The onwards journey from Gold Coast to Whyalla was interrupted with an overnight stop at the inland farming town of Dubbo. Every time the Bazflyers fly over parts of inland Australia the vastness of the land never ceases to reinforce its unique impression.
Configured in cruise flight, Comanche ZK-BAZ clips through the air at a pretty reasonable rate, like 300 km/hr. Even so getting to Whyalla, a flight across literally just a corner of Australia, required being in the air for over 6-hours.
Flight route from Gold Coast to Whyalla
Riding along up there in a small plane looking in any direction, as far as the eyes can see, the landscape extends seamlessly to the horizon reinforcing a geographic fact that this is both the flattest and driest continent on the planet. Seen from the air, it’s a land of vast plains, sometimes the colour of dried blood, more often tawny like a lion’s skin. A land one can fly across without seeing a town or anything but the most scattered and minute signs of human habitation for vast stretches. But this is also a land of unexpected exceptions. Approaching Whyalla from the east and having crossed the northern remnants of the Flinders Range, the landform suddenly became a cultivated green expanse, fertile and prosperous.
Time to start our descent for landing at Whyalla airport and a reunion with Comanche friends. Three Comanche airplane travelling together for the next month exploring the vastness of this huge land and along the way we’re guaranteed to come across many fascinating exceptions.
A vast and sunburnt land
A land of expected exceptions
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