Film shoot

Last weekend I was asked to play the part of 'female pilot' in a MAF promotional film shoot. It will be a 1 minute video that follows the life of an engineer.

Watch this space for the final product!

On set (i.e. in the MAF hangar) with Dave Walmsley, engineer and future film star

Update 10/6/20: To see the final video, click here.

Student success

My student Kori passed her PPL (private pilot licence) flight test yesterday!

Here's a photo of her with Marcus Grey, who was her flight examiner.

Arnhem Land ferry flight

Earlier this week I was given the job of flying a GA8 from Mareeba, where it had been in for maintenance, back to its home in Gove, the main base of MAF's Arnhem Land programme.

This was a journey of 813 nautical miles (about 1500 km) - longer than the North Island and South Island put together!

Video available here.

My route shown in red on the MAF aircraft tracker, v2track

Loading the plane with cargo the day before

Departing Mareeba, 6:45 am

My cargo included a staff member's bicycle

First refuelling stop: Normanton

Cloud starting to build up along the coast, Gulf of Carpenteria

Second refuelling stop: Borroloola (about 40C on the ground - much cooler at altitude!)

Pretty patterns at Limmen Bight River estuary

Birany Birany - a typical airstrip and community that MAF serves in Arnhem Land.
Note the cloud buildup in the distance

MFX home again!

I made it!

Thanks to favourable winds (up to 30 kt tailwind at times) I arrived in Gove around 3:00 pm, having left Mareeba at 6:45 am. Two short fuel stops en route and a total flight time of 7.5 hrs.

There's a chance I may get to do other flights like this next year... watch this space!

Some weather info

The last couple of weeks I have been finding it quite hard to sleep - not surprising when you look at the temperatures!

Here's a graph of the daily high and low for Mareeba over the last three months:



In the same period we have only had 3.6 mm of rain. That should change come January when the wet season kicks in...

More weather stats here

MAF Christmas picnic

Yes, I know it's not even the end of November yet, but here are some pictures from the MAF Cairns & Mareeba staff and families picnic, which was held last Saturday out at Lake Tinaroo.

It was a great time to catch up with some people I haven't seen too often.

Lunch!

Water activities

Tennis

At the tennis league night this week (I was asked to fill in again) we had a spectator. Although I think he was more interested in the moths and other bugs that were attracted to the lights.

Spot the kookaburra!

There he is!

Kahlpahlim Rock

Last Friday (on my scheduled day off) I went for a day walk up to Kahlpahlim Rock (Lamb's Head), the highest point in the Lamb Range, which lies between Mareeba and Cairns. I took the 'ridge track' up and back; it took 2 hrs to get to the top and about the same to get down, including a highly worthwhile detour to the top of the rock.

I would definitely do this walk again!

Going up the ridge track, passing an area where the grass had been burned

Just when you think you're nearly at the top...

Looking out over Lake Morris, Cairns and the coast

Kahlpahlim Rock

A rather low Davies Creek (it is the end of the dry season, after all!)

Thankful for technology

Thanks to the wonder of Skype I was able to join a session of the Calvary Wellington church camp!

Church, Chillagoe, and the local newspaper

Here are a few random photos from the last two weeks!

1. Church

Once again Tablelands Presbyterian Church is taking part in Operation Christmas Child. Here's a picture of the many shoeboxes that were dedicated a couple of Sundays ago.

2. Chillagoe

I am taking Kori through her PPL navigation training. Her first flight was last week, out to Chillagoe. Here are a couple of pictures: one on the ground marvelling at the 40 degree heat, and the second of the town on our take-off.

From Mareeba, it takes about 2 hours to drive to Chillagoe... or 30 minutes in the plane!

 
3. The local newspaper

Here's a copy of an article that appeared in the local paper this week, with a photo of all of us praying for the last of the six Caravans going to Papua New Guinea.

More critters

On yesterday's walks I saw some more critters (in addition to these seen earlier)...

Tropical rockmaster damselfly

Ulysses butterfly (unfortunately I was unable to take a photo of them so had to steal this picture off the internet)

Golden orb weaver spider - the body was about 5 cm long

Kayakers at Barron Gorge

My first croc!

Stoney Creek Falls and Crystal Cascades

Yesterday (Mon 7 Oct) was a public holiday in Queensland, so I decided to tick a couple of short walks off my list.

The first was Stoney Creek. Yes, I have walked to Stoney Creek before, but the section above the falls (which cannot be seen from any point on the track). This time I started at the bottom and attempted to walk up.

The first part of the walk is a track from the carpark up to a weir, which took around 20 minutes. Since it's currently the end of the dry season, the water level is pretty low and it looked possible to continue up the creek. There were a few deep pools along the way which looked very inviting. There were also a number of significant obstacles in the form of large rocks and steep sections, which thankfully I was able to navigate both up and down. I made it all the way to the falls at the railway viaduct. But I don't think I would risk going again by myself.
From the weir to the falls was about an hour each way.

Waterfall and swimming hole just below the weir

Rock-hopping further upstream

Railway viaduct and Stoney Creek Falls

The second walk I did was at Crystal Cascades. This time the track was a four-lane paved highway, and was very popular with people picnicking and swimming in the river.
I was keen to do the Copperlode Dam track but it was closed for maintenance. Another time!

Crystal Cascades

Finally, because I could, I drove up the Barron Gorge to have a look. It was pretty impressive. (Note this is downstream from the Barron Falls.)

Powerhouse at Barron Gorge

End of an era

One by one, the six brand new Caravans have been coming from the US to Mareeba for fitting out, and then being flown up to Papua New Guinea.

Yesterday the first of the aircraft they are replacing, a Twin Otter, was flown from PNG back to Mareeba. In a few months they will all be retired from MAF service - the end of an era.

A speck in the distance turns into a Twin Otter

Touching down

Unloading

Pretty roomy inside! (Note the MAF-specific fold-up seating)

Raewyn's visit

My friend Raewyn came to visit last weekend! Here are some photos of what we got up to:

Went on a scenic flight from Mareeba over the Great Barrier Reef,
down to Tully for lunch, then back to Mareeba via Mount Garnet

Saw the Curtain Fig Tree (near Yungaburra)

Visited the Herberton Historic Village

Went for a bush walk at the top of Stoney Creek

Herberton Historic Village

Herberton is a small town south of Atherton, population 855 and home to the Herberton Historic Village. It's an interactive museum made up of around 60 buildings, each housing displays of various items from yesteryear. If you're into that sort of thing, be prepared to spend the whole day there!

School house

Blacksmith at work

Apothecary (pharmacy)

One of the 'streets'

Haberdashery

Printing shop

Sawmill