Two upside-down’s make a right-side-up

That’s right, turn something on the other side of the world upside down and its right side up to a Canadian.  That’s how the two of us look at it anyhow.  By this logic, that means that a good portion of a joy flight Nick took recently was done “right side up”.

We were both very anxious when YAK 52 pilot ,Peter, pulled up in his golf cart at the Bundaberg Airport and escorted  us to his hanger.  Ready and waiting was a polished, 9 cylinder radial, Russian trainer aircraft.  Peter went over a few safety procedures and had Nick jump into a flight suit.  They paused for a few “before” pictures and wasted no time getting in and synching down their shoulder straps.  The engine came alive and settled into a deep growl.  If Harleys had cousins that flew they would sound like this.  Peter taxied down to the end of a grass strip and did a quick high RPM run-up.  They turned back to face the hanger and the YAK’s voice went from a growl to roar.  The nose came up followed by the to main wheels, and it seemed like only a second had passed before they shot almost vertically into the cloudless sky.  It wasn’t long before they were a tiny black speck, and then just an invisible hum.  In the rear seat with the canopy closed Nick could still hear the wind howling over the airframe.  After a quick warning Peter pulled back on the stick, pointing them vertical again, and held it back taking them inverted, then facing the ground and finally, with the YAK forcing them into their seats back to the usual “blue on top” configuration.  Testing out Nicks belt tightening skills Peter swung the stick left  rolling them slowly as if they were in a drying machine rather than an aircraft.  They headed for the coast near to where we have been staying and just so Nick wouldn’t have anything obscuring the view, Peter did the majority of the sightseeing upside down.  After hearing that Nick had flown before Peter handed over the controls.  They did a few simple exercises (for Peter) like (very) steep turns and a couple rolls.  They flew a navigation exercise inverted and even practiced a Hammerhead or two.  They flew back to the Airstrip and did a couple low and over’s for Amanda’s camera on the ground and Nick (with Peters guidance) brought the YAK back to earth.  Smiling and a little white Nick took off the straps and stepped out for a few “after” photos.  Peter presented Nick with some gear and jotted down his info to send him a DVD of the experience.  It turns out that Peter had taped the whole thing from inside the cockpit.  Should make for an entertaining movie to watch when we get back.  Also since Peter is also a flight instructor in his spare time Nick was able to log the time/training in his records (every little bit counts).  Though both Nick and the plane are on the ground it seems like his head will remain in the clouds for days to come.    

As a warm up to the flying adventure we took in an aviation museum dedicated to the world famous local Bert Hinkler.  It was a tribute to his life spent building, flying, and inventing flying machines.  He was the most famous for his solo trips flown from England to Australia.  He was is/was a local legend and even has a song written for him.  The tours concludes with a tour of Hinkler’s (actual) home relocated to the park just outside the museum.  It was a great story showing how once you catch the bug (called Aviation) it can be very hard to get rid of.

A stay in Bundaberg is not complete without a tour of the world famous Bundaberg Rum and Gingerbeer distillery.  These are two separate entities, but together they form another legendary beverage the “dark and stormy”.  This is a premixed drink, combining both their gingerbeer and rum, which they assure us is something that the public came up with.  The guided tour took us through the whole process from sugar to molasses to fermentation to ageing to the bottle.  They also let us in on a secret.  This secret being that they ship their rum in milk trucks as to fool any potential rum bandits.  The only difference on the truck is it is required by law to have a flammable sticker on the back.  So next time you see a milk truck, check it for fine print, it could be a rum runner.  The tour ended with a few sample on the house.  They had all the options you could get at the any local bottle shop, but also had a few blends exclusive only to the bond store.  The ginger beer factory tour also ended with a sampling.  Instead this time you were encouraged to try all 14 flavours.  By the end of it Nick was feeling a bit sugar sloshed.  After sleeping off the sugar, we packed up Sully and pointed him North to Airlie Beach.

Relax, its Queensland!

Yes! A week at a resort!! Thanks mum!
After a much need break from our 10 week stint of working with the Segways we checked into Don Pancho resort on the beautiful Kelly beach in Bargara QLD 10 mins from Bundabergs CBD.

Ahhhh like a breath of fresh air we immediatly took in our studio suit for the week. A queen size bed, bathroom which can be accessed at any time just feet away quickly became a luxury.  Quite often you would be wide awake when you return from the hike we sometimes had to do for a midnight bathroom run. Included on our list of new luxuries were: kitchen with stove top and microwave, full fridge with freezer, (yaa ice cream!) and TV with cable. Amazing what a treat the little things had become.

Friday: We checked in, exploded our things all over the room. Saturday: relaxed and went for a walk around the area. Great beaches, some of the last ones to swim and surf at before we get farther up north where swimming is to dangerous because of the jelly fish.

Sunday: we took in Bargaras local united church where we where welcomed by the retirement community locals. We talked to almost everyone, over coffee and treats, they had so many questions for us. Us being the youngest ones there, they where interested in our adventure. Many had been to Canada when they where younger and of course had wonderful things to say. We said "good bye" and where even given a jar of jam-Jaboticaba cherry!!
Monday: It took almost the whole day to do the last blog entry as we had lots to catch up on. We also went to the beach and enjoyed the empty pool, as most of our older guests usually where reading in their suits or taking beach walks.This we found to be the trend for the week, which was great to have a pool to ourselves and a quiet stay.

Nick shoulder deep in Mitsubishi

 Tuesday: We wanted to go to an aviation museum but Sully (the van) had a different plan. After just leaving our parking spot we stalled and fortunately coasted to the shoulder. Nick carefully diagnosed the problem to be the fuel pump. Later that night we went to the beach for a walk, being told we might be able to catch a glimps of a baby turtle making its first steps.
Wednesday: We enjoyed bacon, eggs , toast and blueberry pancakes on our balcony over looking the beautiful blue waves flow gently onto the shore, another 30+ summer day, clear sky. We even watched a YAK (a Russian war bird) fly laps of the beach over head. With the help of the owner of the resort, we got a fuel pump from the wreckers which she kindly picked up for us.

That night though we took in the locals fav retirement hobby-lawn bowling. There was lots of laughs had by all in our group, they also where first timers. Snags (sausages) with onions and a beer plus lawn bowling for $7 was a great way to spend the night, even if all the locals stared at us, because again we where the youngest ones there.

 Thursday: the previous night we kindly had our new, but techincally used fuel pump delievered to us. Nick spent the better part of the day contorted into weird positions to access the engine area. I brought him water and applied lotion to his burning calves. He borrowed tools from the maintanace man at the resort and by the afternoon Sully was up and running again!!!! Oh how excited we where and we both hugged as we had another moment of hope for Sully's future and his secound trip around Australia. That night Nick proudly drove to Mon Repos (a conservation park) where each year mother Loggerheads make their way up the beach to lay their 150ish clutch of eggs. These turtles are one of the common breeds but are indangered. Hatching is always at night anywhere between 7:30 pm to midnight. When the temperature drops in the sand, the babies know to hatch. Once they hatch they are drawn by the magnetic feild of the earth toward the ocean(which they will also use to find their way back to lay their own eggs).

The conservation park, with volunteers, monitors their habits and help assist them safely to the ocean.  The park is open to the public to watch the events take place.  With nature there is now garontee and we worried that being at the very back of the line was going put us in the last group and more likely to be in a group that dosnt get to see the very best action. We got our passes...Group #1! oh, we couldnt wait.  Our pree show show in their out door aputheatre was cut short because group 1 was called to go to the beach. For what we didnt know yet! We were lead by flash light in our group of about 30. Our group consisited mainly of Christian school boys on a field trip, and even a photographer from the local newspaper. Along the way we were given instructions on how to be safe around the hatching babies. The nest had been relocated up high on a sand dune, so the rangers could study them better and have a better success rate against high tides.
 We gathered in a semi circle around the nest, right now just sand and grass. The boys excitement grew and soon the first baby poped his head through the top of the sand. He was well ahead of the others as he was the only one up and about for the next 30 minutes, when woke up. 10 at a time, now crawling all over each other made there first crawls toward the ocean.  74 exploded from the earth, and the ranger brought around one to let everyone see up close and touch the shell. At this time the journalist from the paper took Nick and my picture! He even took down our names. But before they where off to their new home they where collected in a net and brought down off the high sand dune. We stood on either side of the long line the ranger and volunteers made as a path way for them to make their first steps. What an incredile sight to witness, some of the boys got to stand and have the babies crawl through their legs, this with flash light made an illuminated path for them to follow.  Readers of this will not be the only ones able to hear our story as this saturday we found a detailed version in the local paper with both of our mugs plastered in the middle of a two page article on C7.!!