Yasar Volcano

Tanna is a lushly vegetated island with some of the largest banyan trees on the planet. There are coffee plantations, plains where wild horses run with their foals, mountains, hot springs and waterfalls. Life here is like stepping back in time to an uncomplicated and carefree world. 

The two hour road journey from the airport across the island to our accommodation traversed a twisting and turning route that barely qualified for the title of a track. With some of the group in the double cab compartment, and luggage and the overflow in the back of two utes, our drivers expertly negotiated the deeply eroded road surfaces as we climbed from the warm coastal area over a mountain range with its noticeably cooler climate before descending to Friendly Bungalows, an establishment typical of the many village operated accommodation establishments on Tanna. The proprietor Mary greeted our arrival and showed us to our bush construction bungalows narrowly separated from the crashing Pacific Ocean by a few short metres of black volcanic sand. 

Presiding over all of this is fuming, furious Mt Yasur, the world’s most accessible volcano. Our late afternoon expedition to the volcano was not disappointing. Travel saw all of us again precariously perched on and in two 4WD utes. On the way to Mt Yasur our mini expedition crossed an alien-like landscape formed by ash-laden volcanic smoke smothering the vegetation. 

The spectacle viewed from the crater rim as darkness fell was nothing short of awesome. Two vents seemingly took turns to spit rockets of red-molten rock and smoke. Then without warning there would be a gasp and an explosion as Yasar exhaled lumps of red-hot magma skywards in a fountain of fire against the darkening sky. This powerful display of nature was worth walking the earth to see…it's definitely unforgettable…!

Tanna Island

You could almost sense a sigh of relief from New Caledonia air-traffic control when Comanche-5 flew out of their airspace and into the control of Vanuatu. 

The short 35 minute flight from Ile des Pins airport to La Tontauta International Airport required us to traverse no less than four separate blocks of controlled airspace and with five Comanches flying at 2-minute intervals the French controllers were kept very busy. Fortunately, or perhaps it was by design, we had been allocated 1:00pm for arrival at Tontauta  at this time the sky was ours alone. Perhaps this was doubly fortunate as the weather had improved only to Special VFR conditions along a route with unpronounceable reporting points and unfamiliar surroundings.  

A walk through immigration formalities followed our arrival at Tontauta and within an hour Comanche-5 was back in the air again for the 1 hour 45 minute flight to White Grass airport on Tanna Island. True to forecast the weather greatly improved as we traveled eastwards and at a cruise altitude of 8,500 feet we enjoyed a pleasant flight in BAZ as it purred along religiously adhering to the GPS derived flight path displayed as a magenta colored line on the GMX200 screen. 

White Grass airport is a small facility that would normally see perhaps a couple of domestic flights a day coming down from Port Vila and who knows how long since there had been an international arrival. Such events are not common and even less so was the arrival of five aircraft at one time. So Comanche-5 was received at the terminal with marshaling services and a great many spectators. It is said Vanuatu is the Happiest Country in the World….our welcome to Tanna Island and immigration processing by the sole official only served to reinforce this wonderful status.

Smiles in the rain

Steady rain has been falling for the past 48 hours and as a result we postponed yesterday's scheduled departure first to Tontouta for immigration clearance and then onto Tanna Island in Vanuatu. The weather forecast for the next couple of days is un-promising and at this stage we are resigned to stay put until Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. Ian, Irene & Jim Barry smiling in the rain...

The period of enforced inactivity has benefits. I am reading "Kings in Grass Castles"…another day of rain and its done. A fascinating biographical story of an Australian rural pioneer family dynasty. 

Wet weather puts our schedule on notice

I guess some-one has a duty to patronise paradise and 'paradise' is a good description for Île des Pins (Isle of Pines). A tranquil place of turquoise bays, white- sand beaches and tropical vegetation. We are staying at Hôtel Oure. which is situated on the Baie de Kanuméra. This is a picture post card place with its own very beautiful waters fringed with white sand beaches sheltered from sea breezes by pine-covered islands. 

Today it is raining but it is gentle soothing rain befitting such a paradise location. Unfortunately, the wet weather is forecast to hang-around for a few days and with associated low cloud it has the potential to interrupt our scheduled departure tomorrow for Tanna Island in Vanuatu. The weather pattern results from a very large high pressure system (1040mb) positioned over the Tasman Sea. Ironically the system is delivering wonderful clear skies back home but at our latitudes the anti-clockwise wind circulating this huge pressure system is busy conveying moist air onto the Coral Sea islands. Forecasts indicate we could be stuck in Paradise until Thursday…!

To the Ile des Pins

Our visit to Noumea has been greatly facilitated by the Aero Club of New Caledonia. Members were on hand to welcome us on our arrival at Magenta Airport. They held a BBQ evening in our honor and were out in force again this morning to assist with refueling our Comanches. Without a doubt their generosity has been overwhelming and their assistance invaluable. Last evening we were further privileged to attend a function at the Aero Club. 

The occasion was a presentation commemorating the 80th anniversary of the first airplane flight between New Caledonia and Australia. In March 1931 a De Havilland Gipsy Moth registered VH-UPG was unloaded from a cargo ship at Noumea. Named the "Golden Eagle" this airplane flown by two Australian pilots, Clifford Brown and Victor Roffey, made many flights around New Caledonia making these two aviators celebrities  of their time.  

Roffey decided to fly the "Golden Eagle" back to Australia and in preparation an extra fuel tank was installed. Then on the morning of 21 November 1931, witnessed by crown of well-wishers, Roffey took off to fly to Australia wearing an automobile inner tube as safety equipment for the long over-water flight. Roffey completed the epic flight landing in a field near Marlborough, Queensland.

Our flight from Magenta to Ile des Pins this afternoon took just 30 minutes. Normally the Control Tower at Ile des Pins operates only in the French language but today an exception occurred specially for five english speaking pilots flying five Piper Comanches airplanes...many thanks to our fellow aviators at the Aero Club of New Caledonia.

The beach in-front of our bungalow:

Welcome to Noumea

New Caledonia is a slice of France in the South Pacific and this became very apparent with our first radio contact; the controllers' instructions were in French…! Our five aircraft arrival at La Tontauta International Airport was a little bit undignified but full marks to the person on duty in the Control Tower. He remained as cool as an ice-block as we descended on his airport speaking in english to us then switching back to french for the local traffic. Due to a departing IFR flight we were all required to hold a few miles clear of the aerodrome circling at various altitudes. With the IFR traffic out of the way each Comanche was given a clearances to join the circuit and land. All together a great bit of controlling and bi-lingual dexterity. 

With quarantine and immigration formalities complete we were back in the air again for the short flight to Magenta airport where our Comanche's were to be parked for the next three days. Magenta Airport is also home to the Aero Club of New Caledonia and the reception waiting for us was hugely humbling. A large contingent of members and their families were on hand to greet us and the cold beers were plentiful. Apparently a touring group of five airplanes and aviators is an uncommon event….!

Day one down, day two agenda was to check out the town. That done it was back to the Aero Club in the evening for a BBQ reception and the comerede of aviators where language ceases to be a barrier to friendship.

The run to New Caledonia

Sunday morning 14 August and the weather turned-up as forecast for a flight to Norfolk Island. The locally based Customs officer arrived at the airport right on time and by 10:00 am we had BAZ pointed skywards on climb to our chosen cruising altitude of 8,500 feet for a straightforward three hour flight to Norfolk Island (YSNF). 

Along the way we were provided with several indicators of the massive cold weather system that was making its way northwards from the southern ocean. One particular broadcast heard on the HF frequency we were monitoring came from a passenger jet somewhere between Sydney and Christchurch; "Flight level 330, temperature minus 63 degrees, wind 210 degrees, 123 knots". Now that was some wind and very very cold air so it was no surprise to learn later in the day that snow was falling across much of New Zealand. 

The four Comanches from Aussie all landed at Norfolk Island shortly after 3:00 pm and it wasn't long before the 10 of us were sitting around chatting and filling in the gaps since we were last together. The Coral Sea Safari team was now complete and anticipating a first-light take-off in the morning for  La Tontatua (NWWW) at our next destination of New Caledonia.

The Safari Team

ZK-BAZ PA24 / Barry & Sandra

VH-MMN PA39 / Ian & Irene

VH-TSJ PA30 / Tony & Jan

VH-ESL PA30 / Jim & Vivien

VH-CBD PA24 / Jim & Ross

Monday morning 15 August at 6:30 am we taxied for take-off on runway 22. Ten minutes later we had BAZ climbing into a sky that was still waiting for the sun to appear and the other four aircraft positioned behind us at around one minute spacings. For the most part we maintained 9,500 feet for our flight northwards to La Tontauta. 

Getting Underway

After stowing the last of our bags the journey began at around 10:00am. Checks complete we lined BAZ up on Taupo runway 35 and were soon airborne on the first leg to Ardmore airport near Auckland. The high frequency radio (HF) newly installed in BAZ had not been tuning reliably and we needed to have a replacement coupler unit fitted. HF radio provides long range voice communications which are necessary for flights over the ocean or in remote areas. The lunch-box sized component had been overnight couriered from Australia for South Pacific Avionics to install, but we didn't  count on NZ Customs taking several hours to process the package. Never mind, we had a car courtesy of South Pacific Avionics so it was off to visit Dennis and Julie at their office and take them to lunch. Sandra and I were waiting at DHL Auckland Airport when the package containing our coupler 'popped' out. Back to Ardmore, new coupler installed, test call to Nandi strength 5 x 5 and BAZ was off Ardmore at 5:00 pm for Kerikeri airport in the Far North. A beautiful flight across the Hauraki Gulf and into a sunset filled sky landing at Kerikeri just after sunset. Sorry Dennis, we did not see you waiving as we went past Maraeti Beach…!

For several days we had been observing a nasty weather system brewing in the Tasman Sea with a diminishing prospect the weather would be suitable for a flight to Norfolk before Sunday. This was confirmed after checking the weather this morning. Strong winds, rain and low cloud at Norfolk Island was definitely uninviting. However, the forecast looked promising for Sunday and so we enjoyed a relaxing day in Kerikeri. 

Stone Store, Kerikeri

Coral Sea Safari

It all began with a casual comment Barry made among friends during last year's Comanche safari to Papua New Guinea. "I would like to fly up through the Coral Sea Islands one year." This wishful remark on Barry's part prompted immediate responses from those in earshot. "You can count me in on that". And so was born the Coral Sea Safari, a group of Comanche aviators and partners, six weeks and a flying adventure.

We all gather on Norfolk Island (YSNF) this weekend. At day-break on Monday 15th August we will take-off on the first leg to La Tontauta (NWWW) the capital of New Caledonia. Over the following weeks we will fly northwards through Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea to reach Horn Island in Australia 24th September.  We look forward to sharing our trip with you.......