Kyneton, Vic to Rockhampton, Qld region

[Peter Anson]

I'm hoping to do a trip to Rockhampton in the near future. Was thinking of crossing the Dividing Range with a leg from Roma to Gladstone as it looks like there is a bit less tiger country on that route. Does anyone have any experience or advice on this?

 

Peter

 

 

[Peter Anson]

Here's a link to my blog about this trip, well the going up part anyway. http://www.ansoneng.com/sample-page/sonex-trips/kyneton-to-rockhampton-part-1-930-nautical-miles/

 

I have done the complete round trip, 1900 nm of it but I write slower than I fly. My Jabiru engine performed flawlessly, good thing too. Got to say, you Queenslanders are a brave bunch. I did a fair bit of flying over land where an out-landing would have been exciting. Couldn't quite do the trip each way in one day. I got away way too late on the way up and was held up a bit by fog before leaving on the way back. That and talking to a nice bloke at Kingaroy about his Cessna 188 crop sprayer and the Corby Starlet he had been restoring. It was an enjoyable trip.

 

Peter

 

 

[Garfly]

A great report Peter. Really well written and presented. Thanks for posting. Looking forward to Part II.

 

Did you have special fuel cards to pay for your fuel or did you use a normal credit card?

 

 

[Peter Anson]

I was able to use a credit card about half the stops but you really need a fuel card. I have BP and Mobil cards supplied by Skyfuel Australia PL who are easy to deal with and don't seem to mind that I don't buy much fuel through them. I used a fuel card at Griffith and Roma on the way up and at Kingaroy and Moree on the way back. I think the alternative would have been to callout somebody from the fuel supplier and wait for them to turn up.

 

Peter

 

 

[Peter Anson]

Here's a link to my blog on the return part of this trip. http://www.ansoneng.com/sample-page/sonex-trips/kyneton-to-rockhampton-part-2-the-return-970-nautical-miles/

 

I really enjoyed this flight and I'm looking forward to doing something a bit more adventurous but might have to work on building up the good guy points with my wife first.

 

A small correction to my last post - Kingaroy has a credit card fuel bowser.

 

Peter

 

 

[Yenn]

Great trip report and a good plus for the Sonex.

 

The red at Gladstone was the red mud dam, which is the waste product from the alumina process. Not much use for anything, very alkaline and I don't think anyone has come up with a use for it.

 

I didn't see you fly over, but you must have been very close and also flown over Rods Bay, where there is a very new Sonex with a 3300 Jab engine. If you are very clever you could time your next trip to include Old Station fly in, at late May. Fuel available there and it is not far from Rocky.

 

 

[Peter Anson]

Hi Yenn, there you go contradicting my meticulous research which I think consisted of looking up a map and seeing the word "bauxite". What's the bet that when the plant eventually closes down you'll still have the red mud dam? Flew just to the west of Benaraby. I'll try to make it to the Old Station next year.

 

Peter