A night out in Sydney or Why I love Manilla, NSW

View of the harbor bridge from Circular Quay

March 22, 2013:  A night out in Sydney

Friday after packing up we took the train from Tamworth to Sydney.  We would have an evenig and a day in Sydney before flying to Honolulu Saturday evening.

We had originally planned to walk from the train station to the Great Southern Hotel about a half kilometer from the train station.  Before I got to the end of platform pulling two roll on cases with two other pieces piled on I decided that a taxi was a much better idea.

We checked in to the hotel and were soon on a bus down to the Circular Quay to meet Miki for drinks.   Miki spent a year with us when she was in high school with Emily as a Japanese exchange student.  She is now 24 years old and in nursing school.  We had a nice visit with her sitting in a bar with a view of the harbor bridge.  Miki had spent a few weeks refreshing her English in Sydney and was headed home on Saturday. We were glad to spend an hour with her before she was off for a final dinner with the host family she was staying with.

Now I start to compare Sydney to Manilla.  About 4.6 million people live in Sydney.  Only 2300 live in Manilla.

Two cocktails and a beer in Sydney cost me $38 dollars.  They really don’t make many cocktails at the Royal pub in Manilla but the beer is definitely cheaper.  OK no great views of Manilla sitting in the Royal pub but I’ll take the cheaper beer.

A comedy of errors followed when we decided to have a “nice” dinner downtown.  Mary Beth picked a restaurant that showed up on Trip Advisor and we used Google maps to locate it and we tracked our progress towards it on Mary Beth’s tablet PC.  I  had called and got a table for a half hour later looking at the walking time. The location was not near the harbor but we trudged on to find it anyway.  When we got to the address there was nothing there but office buildings. 

Many attempts to call the restaurant followed and when we finally did get through the told us they really did exist and were on the lower level at the Sydney opera house.  We trudged back to the Circular Quay and then the opera house.  We finally found the restaurant.  It was a great place if you were under thirty and liked loud music.  Our daughters would have loved it.  But it was just too loud for us.

We walked back along the quay towards the train station.  There are lots of nice restaurants there where you can sit and watch the harbor traffic and the view of the harbor bridge at night which is really stunning. 

We were getting hungrier by the minute and after just two menu inspections picked a restaurant.  Now is the part where I tell you about the most expensive fish and chips I have ever had in my life.

I love the beer battered flathead and chips that the Royal pub serves in Manilla.  We generally eat there once a week and I almost always have the fish and chips washed down with a bottle of chardonnay.  Mary Beth helps with the chardonnay but in not quite as fond of the fish and chips as I am.

The restaurant in Sydney had a special and when I asked them what the fish was and they told me beer battered flathead.  OK, I was hooked- pun intended.  We both had the pre-theatre special which was a salad, and main course.  I ordered a bottle of Chardonnay and we finished the evening with Afogato Frangelico. (a scoop of ice cream with a shot of espresso and Frangelico poured over it)  Total cost of that meal for two was $150 AU.  Link to pictures of the meal

At the Royal pub in Manilla the dinner for two tastes better and cost just under $50 AU without the ice cream.  That view of the Sydney Harbor bridge cost me about $100 AU. 

Next year when we are back in Manilla and eating at the Royal I’ll take along a picture of Sydney's Harbor Bridge and feel like I just saved $100 AU.

Beer Battered Flathead at the Royal in Manilla

 

101 hours in Oz

Heading for the Boggabri Gap 27 K in the distance

March 20, 2013

I just completed the last flight in Australia this year.  I flew west to the Boggabri gap but ran out of altitude, thermals,  and ideas to go further after just 27k. 

At the gap and struggling  to find a thermal

I’m very happy with this trip. 

• 81 days in Australia. 
• Only 12 “no fly” days due to weather. 
• 101.28 hours total flying for this trip in the log book. 
• 69 flights total. 
• Two flying competitions flown in Bright and Corryong. 
• Made goal once in Bright and once in Corryong (first time in class A comp) 
• Second place finish in my class wing at Bright. 
• One XC fun competition flown in Manilla.  
• Two new personal best for distance with flights over 100K in Manilla and  then Bright. 
• A new personal endurance record of Six hours and 48 minutes set at Bright.  
• New friendships made and  existing friendships renewed.

All of that aside, I’m a lot more confident flying in rough air.  I can core thermals better. I am much more aware of clouds and thermal triggers for finding lift.  I feel much more “as one with the wing” when flying in a Zen sort of way.

Can’t wait to come back next year… Mary Beth is going to have to drive a lot further on retrieves to earn her Opals!

 

 

 

 

Back to Manilla and the Wedgie attack

Wedgie: 1  Dan: 0

March 16, 2013: Back to Manilla and the Wedgie attack

 We finished 18 days in Bright on March 12 and headed back to Manilla.  We had some nice flights around the valley including the 125k cross country flight and a new 6 hour and 48 minute endurance record. I left with a much greater appreciation of the site.  I still need to get out and explore some of the other valleys but that will have to wait for next year.

The Pathfinder has been running well for the 12 hour, 963 kilometer trip.  The gas mileage has been our only frustration.  The official numbers are 10 liters per 100 kilometers but we only got 16.6 on our trip to Manilla.  The bull bar, UHF antenna, all terrain tires, roof rack, and snorkel all are additions that do not help fuel economy so there may not be too much that can be done.  I probably could drive a little slower—Naugh.

It was great to get back to River Gums Caravan Park in Manilla.  We love the “Bungalow” cabin  Some pictures are here.

Flying in Manilla has been OK but nothing spectacular.  There has been a lot of rain so things are a lot greener than usual.  High pressure days with not so many clouds have made things challenging. Some nice flights but no distance and way more visits to the west bomb out than I have had in a while.  One thing that I have improved on (still have a lot to learn) is judging clouds and triggers and when to launch as well as the usual watching other pilots and seeing where they go and the result. 

Heading southwest along the ridge

On Saturday March 15^th I waited until the cycles coming in to the west launch were more consistent and got above launch easily struggled to find a good climb that did not take me way behind launch. Finally I climbed up to 1200 meters or so before heading southwest along the ridge.  The wind was fairly strong west so I decided to try an ice cream run to the River Gums.  Land there and get a free ice cream.  I would fly on the west side of the range till it ran out just outside Manilla and hope for a big climb to get me over the city.  That was the plan.

I had a nice line across the saddle between launch and the ridge line southwest of launch losing only about 200 meters along the way to a bowl I was sure would provide lift.   I was about three and a half kilometers southwest of launch and coming up on a bowl that I was sure would produce lift when I arrived. Then it happened.

A wedgie was coming towards me screeching loudly.  I made a turn and began wondering what to do next. I really wanted the altitude but was concerned about what was coming.  We made a turn or to and I tried to keep him off my tail by turning towards him as well as I could.  Eagles can turn a lot tighter than paragliders so in the end that strategy did not work so well. 

He came in behind and above and I heard a “twack”.   Then he flew away as I continued down along the range with my racing heart beat but now slowing.  The wing was flying just fine so I continued down the range hoping to find the house thermal at the antennas that Fredrick had told me always works.  It didn’t work for me.  After a few searching turns I headed on down the range hoping to catch a thermal off the last peak.  That didn’t work either.

Last chance thermal at this brown field

Finally there was the proverbial “brown field” just west of Manilla.  I glided on speed bar hoping for that “last chance” save.  The winds were strong but there were thermals coming off the field.  I struggled or a few minutes but the best I could do was maintain and the drift was going to take me into an area where the landing options were limited.  Finally I gave up and landed in a nice grassy field.

Nice grassy field for landing

Mary Beth had been following my track and was soon on site to pick me up. I was in a hurry to get back to launch and try again so I didn’t check the wing carefully.  I packed up quickly using the stuff sack. I figured I would look at it back on launch and try again.

Meanwhile, back on launch things had blown out.  I waited a half hour or so and then decided it would not back off any time soon.  It was time to make my retrieve driver happy.   I offered dinner and a movie in Tamworth.  That offer, Mary Beth quickly accepted.

Arriving back at River Gums I decided to quickly check the wing.  OMG!  I had a 20 cm tear in the wing just back from the leading edge on the LH side.  I had already committed to the movie so after a quick shower we headed for Tamworth, McDonalds and the theatre. The repair would have to wait.  Glad I brought Tear Mender along.  I have used it before for smaller tears but nothing this big.

All I could think about during dinner and the movie was my wing.  My beautiful new wing now shredded on one cell by that dammed bird!

When we got back from the movies Mary Beth helped hold the wing while I applied the tear mender.  The repair should hold up but it just hurts to have to do that to a wing that has only 35 hours on it. 



Wing repair.  Tear mender on both sides.



There are a lot of different strategies in dealing with wedgies.  Some argue flapping your wings and making noise and turn into them so they can’t come at you from above.  Others say turn off our vario and fly with them.   Depending on the bird and your location they may just fly with you but if he is screeching at you had better run away.  I’ve talked to one hang glider pilot who stayed in a thermal with one and had eleven strikes on his leading edge.  For the hang glider it was not a problem but that would certainly have brought down a paraglider.

We’ll see how it flies.  I’m sitting on 95 hours this trip with less than a week to go.  I’m hoping to get to break 100 hours before leaving.

Photo day again!

Top of Mt Buffalo with lake and chalet in view

March 8, 2013

When I got up in the morning there was a thin overcast layer.  We waited a little longer to go up waiting for it to burn off and the mountain to heat up a bit.

We launched around 12:30 and there was plenty of lift.  I had two nice climbs and got to near 2300 at “Clear Spot “ before I headed for “Little Buffalo”  I made I high enough to “Little Buffalo” to search for lift and soon found myself right over the gorge and the chalet.  I have pictures to prove it.  I continued on west towards Myrtleford but when I tried to cross the valley I found no lift at the thermal trigger I had aimed for and ended up landing.  Still Happy with the flight even if it was only an hour and forty-one minutes.


I'm smiling...REALLY!

Mary Beth picked me up and we headed back to the cabin.  I took a short siesta and did some photo editing before heading back up.  I wanted to give the wing mount camera a try.  I had a nice smooth flight climbing maybe 200 meters over launch before heading to the landing zone.  Snapping photos and video on the way down.

It was an epic day for most of the pilots.  Over 3000 meters top of lift and a number of pilots flew over Mt Hothem.  Maybe tomorrow I will leave the camera in the cabin and concentrate more on flying.  I had my 125k XC on a day when the camera was not working.  Hmm...

Pictures are here

Flight details on leonardo are here

 

The death glide and a trip to Harrietville.

March 7, 2013

Weather in the morning was great.  Ken and I left for launch at eleven-the usual time.  Wind was coming in nicely and the students were getting nice thermals in the early cycles.

I took my time getting ready but was soon in the air and found easy climbs to 1900 meters over launch and then at “Clear spot” up to 1950.  Someone told me that with that with that altitude you could go directly to “Little Buffalo” and catch a thermal there to go on to Mt. Buffalo.  Well it didn’t work for me.  I left and headed out on 50 percent speed bar and had what is referred to in paragliding as a death glide.  A death glide is when you leave a thermal and head for the next thermal source but end up on the ground.  I arrived just below ridge height and after scratching for a few minutes gave up and glided out to Mt. Porepunkah Airstrip. 

Death glide from Clear Spot to Little Buffalo Ridge

I sat under the shade of a now all too familiar tree eating my sandwich and waiting for Mary Beth to retrieve me.  I think maybe I will buy a bench or a camping chair and keep it next to that tree.  I certainly have landed there enough this trip.   Next time I will head to “Black fellow” first or try a different line to Little Buffalo from Clear Spot.

My shady spot at Porepunkah Airstrip

Determined I drove back up the hill for another try. 
Later in the day the Lady bugs have been coming out. Immediately when I got out of the Pathfinder up at launch I was swarmed.  Same thing happened to Mary Beth who, at my request, was taking some pictures of me with the new Mentor wing.  A few of the Lady bugs got a ride up to 1900 meters on my jacket during the second flight and I flicked them off.  They are probably still in the air.

Launching Mystic

After launch I decided to go a different direction.  I climbed up to 1900 meters over the back of Mystic and then headed for “Goldmine” ridge.  Another good climb there and I was on my way to Harrietville.  The clouds were looking ominous behind Harrietville and I landed there instead of trying for a return trip.   Mary Beth was chasing and arrived again before I had packed up.

We stopped for ice creams in Bright on the way back to Crusty’s.  Then a trip to the Grocery store for just a few things ended up with a $50 bill and three bags of things we will eventually use. 

I went into the liquor store to get a six pack of Cooper’s Ale and they had a special on what they call “clean skin” wine.  Six bottles of Shiraz Cab blend for $7.50 AU.  This are unlabeled bottles of surplus wine that the wineries can’t sell under their own label so the get rid of it this way.  Usually it is very good as a table wine.   I’m sure it won’t be as good as the $40 bottle of Brown Brothers Shiraz that we will drink the night before heading back to the states.

Cheap wine in Oz

So I ended the day with two flights and just less than two hours of air time.   The air was better than yesterday.  Smoother more friendly thermals and not so rock and roll.  One of the Australia world team pilots flew about 140k today on an Ice Peak 6 leaving the valley and heading towards Shepparton. I might have been there with him if I had taken a more conservative run at "Little Buffalo"

Tomorrow should be a good day and the forecast looks good through the weekend.

Mission accomplished

Mt Buffalo awaits

March 6, 2013

In the morning there was a lot of high overcast.  Winds were forecast 6 knots from the north.  This could be the day I might get my pictures of Mt Buffalo if the overcast disappears 

Valdimar, Ken, and I headed up to launch with Mary Beth at 11:00.  Sunshine a nice breeze was coming up the hill.  We waited and watched the students take their flights before getting ready to launch just after noon.

I launched and was stuck for 40 minutes between 1000 and 1200 meters due to a high thin overcast that had shaded things out.  Finally I had enough altitude to head for “Clear Spot” I got there and didn’t find very much but the air was fairly buoyant so I headed down the spur to “Black Fellow”.  I got there very low but found the sweetest smoothest thermal of the day there.  3 to 4.3 meters per second up all the way to  just below cloudbase at 1900 meters.  From there I headed for the “Little Buffalo” ridge.  At “Little Buffalo” I found another climb back up to 1900 meters and I was on my way to the mountain.



Sailplane in view crossing from "Black Fellow" to "Little Buffalo"

 Winds were from the north and I was going into a headwind as I approached the stone face.  My plan was to get close to the stone face and thermal up snapping pictures as I went.  It was slow going and I was in sink.  I found some light lift and I made a few turns but was drifting back away stone face as I climbed.  That made me a little nervous about any turbulence I might find as I climbed further so I took the safe decision and flew along the stone face and back towards “Little Buffalo” ridge.

Rock face and chalet as close as I wanted to get today

I set Porepunkah airfield as a destination in my GPS as I headed back.  I made the "Little Buffalo" ridge with plenty of altitude and decided that I would see how strong the valley headwind would be and if I could make it back to Mystic LZ.   I glided over the airport heading back towards ‘Black Fellow”.  Once again I came in low and scratched a few turns.  Instead of the smooth thermal I had found going there was a lot of rough air and after a bit I decided just to head back to the airfield and land.

I called Mary Beth on the radio as I turned around telling her I was on glide for the airport.  It’s the sweetest sound a paraglider pilot ever hears (excluding up beeps on the vario) when you hear your retrieve driver answer with “Copy, I’m on my way to pick you up”.

Gliding back to the airport I was at around 900 to 1000 meters when I started and I arrived over the airfield at the same altitude with a lot of rock and rolling in some rough air.  I think it was convergence from the valley systems.  I still was ready to land.

I did steep turns, spirals, and big ears in the rough air.  The Mentor (and hopefully my piloting skills) kept the glider over my head all the time during the day’s flight.  I finally got the glider on the ground and amazingly there was no wind on landing.

Mary Beth arrived very shortly after I had unclipped and she waited patiently while I packed up my gear before heading back to the cabin.

My flight path (click to enlarge)

Two hours and thirty minutes in the air. 1925 meters max altitude.  Max climb 4.3 m/s.

Weather conditions look better for tomorrow.

Still no pictures of Mt. Buffalo up close

March 5, 2013

Two flights today and lots of practice with inversions and slow climbs.  

It seems like I circled around Mystic today for quite a long time at before finding a thermal that would get me high enough to head for “Clear spot” Finally left at 1600 and made it there and was able to catch the next thermal but could not find anything when I headed for “Black Fellow” and arrived at the ridge line west of Porepunkah airfield too low to catch anything.  The pictures I wanted of the chalet and rock face on Mt. Buffalo will have to wait for another day.

The stone face of Mt. Buffalo from a distance

I had a nice chat with a micro light pilot there while waiting for Mary Beth to retrieve me.  I may have to take a flight with those guys one day. 

It was still early so I decided to go back up for another flight.  Winds were not in my favor heading west to Buffalo so I climbed up over Mystic and then decided to head across the valley to “Gold mine” ridge and it that worked head for Harrietville.

Looking ack at Mystic Launch while crossing to Gold Mine ridge

I made it across the valley easily and found a thermal that took me up to 1600 meters.  I headed towards Harrietville above the ridge looking for a thermal to keep me going.  Not sure whether to head for Smoko bowl or not I stayed centered on the ridge and then on the north side for a glide down to a bail out LZ if I didn’t find another thermal.   That, in hindsight was probably a mistake.  I didn’t find anything and landed in the shed LZ only about half way to Harrietville.

1600 meters and headed for Harrietville.  Smoko bowl on the right.

Final approach for the Big Shed LZ

Mary Beth picked me up and we did a little tour of the “no landing” areas along the way to Harrietville as well as getting the coordinates for the “official” Harrietville LZ. 

Pizza from El Centro, a shower and a little time on the blog and the day is finished.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll make it somewhere I want to go.

Rain, wind and finally beautiful air

February 25 to March 4, 2013

The day after my personal record flights had to be a letdown.  The instability that had made it so good for me the day before showed itself with a thunderstorm over Myrtleford and I had to land at Porepunkah Airstrip to be safe. 

Two days of rain followed.  Not a lot of fun when that happens. It was cold and damp and the cabin at Crusty’s was getting old quickly.  Fortunately the rain ended but strong winds followed for the next two days. 

Rainy day at Cam Crusty

At least the sun was now shining and although it was a two blanket nights we could be outside.  We took advantage of the first windy day to visit some of the local wineries with Dave, our new paragliding buddy.  He knew some of the best ones in the valley.  I was the designated driver so I didn’t do much of the tasting.  I only got involved when Mary Beth was picking out the ones she wanted to buy.  Ten bottles and ten sips should have kept me within the legal limit.

Gapstead Winery

On the second windy day Cam was here and he rode along showing me how to get to the Pines launch.  It faces into the south winds and is used sometimes when the south wind is too strong to be overcome by the thermals coming up the north slope of Mystic.  It's a little difficult to find the road up to launch at the Pines and you need 4WD.  When we arrived it was to cross, too gusty, and too strong to launch.  Pilots had been waiting or a couple of hours.  I didn't wait that long.  I left after 15 minutes.  The risk/reward ratio just was not there.

Pines launch

Finally on Sunday the winds had calmed down and Cam and I launched from Mystic.  The rain and winds had cleared all the smoke and it was a beautiful clear day for flying.

Thermaling with Cam

There are two schools of thought (at least two) on the best way to get from “Clear spot” to the ridge that takes you up to Buffalo.  You take one spur that is a little closer but the thermal trigger clearcut is not as big as “Black fellow” which has clear cuts on both sides and when it’s working well will get you higher.  I opted to try the spur and missed the thermal there and ended up landing at Porepunkah Airstrip AGAIN!  It’s a nice place to land but there are still plenty of thermals kicking off there.  Cam caught the thermal I missed, crossed over the airport high and surfed the ridge for a while before coming down and landing.  He wanted to get an early start on heading back to Melbourne with Heidi. 

On final to land at Porepunkah Airstrip

Mary Beth and Heidi arrived shortly after Cam landed and we were soon all packed up on our way back to Crusty’s.  Cam and Heidi were soon on their way and we were surprised to see Tristen and Valdimar walking up to our cabin.  They came south to escape the rain in Manilla. 

Monday was forecast to have light winds and good lift but no clouds.  Most of the pilots launched just after noon and there were wings going everywhere.  My goal was to photograph the chalet and the rock face at Buffalo National park. 

I took off and was snapping pictures using the hand remote on the brake toggle.  There were plenty of gliders and we worked together to find lift and climb out.  There was a light east wind which made getting to “Clear spot” easy.  From there I went for “Black fellow” this time. I found a nice 3 meter per second thermal there and got enough altitude to cross over to the spur running west of Porepunkah airport.  I struggled for a while low on the ridge but finally found a thermal that took me high enough to head for the rock face and chalet at Buffalo.  

I sank lower and lower as I came to the rock face. Finally I turned and headed for field in between two tree covered spur ridges.  I surfed the ridges a bit and found enough lift to get out to the valley.  I had picked a landing field and was heading for it when I found a thermal that I was able to climb out on.  After that climb I headed across the valley to try flying the North side of the valley.  I found some nice thermal triggers along the foothills and two climbs later I was on glide for the Mystic LZ.  

I landed one minute short of three hours.  It was a very easy day to stay in the air.  I’m sure I could have flown down to Harrietville easily but decided three hours was enough and I didn’t want Mary Beth to chase me any further.   Link to the flight details in Leonardo here

Flight around the valley

She had followed me west until I told her I was heading back to the LZ.  About the time I called Mystic LZ on glide Mary Beth was pulling in to the parking lot at “Woolies” (Aussi speak for Woolworth’s supermarket).  Once again she made it to the landing zone before I could get packed up. 

The top of lift was not too high but that was probably my thermaling skills.  I only got up to 1700 meters.  There was a bit of a wind shear where the valley breeze takes over for the thermals switched direction.  I’ll look for that tomorrow. 

Tomorrow I will try again to get up on Buffalo and get some good pictures.  I ended up with no pictures today.  I had not erased the SD card from the day before and had added a few photos on it which, for whatever reason, the GoPro camera must not have liked. I was getting the beeps that pictures were being taken but there was nothing on the card when I tried to download this afternoon.  UGH!

All in all it was a great day of flying and made me understand why the people who live here love the valley.  When it’s on like this you can go just about anywhere.

The forecast for tomorrow is a repeat of today.  Can’t wait!