Flying in a Land Down Under

Townsville to Brisbane via Shute Harbour and the Great Barrier Reef

As Dan already revealed, Townsville is not Australia’s prettiest city, but at least it didn’t rain all the time. Moreover, there is Magnetic Island just off the coast. We didn’t want to fly the next day, as the weather still wasn’t forecast to be great, so we went there instead. The Island got its funny name because Captain Cook suspected a magnetic anomaly when he sailed by. However, there is none, maybe he just took a cross-eyed look at his compass. Anyway, there are nice views and beaches and hiring a scooter makes for a fun day.

At least Townsville’s Christmas tree isn’t particularly nice

Everything is magnetic in Townsville

Arthur bay on Magnetic Island

Horseshoe bay on Magnetic Island

Easy Rider for the elderly

The next day weather still wasn’t as great as we had hoped for, but as we had already been waiting for so long, we didn’t want to lose another day and so we set out for our first reef inspection.

Our way down Queensland’s coast and along the Great Barrier Reef

Our destination was Shute Harbour, YSHR, a place Australian Mooney friends highly recommended. In fact it’s a lovely airfield with an interesting approach situated in the coastal hills. From Townsville we flew over Magnetic Island out to the reef. I tried hard to get some good shots but the reef isn’t that spectacular under an overcast sky.

Horseshoe Bay from the air

Taking photos

This is Bowden Reef IIRC

The more sun comes through the better

Dingo Reef?

Final 14 at YSHR

We took a public bus from the airfield to nearby Airlie Beach where we spent two nites. It’s a lively tourist town that caters to a young crowd. We booked one of the many tours on offer that take you out on a boat. Ours went to Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island and stopped at two reefs for snorkeling. We were still in stinger territory and therefore had to wear protective suites. We felt a bit old on this tour, as the majority of the other clients were about half our age but it was fun anyway.

On the tour boat

Whitehaven Beach

Tour boats waiting for their clients to return

The leg from Shute to Brisbane’s Archerfield airport, YBAF was rather long and we added some flight time by heading out to the reef once again. This time however, we had great weather and the scenery was spectacular. I had talked to the tour pilots at Shute and they gave hints where they usually fly to, to get nice shots of the reef.

Departing Shute Harbour

Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island from the air

Hook Reef

The Heart and the helicopter platform nearby

Hardy Reef

While we had explored the reef from a thousand foot, we climbed to 9500’ for the remainder of the flight but still got nice views of the coast. Archerfield is the GA airfield of Brisbane and it’s a busy place with all sorts of traffic, but it’s controlled so it doesn’t get too chaotic. Unfortunately the weather deteriorated again once we came closer to Brisbane.

Coal terminal at Gladstone

Brisbane’s skyline

Final 10L at YBAF

Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city but it has always been standing in Melbourne’s and Sydney’s shadow. It’s a pleasant place though with architecture from all time periods, nice restaurants, good hotels and lively pubs. We spent two nites here, before we continued down to New South Wales.

Nothing can go wrong on a day that starts like this

Brisbanes’s skyline from Story Bridge

Cathedral of St. Stephen

An evening in the pub

Down the coast of New South Wales

We met old and new friends at all our stops along the coast of New South Wales. Unfortunately weather only partially cooperated on all these legs. Our first destination was Port Macquarie, YPMQ, about two hours south of Brisbane.

Along the coast of New South Wales

We left Brisbane in light rain but weather improved a bit further south. We came along some of Australia’s prime vacation destinations as well as the easternmost point of our journey. Unfortunately all this didn’t look that pretty in the rain.

YPMQ is quite busy, much more than we expected. Not only were there several student pilots flying around (from all parts of the world I’d guess by their accent), there was also commercial traffic arriving from Sydney. A little Mooney from Europe managed to sneak in as well, and all that self-organized by means of aircraft to aircraft communication.

Gold Coast

Byron Bay, the easternmost point of our journey

Approaching YPMQ

We met a close German friend at Port Macquarie who was visiting the Australian part of her family for Christmas. The town itself isn’t that special, it’s full of tourists and many Australians move here after retirement, but the beaches immediately to the south are spectacular. Moreover, one evening we found an exceptionally good restaurant for dinner.

Beach near Port Macquarie

Exceptionally good dinner in Port Macquarie

To visit Sydney almost everybody flies to Bankstown, YSBK, the city’s GA airport and so did we. The AD is controlled and usually very busy, but we arrived on Christmas Eve.

Weather was fine when we left YPMQ but it was forecast to be very convective. As always in such a case, we had the choice to either fly VFR, stay below the clouds and try to find a way, or file IFR, climb really high and hope to avoid the CBs up there. We opted for the former and it seemed to work nicely. There were storms on either side of the route as we could see on the ADL (which works fine in Oz 😀), but our way was clear. YSBK is located to the West of Sydney’s big airport and to get there VFR, one has to fly a prescribed corridor rather low over some hills. We had requested flight following and the controller informed us that according to his weather data it would not be possible to fly the corridor and asked if we wanted to divert. We didn’t and therefore asked if we could change flight rules. That was not a problem. We were in Golf anyway, but he suggested a point to track to and cleared us into CAS shortly after. Very good and friendly service! We had to climb of course and were in the murk for a couple of minutes but when flying the RNP approach into Bankstown, we broke out of the clouds at a comfortable height.

Nice after departing YPMQ

The situation as shown by our ADL (looks good)

The situation in reality (looks good as well, but in fact wasn’t further south)

Short final 11L, YSBK, after swing over from 11C

RM parked over Christmas

While most people enjoy the Christmas days back home, it’s a difficult period when traveling at least from a practical perspective: all shops and restaurants are closed, hotels offer only a minimal service or even close completely.

To escape these problems, we had organized a rental car and had booked a nice Airbnb apartment in the suburb of Ashfield, between Bankstown and Sydney. We went to a supermarket to buy a few supplies along with a bottle of wine and had a peaceful Christmas Eve.

Sydney would be just another nice New World city if it wasn’t for its unique setting and spectacular landmark buildings. We thought we would have the city to ourselves on Christmas Day but of course we were wrong. Though most businesses were closed, the place was packed with tourists. Anyway, it was a warm and sunny day and we enjoyed our stroll around the center.

Christmas breakfast on the deck of our AirBnB apartment

Sydney’s skyline

The Opera House

Harbour Bridge

On Boxing Day we were invited to a hangar barbie by fellow Mooney pilot Victor. We got in contact via MS and he had invited us weeks before. We spent a very pleasant afternoon together at a private strip a few kilometers to the west where his beautiful J model lives in a posh hangar. Victor was kind enough to pick us up at the car rental company the next morning and drove us over to YSBK. Of course, he took the chance to inspect RM there 😀

Hangar barbie

Victor and us at YSBK

Flying over Sydney Harbour was on our bucket list right from the beginning and we did it on our way further south. The track one has to fly is described in the ERSA and it has to be done at 1500’. It’s in class C airspace but Sydney approach will clear you in unless there is too much traffic. Weather wasn’t absolutely perfect the day we flew it, but it was OK.

Sydney visible in the distance

Flying direct to the Harbour Bridge at 1500’

You’re allowed to do two orbits

To follow the coast further south under VFR, one has to descend to 500’ because the flightpath crosses the extended centerlines of two of the runways of Sydney’s big airport relatively close to the thresholds. This special procedure is not very popular with many Aussie pilots as they consider it dangerous and in fact there have been accidents. You have to contour some of the bays you follow and therefore fly out towards the sea sometimes. Depending on light and weather the horizon may not be visible and at 500’ there is not much room for error.

Following the prescribed VFR route to the south at 500’

Sydney’s big airport is on the other side of this bay

We followed the coast further south to Merimbula, YMER. We climbed a bit, but stayed rather low to enjoy the stunningly beautiful scenery now in almost perfect sunshine.

Wallaga Lake and Murunna Point where it meets the sea

Dolphin Cove, near Merimbula

Final 21 at YMER

We had arranged a rental car at YMER. Like before in Sydney we once again could enjoy the incredible hospitality of fellow Mooney pilots in Merimbula. Judi and John, the president of the Australian Mooney Pilots Association invited us to stay at their home. John and another great Aussie Mooniac, Michael, called Banjo, greeted us at the airport. Banjo, who has his nickname because he’s a musician, would be worth a separate installment 😀

Breckie at an Australian home

It’s an acquired taste, but by now I really start to like it

The next day in the morning we drove up to Wallaga Lake again which was so nice from the air. We did a little walk there but we didn’t have too much time, as we had yet another invitation. Fellow Mooney pilot Josh, the president of Frogs Hollow Flyers, had organized – you guessed it – a barbie 😀. After lunch Josh took us for a spin in his Jabiru powered microlight. Of course I didn’t say no when he asked me to take the controls.

Horse Head Rock

Wallaga Lake from the ground

Barbie at Frogs Hollow

Josh and terbang

My first landing: pilot induced oscillation 😳

After flying along the coast all the way down from Cairns, Merimbula was our last seaside stop. We turned inland for a while from here.

Judi, John, the terbangs and Tobi

Judi and John waving us good-bye

Guess the controls are somewhat lighter than those of a Mooney

They are 😂

Is it 100% VH-reg, or are there foreign aircraft? There can’t be much GA in Melanesia, and NZ is a long way. Is based N-reg a thing in Australia?

You only see VH-reg here. I was told, that in principle it would be possible to base an N-reg plane here (as long as you comply with customs regulations, i.e. pay) but it‘s very difficult and/or expensive to find an A&P/IA here who could do work and inspections on such a plane. A fellow Mooney pilot imported his plane from the US (and ferried it himself) and changed registration for that reason.

How does it work with insurance on hire cars? Do you have a holiday policy, or just drive?

We just drive. I think, the risk that something happens that is more that a major nuisance is not that great.