Lady Musgrove Island

Baz Copilot might be an intrepid aviator but she is not a natural seafarer and for this reason the Bazflyers tend to avoid open sea travel by boat. However, sometimes situations arise where such rules require an exemption and today was one of those occasions. The only way to get to World Heritage listed Lady Musgrove island involves a 90 minute boat journey. 

We waited in line to be processed and stamped before boarding the 'Spirit of 1770'. Once seated on board the crew provided a passenger briefing that in addition to the usual safety items included how to use the sick bags provided at each seat location. Clearly this was a wise inclusion in the briefing as we had hardly departed the jetty before someone's breakfast had been deposited in a bag. 

Yesterdays flight from Mackay to Agnes Waters was a two hour run at 2500 feet in company with Tony and Jan's Twin Comanche. This time of the year at these latitudes can be a fertile environment for thunderstorms and there were several of them to avoid along the way and avoid we certainly did. The inside of those big dark towering clouds is no place for an airplane big or small. Our flight ended with a very smooth touch-down on the gravel surface of the small Agnes Waters private airstrip. 

Unfortunately by the time we left Lady Musgrove this afternoon for the return run to Agnes Waters, a line of nasty thunderstorms had positioned themselves in waiting for our boat to penetrate. Rain, wind and choppy seas later we made it back to land...! How did the amazing BAZ co-pilot manage? Completely without incident of course.

BAZ copilot on the boat journey to Lady Musgrove Island

Lady Musgrave Island is a coral cay with a vibrant lagoon. Camping for up to 40 people at a time is permissible but you must bring all requirements including water.

Bird life on the island is specular.

Sadly some people feel compelled to leave more than a footprint behind...Jake you're a looser!

In search of Platypus

Our Comanche flight from Bundaberg to Mackay was a pleasant 2 hours at 4500 feet all the while with Jim's RV-7 sitting on our tail. With the aircraft tied down it was off to Eungella ("Land of the clouds") a small township nestled on the edge of the Clarke Range an 80 km drive west of Mackay.

This quaint little place is literally perched on the edge of Eungella National Park considered to be the longest continual stretch of sub-tropical rainforest in Australia. The park is further recognised as the world’s most certain place to see a Platypus in the wild....now to find one of the little critters.

Our quaint accommodation at Eungella...

...and the view

Finding a Platypus is rewarded with patience and announced by a ring of bubbles.

Presentation Spitfire

When travelling in our Piper Comanche airplane we so often come across intriguing back stories involving aviation. The Bazflyers spent today in Bundaberg, the rum capital of Australia and it was here we discovered an interesting aviation story with a New Zealand connection.

Besides being famous for 125 years of distilling Bundaberg Rum the town enthusiastically celebrates its very own WW1 aviation hero, Bert Hinkler. It followed then that with the outbreak of WW2 the good folk of Bundaberg decided to assist Britain by donating a Spitfire in memory of the late Squadron Leader Bert Hinkler. Named the City of Bundaberg the presentation Spitfire costing $5000 took to the air in July 1941 and first entered service with 308 (Polish) Squadron RAF based from Northold north of London. A month later it was credited with downing a Messerschmitt 109 in air combat over France.

Spitfire P8576 went on to serve with 65, 616 and 504 Squadrons, however most unfortunately the aircraft was lost while on patrol over the Irish Sea on 4 February 1942 due to a glycol cooling leak and subsequent seizure of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine.

The pilot was Flying Officer Edward Cannon of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Cannon managed to bail out of the crippled Spitfire only to die of exposure. His body, still in the dinghy, was found the next day washed up on the Scottish Coast.

We fly Comanche's

Fraser Island

Yesterday the Bazflyers landed at Hervey Bay and early this morning they rode the ferry across to Fraser Island. This World Heritage listed area is located some 200 kms north of Brisbane and represents the largest sand island in the world. Unlike most sand dunes, plant life on Fraser Island is abundant due to an underground aquifer and naturally occurring fungi present in the sand. The island is dominated with rain forests, eucalyptus woodland, mangrove forests and coastal heaths. 

Apart from the island's amazing landscape the eastern coast also holds an interesting piece of New Zealand's history. One hundred years ago World War One was raging. New Zealanders along with Australians had landed on the Gallipoli Peninsular. The mounting flow of casualties was felt in every quarter of the home countries. Desperate to assist the people of New Zealand donated generously to equip and staff a hospital ship to support wounded Anzac soldiers. This ship was the SS Maheno and in 1915 it was the fasted passenger ship operating between New Zealand and Australia.

The Maheno with its dedicated NZ doctors, nurses and crew served courageously throughout the war. When hostilities ceased in 1918 the ship was used to transport soldiers home and later returned to service as a passenger liner. It was eventually retired in 1935 but while being towed from Sydney to Japan the tow-line broke. Sadly this gallant ship ended its days in one piece beached on Fraser Island. After eighty years of relentless pounding from sea, tides and sand only a skeleton of the SS Maheno remains visible. 

One wonders how many of the folk who visit this shipwreck each year realise the important role it played during the Great War and the many lives saved by her hard working nurses and doctors.

Remains of the SS Maheno

Fresh water pond on Fraser Island

Fraser Island rain forest

Fraser Island is one of only 2 commercial beach airports in the world