Day 5: Southport to Gladstone via Caloundra

I’m quickly realising that “a day off” is just a day of not flying, there still seems to be so much to do! Some running around Southport, where I was so kindly put up by club member Ian Swift. He also helped run me around, picking up a few supplies. I also needed to lock myself away for a few hours to finish editing the first video update for the trip - and update my presentation ready for the club that night, the club let me use the boardroom which was much appreciated.

I must say I delight in the quirky and unusual, and the funniest story of this stop involves a German. The club had said I could go behind the bar eto make myself a coffee, and while doing so a chap came to the bar and assumed I worked there, asking after a club sticker… i detected an accent and explained that I didn’t work there and wasn’t a club member, but I’d take him up the office to ask there. He explained he was on holidays from Germany and was a flight instructor and likes to drop in on flying clubs… as so many pilots do! As we walked past the notice board, he saw the poster promoting my talk that night and he said “oh I see Smith is off on another adventure”. I of course mentioned I’d heard something about that too, and he went on to say that a relative in Australia had sent him Smith’s book and dvd and that he really enjoyed it… well I said, “um, that’s me, I’m Michael Smith” and I think he may have carpet rash on his chin from it hitting the ground so quickly 😀 The office agreed he could come along to the talk, he came and I suspect I’ll be seeing more of Roger in the future… he seems to be cooking up a big adventure for when he retires… Very cool that he wearing a Lake Boga Museum shirt too…

The talk was a great night, I don’t do so many talks these days and I found myself quite emotional retelling the Pacific crossing story… I find it hard to believe I actually did it… seems like a lifetime ago.

Next morning was a nice early start for Gladstone, which wasn’t a super long trip, but I had a pitstop planned. Maintenance was a major issue for G&M 100 years ago, but even on modern planes there is often something to be done, so some things never change - maintenance and weather always in the forefront of our minds as pilots.

There were a few loose ends of work on the plane, which I decided that on leaving Southport I would go to Caloundra, where Tony from AMS, came highly recommended by Wal the Rotax Whisperer as a very good Rotax expert, and maybe the last one I’d find before getting to Perth. Turns out, he’s also a fine fellow, so patient and helpful, we found a couple of small issues that got resolved and put my mind at rest for the long stretches of remote flying to come.

The flight to Gladstone only took a couple of hours and passed some spectacular coastline, but even as a I type that, I think… of course it is, there’s going to be so much of it… I got in towards the end of the day and felt exhausted, I didn’t get a chance to look around, found a nearby hotel, had dinner and crashed. But was awake by 3am thinking about what lay ahead today, so just got up and got on with it…