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Post by thevon on Aug 16, 2007 7:25:06 GMT 10
Well, my imaginary friends, I've returned from some days camping up at Lake Cootharaba. Nick and I went exploring for flying sites and I found some gems, I reckon. The wind didn't come to the party however but I found 4 DS sites! I'll post a few pics later. One of the ridges was fantastic; faces SSE, brilliant steep treeless backside ... so good that even I could DS there! I did, for a short bit till the wind died out. But there were 3 other ridges which could be unreal in the right wind - one of them looks incredible for SW, one for E, etc. All within about 20 mins max of each other.
Will post a coupla pics later. Work beckons.
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Post by ding on Aug 16, 2007 7:32:49 GMT 10
Good work!
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Post by ezza on Aug 16, 2007 8:26:49 GMT 10
Go for a family holiday and still manage to discover and fly new ds ridges? Great job Andrew!!  A+ |
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Post by sean on Aug 16, 2007 8:26:50 GMT 10
Excellent, excellent work! You're truly the king of finding new sites  . |
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Post by callun on Aug 16, 2007 19:41:44 GMT 10
So what's in the "Greeting Pack" for owners of potential private land flying sites Andrew?
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Post by thevon on Aug 17, 2007 19:05:47 GMT 10
Haha, no Greetings Packs! In fact I trespassed a few times but at the best DS site, I got to ask the owner first, and he had no problems. One help is that the Noosa Walking Trails crisscross thru the area, so they're a bit used to people traipsing around. Here are some pics.  This is the frontside of the DS ridge I'm most impressed with.  This is the backside from some distance - sorry about the cloud shadow.  ... and this is the backside at the top. The cows weren't there when I flew there the day before. It's hard to get photos from the top which show the layout of the backside. It's steep, no trees and it has a gully just back of the top section, all making for lots of clear dead airspace over the back! HEAVEN!  Taken from the same spot, this shows another absolutely excellent-looking ridge. I didn't get up there but it faces NE and SW and looks very clear.  This is the other side of the same ridge - awesome, hey!  This is another bewdiful looking razoback ridge I found just next to the road, about 5 mins steep twisty dirt driving away, high in the hills - it faces SSE I think. Again, steep clear backside. There's another DS site near Cootharaba Rd I didn't get a photo of, looks easterly but smaller and with a tree close by, but still very good. Plus the ridge at Black Pinch gives huge lift in an easterly, like an ampitheater, but no DSing - backside is full of trees. |
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Post by sean on Aug 17, 2007 19:33:37 GMT 10
Wow, wow and double wow! I can't wait to see these slopes Andrew . |
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Post by ezza on Aug 17, 2007 21:13:10 GMT 10
Andrew,
You are like a magnet to ds sites!!!!!!
I feel like getting in the car and spending the weekend at those spots!
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Post by thevon on Aug 17, 2007 22:05:24 GMT 10
When there's a good wind weekend coming maybe we should have a blokes DS-addict weekend away! With my flying skills I'll hold the radar gun.
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Post by callun on Aug 17, 2007 22:09:47 GMT 10
I can get hold of a 20-man (or so) marquee tent - plenty of good camping sites around Cootharaba. I'd be in.
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Post by ezza on Aug 17, 2007 22:35:26 GMT 10
That ridge at the bottom of Andrews post looks about perfect!
They are saying ESE for Sunday and building SE for Saturday. Hey Andrew do any of these ridges face that way?
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Post by thevon on Aug 18, 2007 8:01:15 GMT 10
Yeah Callun we were camping at Elanda Point. Been there many times with the family. Very comfortable and beautiful. And there's a big grassy field where Ezza can toss his Fling! (I was wishing I had one).
Hey guys I have to say that I can't give any guarantees that these sites will be magic! Hopefully so, but as always, the proof of the pudding is in the eating! The best DS site I flew at (the one with the cows) is in a valley with other ridges around, so there's always the chance of a wind tumble effect but hopefully not. When I flew, the wind was too far East, and too light, but I got the Scorpian zinging in a nice DS groove, first go, no problem. So ... yes Ezza, I think that particular slope is likely to work best in SSE to SE.
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Post by callun on Aug 18, 2007 13:51:02 GMT 10
Elanda point is nice and open, but troublesome with their rules on firewood. When we were there, there was no real timber - just smokeless logs, and being a national park or something like that, we couldn't cut any trees down and the only servo locally with real wood was out. Our roast was looking in serious danger, but we... found... some nice firewood.
We lost a boomerang in the tree over the caretaker's residence.
Also, if and when I get it sorted, the Alula is probably a flingable bird.
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Post by thevon on Aug 18, 2007 14:22:51 GMT 10
Well Callun the Nazis at Elanda Pt have gone one step further now and banned fires altogether! No firepits any more. We were a bit shocked but knowing them, it's no surprise. Their attitude towards customer service is a bit like Fawlty Towers or the Seinfeld Soup-Nazi!
However it's a great spot for family camping - no through traffic, big expanses of grass, lots of wildlife and very beautiful. With all of our kids the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Not cheap though - at $7/night p.person it adds up to a lot for a big family.
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Post by callun on Aug 19, 2007 1:20:54 GMT 10
I don't think customer service as a term is applicable at all. They really were the fun police when we were there.
I'm perplexed - how is one supposed to cook whilst camping wtihout fire?
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A+
.