Us pilot needs suggestions.

[mmmmss]

Looking for a bit of advice. Arriving in AU the end of March and renting a 172 in Adelaide then heading North. Might go as far as Birdsville. Were should we stop and spend some time? What is not to miss? What should we avoid?

 

We've planned about 3 weeks and 20 to 30 hours of flying for this flyabout.

 

This is our second trip. Two years ago we went from Goldcoast to White Cliffs on a 10 day adventure.

 

All ideas welcome

 

Mark

 

 

[willedoo]

Hello Mark,

 

Just wondering what the fuel range of the 172 is. Hopefully by March it will stop raining & be a bit drier. A trip to Birdsville would be fun, one thing to bear in mind is the unstable weather that time of year & the heat which can still be 40-50+ celsius at that time of year. January is usually the worst, March is starting to cool down a bit. The weather can be unpredictable in the desert regions up there. I've started the morning in January nice & cool & cloudy & within the hour had temperatures at 58-60 celsius & sand blowing horizontally at 40kts. But it's not like that all the time, when it's good, it's good.

 

Some years it may be a lot cooler & quite pleasant most of the time, it just pays to be prepared for it just in case. Big hats, sunscreen & drink plenty of water & know your heat stress symptoms is the rule of thumb. Another important piece of equipment is a fly veil or net to wear over the head if the flies get bad, which they do, depending on the weather. You can get them at camping stores. I've worked in that country for the last 30 odd years & maybe I'm getting soft, but I always carry one in my pocket during the warmer months.

 

Have you got a route worked out to get from Adelaide to Birdsville yet, as that would have a bearing on stopovers & sightseeing.

 

Regards,

 

Willedoo.

 

 

[mmmmss]

Thanks for the response. Got most of that gear already from the last trip. The 172 has about 5.5 hours range. We're familiar with planning fuel in AU. No pre-fixed agenda. If it's good and we are ready, off we go. Otherwise there's always tomorrow.

 

 

[willedoo]

Hello Mark,

 

Sounds like your fuel range will give a bit of flexibility, only place I'm not sure of is Moomba as far as the public is concerned with refuelling, but you probably wouldn't need to go there.

 

As far as sights to see in the region go, the Flinders ranges are nice, Lake Eyre has been a big hit lately due to the water pouring into it from recent flooding. It's only fills every 20 years or so & can dry out very rapidly. Also lots of nice desert sand dune country to fly over, it'll be a carpet of green after all this rain. In the dry times it looks more like Saudi Arabia.

 

Another nice spot is Innaminka in the north east of South Australia. The country changes from dunes to stony mesa type country, has Cooper's Creek flowing through it & the Coongie Lakes system not far away, a very historic town & district.

 

East & south east of Birdsville is the Cooper Creek floodplain, it spreads 80-100 klm wide when it floods, has millions of channels which fill with water & surrounding vegetation that contrasts with the rest of the land. It's one of the best sights from the air to see in Australia when it has water. With the amount of flooding about, the channels should still be fairly full in March. Google images will have photos.

 

The historic Noccundra Hotel is well worth a visit if you're in that area of far SW Queensland. Noccundra has a population that varies from 3-5 people at times. Has a good dirt strip & accomodation, planes often taxi up to the pub. It's on the Wilson River, not bad fishing, a friendly unique place. Also has pics on Google.

 

The list goes on, but one possible route would be to fly Adelaide, Flinder's Ranges, Lake Eyre to Birdsville. From there east to Windorah, down through the channel country to Noccundra, then due south to Tibooburra, Broken Hill & back to Adelaide. Just one of many alternatives.

 

Have flown over most of that country for years, but always work related, it would be a lot of fun to do it the way you are, at your own leisure.

 

Regards,

 

Willedoo.