne at Te Anau/ Manapouri on our day’s mission. Murray and I, along with Pete and Nicola in their Savanagh had been down this way last year so it was becoming familiar territory to us. A little misty and some lowish cloud around the initial departure leg kept our altitude below 1500’ but made the journey rather spectacular in the filtered lighting conditions of the morning as we flew below the nearby mountains and hills, via a few valleys to Mossman.

With us first to land at Mossman, Murray and I were first in the queue at the local cafe not far from the strip allowing us relaxed conversations with both the staff and other tourists snacking with us. Walking back to the strip we saw some of the other Tiger team making their way to the cafe and a few hellos & goodbyes were sung out as we passed by.

Fortune strip was put on the map after Murray had taken Mike Fortune flying in his aircraft DPS last year while on a navigation competition from Te Anau. This was not easy to find in the green, green fields near Thornbury but Murray was first into the circuit and nailed it while I joined downwind behind. Turning final as second to land had me unable to spot the field on final so I had to overfly again for another visual review of some other markers before successfully landing on the second attempt. No one to greet us and that had been confirmed by telephone when Murray had rung for permission as another urgent engineering job had taken Mike away on another mission.

So after a brief look over the other aircraft in the hangars there, we departed for Gore once again, for refuelling. Met again by one of the Gore aero club members we were invited to have a coffee with him as we talked about our current adventure and his recent purchase of the tail dragger he had been flying in the circuit until he heard us descending on Gore again. A farmer from near coast to the south east so he suggested a trip via the coast to our next port of call at Balclutha would enable us to travel over some interesting coastal scenery.

With the basic plan in place we once again arose from the grass strip at Gore pleased that we had read the Gore No Landing Fees sign on the aero club to speed us on our way with smiles on our faces. Weather was by now quite suitable for easy VFR flying so it was a wonderful way to capture the Catlins area of Southland. A first for me and I suspect Murray too. That got us over the Balclutha Aerodrome mid afternoon to land beside the river in settled, wind free conditions. We did however see the aftermath of the recent flooding as we approached the runway end to taxi in to the clubhouse. It was still very boggy in places as our wheels sank into the soft patches requiring more power to keep us moving.

When shutting down at the parking bay we also took note of the flood debris along the fence lines showing just how much water had passed over the Aerodrome in the month before our arrival. A significant event that Balclutha was still recovering from as we passed through enroute to Taieri, oblivious to the wet summer since we had flown in from the parched North Island which had had very little rain for the past 3 months.

Another visit to this area of Southland could well be on the agenda of a future Pelican adventure in a fine summer pattern.

A quick check of the weather ahead while the Tiger Moths were being started, suggested a coastal trip could be flown to Taieri then duck into their airspace from Brighton. This worked well and was a pleasant tiki tour along the coast in the distant company of the Tiger Moths ahead whom we followed into the circuit area of Taieri.

Well a long time since being on the ground here at Taieri as that would have to be in the late sixties as it was also the last time I flew a Tiger Moth at Gore. Nothing too much had changed but certainly more hangarage and industrial area nearby. The Otago Aero Club members arrived to greet us and after Murray and I found a good overnight parking spot to tie down our aeroplanes, I was offered a trip to the nearby service station to replenish my Mogas containers. While I was away the remaining fleet arrived and filled the area outside the Aero Club where they were all in tie down mode after I returned. Little wind made a pleasant afternoon to chat with others around the clubhouse.

Murray managed to secure us some accomodation in Mosgiel at the Burns Lodge so we were relaxed knowing our evening was sorted. The Otago Aero Club had arranged our evening at the HeliOtago hangar nearby so our gear was all left in the OAC rooms while we dined on Pizza and took in the presentation in the HeliOtago hangar where we found out just how much work had been put into the development of this very sophisticated emergency rescue helicopter operation in Otago. The BK 117 was the chosen machine with 4 of these being operated by the Trust on a 24 hr 7 day call out basis.

An early close off after looking over the very smart helicopters allowed us to collect our overnight gear and be on one of the first shuttles to our accomodation. Very close to the Aerodrome so a good choice. Suitably bedded down had me sleeping very comfortably in my single bed cubicle thinking of the great day tomorrow as I drifted off to sleep.

Bright sunlight around my curtains next morning had me raring to go on the adventure which was planned to be our last on the Safari when another great idea popped into my head. Could drop into Hopewell Lodge if the weather is ok and they have space. A quick text to Mike confirmed space, weather looked agreeable so out of bed packed up and ready for breakfast to discuss this marvellous plan with Murray!

What a wonderful way to start the day. Burns Lodge had a great offer that the Tiger Team found hard to resist. Not only a great nights sleep but also a breakfast included! That got us all out of bed to enjoy the thought of the day’s adventure before us. Kokonga was to be first port of call.

While breakfasting I posed to Murray the next adventure to follow on. An immediate “let’s do it” confirmed we were both on the same page. Well the plan was before us on this fine weather day and as we checked out and awaited our transport, I suggested I needed a few supplies to continue on with. Having viewed the Countdown nearby the previous evening as were were dropped off at Burns Lodge, I had it in my mind that we could call in on the way back to the Aerodrome.

Delay awaiting the shuttle suggested to me that we walk. “Only about 45 minutes on ‘foot falcon’ Murray”. Agreed. Murray may not have noticed the Countdown along the way but I was ready even if the entrance was on the street away from our planned route back to the Aerodrome. So our shopping entailed the necessary Pinot Noir along with other essentials in case we ended up short of our destination.

Onwards with full backpacks to the Aerodrome seemed easy with our adventure being mulled over by both of us along the short 30 minutes onward journey. The Aerodrome was alive with people when we got there including the Safari team who had waited for the shuttle at Burns Lodge when we set off!

This was a fun morning as were were relaxed, aircraft ready, weather bright blue and windless, Tigers starting and the team ready for action. As we had run up our aeroplanes ( warmed them up and done our preflight checks) ready for action, Murray and I relaxed with the activity before us unfolding as the other adventurers began their Journeys.

Our turn came to launch so we taxied to the threshold of 05, as the others had. Always a little demanding in a taildragger on an unfamiliar airport, with taxiways not well defined for non regulars visitors like ourselves.

Kokonga was this mornings destination which was a new airstrip for most of us and our track took us north over the rail route to Middlemarch and beyond via the Taieri Gorge which is a popular tourist rail route out of Dunedin.



https://youtu.be/u4IDq47UR0I