Dingo Roadhouse..a great stop !!

[Guest Maj Millard]

Just a plug for a real nice place to stop. A friend and I drove down to Casino recently to pick up a Savanna. We overnighted at the Dingo road house on the way down, and used the opportunity to check the airstrip out behind the roadhouse..

 

On the way back I decided to land and overnight also, instead of the usual Emerald stop, as I had been to Emerald several times in the past.

 

Now I know I'm certainly not the first to use the Dingo strip, as many of my country pilot friends have mentioned it also. What a great place !!. The large, wide, well mown grass strip immediatly behind the road house would handle most aircraft. There was a noticable absence of windsocks currently on the poles, but there is a small dam with windmill off the Western end, and a quick whip around town on the other side of the highway will usually give you some indication of any wind from washing on lines etc. After landing you taxi right up to behind the road house, and there are a couple of trees that you can park under, and tiedown to for the night. Plenty of parking space.

 

I didn't need fuel, but if you did it's only a short walk to the bowsers. It is probabily phyiscally possible to taxi around to the bowsers themselves, but it is real busy out front, and I'm not sure if this would be a real great idea.

 

After landing I booked into one of the nice modern Air conditioned units (Approx $90 a night) only 20 meters from the plane, and then into the roadhouse for phone calls, and a top feed. My road support vehical wasn't due till around 5.30pm, so across the road to the only pub in town, which is also owned by the roadhouse owner. We were enjoying another great meal at the pub that evening after the roadcrew arrived, when "Darren Dingo" the owner, came over and introduced himself. He's a pilot, and a friendly and welcoming bloke who lives in the Rockhampton area. As the roadouse owner he commutes to his roadhouse a couple times a week in his Red Mooney, and he obviously enjoys his flying. I noticed it parked in it's shed after I taxied in. Darren mentioned that the strip does not actually belong to the roadhouse, but is owned by the local council. The road house helps keep it mowed and in good condition. He made it clear that responsable pilots were welcome anytime.

 

Hard to miss navigation wise, as it right on the main Rockhampton - Emerald highway around 100 road Kilometers East of Emerald in Central Queensland.

 

I departed next morning to the North, and you get a great view for the next hour or so of the vast central Queensland coal mining region.................................................:thumb_up:

 

 

[bluey the fly]

GDAY MAJ Dingo Road house sounds like a great stop over with a couple of flying mates. This sort of thing realy appeals to me, I cant wait till finish my xcountry & pax . A few years ago my wife and i were in WA we stopped for lunch at a old dutch windmill just north of the Stirling Rangers,They have a air strip right up to your accommondation with spectacular views of the rangers. I said to my wife at the time wouldn;t be great to be able to fly hear one day.THIS was all before i found out about RAA .now trying to keep the dream alive :thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes Bluey, there are many top places around where you can land, and get good accomodation and services right by the plane,....and I'm sure there are also many right throughout the country, as you mention. It is alway nice when on top of that, you get a very warm welcome as we experienced at Dingo, and from a GA pilot also.....it wasn't always the case in the past with our little machines....Cheers

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Yep, great spot. My old mate and instructor used to fly out of there. His wife used to work in the roadhouse. If he was still alive he could tell ya a gripping yarn about getting some truckies to shine their lights up the strip as he had problems heading home one day and got back a little after dark. hehe.. All in a days work for him.

 

cheers

 

 

[rdarby]

Is the Dingo Roadhouse on the Rockhampton VNC? I have looked but can't find it.

 

Do you have co-ordinates please?

 

Also, what is the runway length, direction etc, or a contact to find it? Google has given me a lot of references to it, but I can't actually find someone to call and book accomodation etc.

 

My brother is coming over at the end of the month and I'm finding out about my bonus on Monday, so together I'm planning a road trip!

 

Ryan

 

 

[rdarby]

Found Dingo, had to get into better light and follow the road. Now Maj, where is this airconditioned accomodation you spoke of? The roadhouse itself or the caravan park?

 

 

[rdarby]

Looks likecits class D airspace there under 8500, is that right?

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

rdarby, yes strangly enough the Dingo roadhouse is at Dingo !. Dingo is just a small highway town with a couple of operating sawmills, a pub, and a large, very popular roadhouse, that a lot of travellers and most truckies stop at. (read goldmine !) That's about it for Dingo. The roadhouse (and only pub) is owned by the very friendly Darren Dingo, (not his real last name) who is a very active GA pilot. I believe Darren lives in the Rockhampton area, and commutes to the roadhouse in his red mooney a couple of times a week.

 

The large and very ample grass strip at the back of the roadhouse runs east/west and is actually owned by the local council, not the roadhouse, but Darren maintains it and keeps it well mowed . There are no windsocks, but there is a small dam with windmill just off the west end which will give you wind direction. Other small dams around town will do the same if the wind is blowing.

 

After landing you taxi a short distance into the truck parking area which can be character building sometimes as trucks are much bigger than small planes !!. I try to park on the grass area right at the back of the roadhouse /servo on the left, in front of Darrens small hangar. It's only a short walk to the pumps from here. Often Darrens' Mooney is in the hangar (no doors, just wire gates.) If he's around he'll probabily come by and say Hi, as he likes folks to use the facility.

 

The roadhouse has an excellent resturant and is very busy with truckies and miners working nearby mines. Great place for a feed. I have often found my coffee refilled courtesy of Darren. There are some 200 lt drums there which make high-wing refueling easier.

 

There are very nice airconditioned units right behind the roadhouse itself, I'm not sure if there is a caravan park in Dingo. Last time I overnighted in the units I think it was around $90 a night and they are worth it.Good idea to call ahead for availability.

 

One of the sawmills has a large white tank which is easily spotted some distance from Dingo. the pub across the road from the Roadhouse is also a great place for a fed , a few cold beers and a great night. one night I was minding my business at the bar and Darren turned up and just kept buying beers..country hospitality ! A little oasis for a weary pilot to refresh at !....:thumb_up:........................................Maj...

 

 

[Hongie]

-23.652386,149.332446 that's the coordinates of google maps for what i think is the roadhouse and the strip immediately south of it

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Dingo airstrip & motel & roadhouse - Highly recommended. The motel units and roadhouse (with 24 hr feeds last time I was there) have everything you need - except a beer - but we don't drink - and you need to cross the highway to get there. We stop at the Roadhouse often on our car trips to Rockhampton and have watched it progress from a small servo to the multi-purpose outfit it is today. Good under shade parking, toilets (could be a little better), modern motel rooms built in the last few years, grounds well kept, free tea/coffee with any purchased meal, good spread of tucker (not all hot box stuff - but that's available for on-the-go), convenience store range of groceries. Airstrip is orientated into the prevailing wind.

 

Sue

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Hongie, That's pretty close. I get S 23.39.08.54 and E149.20.08.41 by zooming in on the strip itself. If you just tap in Dingo Qld Australia into the 'fly-to' box it'll take you right to it....................................................Maj...

 

 

[Relfy]

Top stuff Maj, you didn't have any trouble coming back across that highway now did you? :)

 

 

[shags_j]

Has anyone thought of setting up a public google map with the locations of all these great little strips with accomodation?

 

 

[jerrajerra]

Has anyone thought of setting up a public google map with the locations of all these great little strips with accomodation?

I purchased a Pilots Guide To WAAirstrips but you can get one for each State and Territory in binder paperback format or an online version using google earth. I think something similar has been done on this forum but it may have been only ERSA listed fields?

 

 

[long tall texan]

Stopped there on the way back from Caloundra to Clermont. Perfect stopping point. And they make the best sandwiches!

 

 

[eightyknots]

Just a plug for a real nice place to stop. A friend and I drove down to Casino recently to pick up a Savanna. We overnighted at the Dingo road house on the way down, and used the opportunity to check the airstrip out behind the roadhouse..

Maj, there is a new thread of airstrip/accommodation combinations useful to Rec Flyers. Could you perhaps add the Dingo roadhouse details there? http://www.recreationalflying.com/threads/list-of-airstrips-next-to-accommodation-and-or-meals-facilities.28198/