Wairoa Trip Report July 2001

Hi all Yesterday started out with a heavy frost and blossomed into another magic winter day. With a light southerly adding to the chill factor, 3 aircraft were being prepared at the Thames aerodrome. Getting into the air just after 10am and allowing Lindsay a 7 minute head start, we tracked overhead Waihi Beach (where Bill Sisley was just getting airborne) and along the coast for Tauranga. With only a couple of knots of wind on the nose, there was not a bump in the sky. By Matata I had finally caught up to Lindsay where I formated on him and got several pictures as he passed Mt Edgecumbe. By the Matahina dam we were all together as one group. Having purchased a new camera a few weeks back I passed this to my passenger, Wayne Lindsay, who was able to get several great shots of both Lindsay and Bill. Lindsay Brown in Sports Cruiser CSC Mt Edgecumbe Lindsay and Bill Sisley in his Europa CHV Overhead Galatea it was time to set a new course for Wairoa. This leg of the journey takes you over some very inhospitable landscape. Not to mention that this is also home to Tame Iti! As dangerous as the landscape maybe, it contains the hidden beauty of Lake Waikaremoana. A majestic lake nestled in dense forest and surrounded by rugged bluffs. Lake Waikarimoana If there is one thing we do well.. it’s eat. Oslers award winning Bakery Wairoa is privileged to have a sealed ‘all weather’ runway. Touching down in just 1 hour 16 minutes from Thames was a pretty good effort. Before the last plane was on the ground, several folk who had gotten news of our imminent arrival had made their way to the airfield. Bob Walton (formally of Tauranga) was one of these people, along with none other than a reporter from the local paper, who took notes from several of us and some photos of me and Ellie, the flying dog! They say “small towns are where even if you don’t know what you’re doing, someone else does!” This must have been a case in point? Among those that had gathered at the airfield were good friends, Colin and Ellen McCormack, who had driven up from Napier. For transport into town I had made arrangements with Ray Aires, a local motelier and agent for mini vans, to collect us from the airfield. Lindsay and Ross Heslop Osler’s Bakery in a former era It had been recommended to me that we try Osler’s Bakery for lunch as they had won numerous awards for their food. None of us are against trying good food  After lunch we took a few moments to look through the Wairoa museum, which is just a short walk along the main street. Of interest to me were a collection of photographs of the devastation caused by cyclone Bola in March 1988. From here we decided to walk the 2 kilometres back to the airfield. Nooky had chosen the easier option of a ride with Colin and Ellen. Colin couldn’t refuse Nooky’s offer of a flight over the area while waiting for the rest of us that had walked. We found Colin beaming when we arrived back at the airfield. With our farewells completed we were back in the air once again and tracking along the coast to Mahia. We were unable to spot the friendly dolphin that frequents these shores before turning North West to Whakatane. We were pleasantly surprised to find this track more hospitable than any of the routes we have flown in the past when going to either Wairoa or Gisborne. View from the bridge that crosses the Wairoa River Mahia My passenger, Wayne Lindsay, who flies for MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship), is more familiar with flying Cessna Caravan’s, Cessna 206 and Airvan’s than the cramped confines of my little Pulsar. I got Wayne to demonstrate flying IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) using my Garmin 495 GPS. Much of the flying he does is IFR. While the screen size may have been a bit small compared to what he is used to, he said he could fly IFR on my GPS no problem. Nooky and Passenger, Max Dean, had stopped briefly in Whakatane to add fuel and stretch their legs while Bill, Lindsay and I continued on. Being a little ahead of the others, Wayne and I tracked further up the coast to Pauanui before climbing over the Kaimai range to Thames. Arriving into the circuit we were joined within minutes by Nooky and Lindsay. For each of us it had been a wonderful day out shared with good friends, food and magnificent scenery. I had covered 365 NM (600 km) in 3 hours 6 minutes on just 45 litres of fuel! A challenge for some of the best hybrids I’m sure. Once again these great little craft providing views and pleasure that few get to experience. Next Tuesday is looking like a good day.... but that’s another story  Cliff McChesney ZK KFC