Back to the desert
On of our walks in the Adelaide Hills we discussed how we wanted to continue our journey. The easternmost and southernmost points we would reach were already behind us. Even though we were really really a long way from home, we were actually on the way back. We decided that we hadn’t have enough of Australia’s outback and therefore we headed inland for the next three stops.
Three more desert stops
We left Aldinga for the famous desert settlement of Coober Pedy, YCBP. It was a completely uneventful flight in nice weather and we could enjoy the changing landscape beneath. The land closer to Adelaide was obviously used for agriculture but it got drier and drier quickly. Fields were replaced by pastures and after a while we really didn’t know what kind of stock could be raised down there. Finally it was complete desert again below us.
Fields close to Adelaide dotted with what looked like salt pans
Probably pastures
A remote station with a gravel strip
Lake Gairdner
Coober Pedy had recent rain, surprisingly green
Allegedly Coober Pedy means white man in a hole in a local aboriginal language. It’s an incredibly hot opal miner’s settlement in the desert. Opal mining is a highly unpredictable business and that’s why it’s not interesting for big companies, as we learned a bit later from an Australian geologist. Therefore mining in Coober Pedy is still on a small scale, literally a few white men digging holes.
The miners found out that it’s cooler in their mines than in their huts and therefore they moved underground. They called their homes dugouts and these are tourist attractions today. Of course we stayed in a dugout for a nite as well. There are even underground churches, the one of the Serbian Orthodox congregation being the newest and largest one.
Our dugout
Dugouts and tourist shops in town
The Serbian Orthodox underground church
Just that you don’t confuse it with Hollywood
We continued to an interesting place called Forrest, YFRT just past the border to Western Australia the next day. A front was moving through that even brought a little rain to the desert, however, most of it didn’t reach the ground. The front wasn’t very active and we decided to cross it VFR down low. By the time we reached the Nullarbor Plain weather was nice again.
Leaving Coober Pedy
The Earth looks like it suffers from rashes around town
Rainfall barely reaching the ground
Desert despite the little rain
The Nullarbor Plain: no trees and incredibly flat
Approaching YFRT
Short final 09 at YFRT
Passenger facilities are rather basic at Forrest Airport
Forrest is situated on the Nullarbor Plain and was established during the construction of the Trans-Australian Railway. A couple of houses were built for railway service workers. In the 1920s the airport and later a weather station was added. In the beginning it was a regular stop for the flights from Adelaide to Perth and back. With increasing range of the larger aircraft it was only required with very bad winds. Diesel engines didn’t need service workers anymore and planes could fly between Adelaide and Perth even in unfavorable winds. Twenty-five years later the manned weather station was replaced by an automated one and now the field is only used by transiting small GA aircraft and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. A caretaker couple lives an isolated live in one of the remaining houses. However, several of the other houses remain and are looked after by the two. They can be rented for a nite and you can have dinner with the caretakers.
When we stayed in Forrest, one of the other houses was rented out to a geologist who supervised drillings in the area. We had dinner together along with a few cans of Swan Drought and we learned a lot about the Australian mining industry.
Disused weather station
The new unattended weather station
The old hangar, where RM was in for the nite
Our house in Forrest
Our final outback stop was Norseman, YNSM, where we continued to the next day. This flight was in the best of weather again, over the Nullarbor Plain for the longest time.
The hamlet of Forrest on departure
A dirt track cutting through the Nullarbor Plain
Suddenly a bit of vegetation came back
Lake Cowan and Norseman in the background
Final 01 at YNSM
RM on the ramp
Australia’s oldest continuously operating gold mine is located in Norseman. Allegedly a prospector was riding through the area on a horse called Norseman a hundred and thirty years ago, when his mount suddenly foundered. He checked the hoof and what he believed was a stone turned out to be a nugget. A town was established and called Norseman, mining started and continued ever since.
However, as we also learned from the geologist in Forrest, mining industry has changed over the years and workers usually don’t live near the mines anymore. Companies fly them in and out for work from Perth or other cities. Norseman suffers from this development as it has only 560 inhabitants, back from over 4000 during its heyday.
There is an interesting walk past the gold mine up to a hill, from where an open pit as well as the entrance to the underground mine closer to town can be seen.
The ore is processed here
Entrance to the underground mine
The tailings dump of the mine
Open air seating area of the Norseman Hotel (Pub)
Great stuff again Terbang.
If you will allow me to indulge in a little more memory lane travel. I grew up in Adelaide from 3 months old to about 21. My parents were originally both from Perth, and most summer holidays we would go there to visit the relatives for Christmas, do a bit of body surfing and go prawning (catching prawns by dragging a net in 5 feet of water on a dark night) in the Swan River.
Anyway, we didnt have much money, so the only economical way to get to Perth was to drive. The road, National Road number 1, goes all the way across the Nullabor plain, National Road 1 – sounds pretty slick, right? Bullshit. Until I turned 15 or 16 (ie until the early 1970s NR1 across the dessert was a dirt road, I kid you not. Of the 2,600 km, 2,000 of it was dirt. And it was rough. So rough that it developed intense corrugations and you could not drive more than 40 kph. From time to time it woulkd get wet after a sudden storm and a truck woukld get stuck and leave and enormous hole The holes were so deep the truckies would put 40 gallon drums in them and tree branches on the drums so you could see the warning.
It was am intense three day drive, 12 hours per day at least. Fuel – none on the middle – so jerry cans strapped to the roof, Hotels – forget it, weren’t any, we camped under the stars. The memories I have of the desert milky way remain with me to this day. Aircon in the car – didnt exist -it was 40 degrees plus most of the way. God it was awful at times.
Once more thanks Terbangs.
Your text is just to my liking, enough historical details, local detailing, etc, and superb pictures, fantastic combination.
Your trip now tops my flying todo list. Which I’ll tick off one by one during my next life…
could not drive more than 40 kph
Funny, as we encountered corrugated tracks in Australia many moons ago, I recall that speeding up to 80 kph got us a pretty comfortable ride in the small rental camper. But there were little to no potholes to avoid 
These reports are out of this world, Terbang, and do keep them coming. So few people do this sort of thing these days… Thank you very much!
I mostly don’t know what to say, so I say nothing 
This whole report is a trip down memory lane for me too. I didn’t grow up in Oz, but spent about three years on and off in the late 80s/early 90s working there and in the line of my work got to many VERY remote locations, some the terbangs are visiting now. Keep it coming!
Terbang,
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for posting this! I’ve been reading a long. But each time I go to say thank, I realise you’ve posted more and start reading instead! So finally caught up! Time to say thanks!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
It’s amazing to follow along on such a wonderful trip!
Colm
Thanks a lot for the kind words. I’m really glad you like it, that’s of course the reason why I write it up.
Buckerfan wrote:
If you will allow me to indulge in a little more memory lane travel.
More of it please. I deliberately don’t do a mere flying diary, but write about what we learn about the places we come through and what our experiences are. The more you add the more interesting it gets for me and I’m sure for all others as well!
@terbang wonderful reports, and impressed by the worldwide Mooniac community spirit!
The bottom left corner
The very southwest of Western Australia is different from the rest of the state. It’s fertile and green and there are beautiful gum tree forests. The difference shows nicely on Google Earth.
In the very south west
We had arranged a rental car for a couple of days at Albany Airport, YABA, where we flew to from Norseman. Weather for the flight was actually nice but we had a terrible head wind – the higher up the stronger. We decided to fly at 3500’ in the hope it wouldn’t be too bumpy. It was OK but certainly not the nicest flight of the journey.
Leaving Norseman
Peak Charles on the way to the coast
Reaching the south coast
Farms can be seen again
Final 32 at YABA
The town of Albany is not that special, but the surrounding landscape is spectacular. We drove along the coast via Denmark to Pemberton and back to Albany via Mount Barker in the next three days. We like hiking and the south coast offers plenty of beautiful opportunities for that. As much as the coast we enjoyed the gum tree forests. There are countless different kinds of gum trees and the areas where each kind grows are quite small. Therefore one can find several different kinds of gum trees even when traveling by car. The proximity of the Southern Ocean makes for a relatively cool climate in the summer, so hiking here is really pleasant.
Near Albany
West Cape Howe NP
Shelley Beach
Karri gum trees in the Valley of the Giants
Warren River
We continued to Busselton, YBLN, to visit the last Australian wine region on our journey: Margaret River. The wind was more benign this time and weather was great once again. We flew low level along the coast around Australia’s southwestern corner.
Departing Albany
Mandalay Beach
Chatham Island
Margaret River
Final 03 at YBLN
We had booked a rental car once again to explore the region for two days. Busselton and the town of Margaret River – where we stayed – were nice but didn’t impress us that much, to be honest. However, the scenery around was fantastic once again. We did one long hike to Contos Beach that we enjoyed very much.
Jetty in Busselton
Tuart gum trees
On the way to Contos Beach
Contos Beach
We had arranged for another oil change at Jandakot, YPJT, the GA airport of Perth. When we arrived, the owner of the shop was already waiting and marshaled us directly into his hangar. We changed the oil, checked the filter, looked over everything and I applied some Mouse Milk. This time Mrs. terbang took photos, so I have something to post for @Dan and @UdoR 😉
Bunbury Port
Lake Clifton
Right downwind 24R, YPJT
RM in the shop’s hangar, cowling removed
Applying Mouse Milk to the joints, V-band clamp and the shaft of the waste gate’s butterfly
Perth was the last state capital for us to visit. It’s by far the most remote city of this size in the world. Even by Mooney it’s a long way from Adelaide let alone how @Buckerfan described his journeys! Perth has a real skyline with impressive high-rises, as well as quite a few historic buildings. One oddity is a modern bell tower built for a set of historic bells brought from England. The city’s location on the Swan River is really nice and at least in the summer it enjoys a sunny climate without getting too hot – it’s always windy, though. We found a nice pub with cold beer, friendly staff and good pub grub where we spent fun evening.
Government House
Bell Tower
Saint George’s Cathedral
Kite surfers on the Swan River
Bayview Park
At the W. Churchill Pub
Thanks for that Terbang.
Hope you and Mrs Terbang survived that Mouse Milk covered burger along it’s slightly oily fries
