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Post by Pij on Aug 5, 2008 14:35:34 GMT 10
on Saturday the family and I went exploring again. We headed for the hills. I mean, from near Bundaberg, some mountainy bumps can be seen on the western horizon. We found them near Mt Perry. This trip didn't take us all the way to Mt Perry, but into some rough country in that area, the kind where you have to help for 2 hours with a rolled car in a creek gully, and have to open and shut a gate every km or so. I did have a brief flight on these west-facing (I think) slopes. Don't try to find this place on a map, though, and you'd best be in a 4wd.
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Post by Pij on Aug 5, 2008 14:45:04 GMT 10
On the way home, we tried to find the track to Bucca Mountain. The "road" on the map was a non-existent track through private property, so we turned back, but on the way back out we did find this. The picture shows the cliffs from a distance. We're looking over a farm field, then there's the Kolan River down way below the ground level, then the cliffs on the other side reach right down to the river, so less then half the cliff height shows in this photo. They'd be about 80m height from top to river. Google earth shows a track to the tapering slope at the end of the cliffs, near the rowing training facility. I must get on the right side of the river one day and check it out. The cliffs face due west.
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Post by thevon on Aug 5, 2008 20:51:24 GMT 10
Keep hunting Pij! It will pay off when your database of sites gets you a fly in any wind direction! Some rough country there. I don't fancy landing among the dead trees!
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Post by Pij on Oct 31, 2008 14:22:43 GMT 10
We got back from our weekend up in Capricorn country - arrived home about 10:30pm. It's been a HUGE day. 2 hour "Adventure" tour of Olsen's (Capricorn) Caves, mainly consisting of contorting our bodies through tunnels barely wide enough to squeeze through, in the bat-poo. Then lunch on the side of the road, then visiting rellies, then out to Yep00n coast to see the slopes. Got to the coast about 3:30, got a brochure from the ioffice, then drove down the coast looking for slopes. Stopped to fly at the point north of Wreck Point - really good! Bigger than anything back home. A little hard to bring the Duck down, but absolutely enjoyable. Then Wreck Point - this place is FANTASTIC. There's a little lookout, then a wide grassy gentle slope, before the cliff. It looks like it would work in NE to SE winds. Today seemed to be easterly. Again, hard to bring the Duck in, had to dump it on its nose. Then a hill with a water-tower, completely bare, has a ring-road near the crest, because they are selling off the blocks for houses. It was weird flying, but fun. Dropped the Duck in just barely off the bitumen road. Then we got to the marina at Rosslyn Bay. The bloke at the servo pointed south, and said they fly at the next headland. My wife thought he meant the other half of the same headland that walls the marina to the south, (Double Head) so we went on the walking tracks there with the Duck. The lower lookout didn't look good, so we went to the upper lookout, don't know how many metres straight down to the sea. edit: replaced original photo with panorama stitched from 3 photos It was insanely BIG and scary-looking, with no second-chance if you stuff the landing - so I gave it a chuck. The Duck quickly rose to about 100m above me, with little sign of losing climb. It was, however, smooth and controllable, all except for the idea of going DOWN. I circled a couple of times, full down-trim plus down stick, then came in fast to my left, afraid to go backside for fear of a down-draft and losing it in the trees, so it was still really moving at about 15m, and I nosed it down, to a not-too-harsh cartwheeling landing at the left end of the clearing. I was happy (relieved) with that result. so we packed it up and carried it back down to the car. It was time to be heading back to Bundy, so no more flying, but as we drove further south, there was one huge grassy headland that the road sort of splits through, some huge but gentle-ish, largely grassy slopes, and a radio tower. It was one headland south of the marina one. This looks like it would be the one the servo guy was meaning - I must try it one day. But out of all of them, I LOVED Wreck Point, and I think that was the one they meant at Ultra Hobbies yesterday. However, for heart-pounding, leg-shaking excitement, you can't beat Double Head. Once is enough for me, though. Hey, Jase, you didn't tell us you had all these excellent choices. Keeping it a local secret? We have nothing like it around Bundy. I don't know what it's like flying at SC, but I've got to say, the Capricorn Coast is amazing! for slope choices.
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Post by jirvin4505 on Oct 31, 2008 19:51:30 GMT 10
I really enjoyed the holiday stories. Glad you took a model? I like to take a couople of models on holidays - 1 to fly and 1 to build cheers jeff
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Post by felix on Oct 31, 2008 23:35:36 GMT 10
mate sounded like a great trip and got some top pics to show too
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Post by Pij on Nov 1, 2008 1:08:34 GMT 10
Yes Jeff, I was VERY glad I followed the advice and took along a glider. Felix, my only regret was that I only had a short time for flying.
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Post by bundyglida on Mar 17, 2009 22:20:51 GMT 10
Hi Paul, the capricorn coast has heaps of great slope sites, They are, the bluff, above the main street of yeppoon, wreck point which is where I spent much of my teen years flying off, double heads above the harbour, national park at the south end of kemp beach, the hill at the causway, and rita-mata at emu park. We should organise a trip up to my old stomping ground, and I can show you around. Dale
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Post by combatnoosa on Mar 17, 2009 22:57:06 GMT 10
I must add another great spot to fly, it is near 1770 just head up Sir Raphael Cilento Dr and look for paths to the slopes, I camped there once with my dad when i was younger, I was on the beach and found a little fish "happy moment" Siganus canaliculatus Also known as "Happy Moments" due to it's poisonous spines. Anglers that get spiked experience a surge of euphoria a few seconds before the pain sets in. It was stranded on the sand and I went over and rescued it. yep he got me. And it damn hurt! i don't recall any euphoria, only lots and lots and lots of pain!
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Post by Pij on Apr 6, 2009 15:44:49 GMT 10
Hi Paul, the capricorn coast has heaps of great slope sites, They are, the bluff, above the main street of yeppoon, wreck point which is where I spent much of my teen years flying off, double heads above the harbour, national park at the south end of kemp beach, the hill at the causway, and rita-mata at emu park. We should organise a trip up to my old stomping ground, and I can show you around. Dale I'll be in that, absolutely! Great idea, Dale.
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Post by jase on Apr 6, 2009 16:07:13 GMT 10
we have some good spots up here, but the lack of people interested in the sport kills the idea of taking up flying again.... it's more fun with other people.
wreck point isn't a bad place to fly.. add some more lead at the CG and watch the plane go up.
there is another place over at Emu Park (Tanby point) to be exact, but it's private property and the owners don't want anyone on their land...... there is also a big dune behind the Emu Park Bowls Club which is meant to be preety good. i'll try that out one day i'm sure.
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Post by jase on Apr 6, 2009 16:09:44 GMT 10
Pij and Dale.. the slope at Rita Mata is now a no fly zone....... it is the best slope up here too.
a 5kt breeze on the beach is a 15kt breeze in the bowl at the top.
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Post by Pij on May 4, 2009 12:00:44 GMT 10
Which one was Rita Mata? Pity to hear it closed - what was the reason?
I'd still like to get up there with somebody with local knowledge, some time not too far away.
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Post by jase on May 4, 2009 16:58:17 GMT 10
Rita Mata. aka The Haven is now private property. The excuse i got from the owners is "we don't want anyone on our property". Gotta respect what they say, but they were real pricks about it.
Pij. i went to Wreck Point today and now i know why it's named that. It wrecked my virgin plane. LOL.... see writeup.. something about new planes and 30kts of wind.
Some other sites i'll try and get to in the coming weeks.
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Post by Pij on May 6, 2009 7:20:41 GMT 10
I was having a look at the flying sites listed on www.windsock.net.au/locations.htmlAt this stage, we have a pretty good collection on the forum, from Evan's Head in the south to Yeppoon in the north, with a scattering beyond those extremes. It would be good to see more of those listed on the Locations page.
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