Trans-Tasman Crossiing

Although I flew ZK-VRV across the Tasman in 2016 and knew what to expect, I was nervous about this crossing.  Perhaps as you get older you become more risk averse, aware of your own mortality and conscious that you have limited time left on this planet and so don't ant to hasten the end.  Now that I have grandkids, perhaps it as wanting to see them grow and blossom.  Perhaps it was the Underwater Evacuation Training we did in preparation for this trip.  I don't know.  Whatever it was, as I lined up on Kerikeri's runway 15 and pushed the throttle forward for takeoff -  I was scared.

Kerikeri to Norfolk Island

The weather forecast was good with light tail winds over the entire 484nm (896km) to Norfolk Island.

Simon Ford had generously flown up to Kerikeri in his Tecnam Sierra (ZK-LSF) to see us off and had left before me with the objective of taking some in-flight photos as we started our trip.  I caught up with him about halfway along 90 Mile Beach and did my best to position ZK-VRV so he could take a picture of me.

Simon saluting me as I flew past

After passing Simon and saying cheerio to him, it wasn't long before Cape Reinga came into view and the first leg of a long over-water crossing began.  The butterflies in my tummy were subdued but still there!

At this stage I had climbed to 6500' but there was a bank of cloud in my path and I was faced with that classic pilot dilemma.  Should I go under or over it (my pilots licence doesn't allow me to go through it)?  As I didn't know how extensive this cloud was I opted to descend and pass under it.  However, when I got to about 3500' and would have to descend lower to pass beneath it, I chickened out and I didn't want to be too low over water.  The edge of the cloud wasn't far to my left so I altered my course to climb beside it so I could pass over it.

On a trip like this your altitude is constrained by your height over water - you don't want to be too low and have no time to diagnose and correct a problem, too high (above 10,000) - where the effects of hypoxia can start to impact your judgement, and well clear of cloud if the air temperature is 2 deg or lower - at those temperatures even nicking the side of a cloud can result in icing.  It's a constant juggle.

As the legs across the Tasman Sea are so long, flying on top of cloud is not a problem until you're within about 50nm of your destination.  It's normally not that extensive and you don't have to vary your course much to be able to remain in the clear.

At 8500' I was on top of the cloud.  It came and went as I cruised along and I stayed at that altitude most of the way to Norfolk Island with only the odd deviation +/- 1000' and left and right of track to remain in the clear.

With my autopilot taking care of the flying and "Thunderbird 6" contently humming along, I quickly settled into a routine of monitoring and logging ZK-VRV's engine parameters every 15 mins and carefully watching my fuel usage.  For improved endurance I carry a 40litre fuel bladder on the passenger seat beside me which I use after takeoff but is exhausted after about 1.25hrs. It's not good if the fuel being supplied by the bladder runs out and the engine stops.

Andrew, John and I chatted over the radio about all sorts of things pilots care about but would bore most other people to tears.

Well into the leg to Norfolk Island we independently calculated our Point of No Return and verified that with each other.  Before reaching that point I rang the Automated Weather Station at Norfolk Island to check the actual weather conditions at the airport were as forecast and it was safe to land and passed that onto Andrew and John.

Descending from 8500' approaching Norfolk Island I had to dodge some clouds.  Clear of them, Norfolk Island came into view right where it should be.  Thank God for GPS! 

I did a circumnavigation of the island and joined long final for Rwy 11.  With a firm bump, we had arrived at Norfolk Island and after 3:23 the first leg of our Trans-Tasman crossing was complete.

Andrew, John and I had spent weeks swotting up on Australian Border Force (ABF) and biosecurity rules for our Tasman hop and were feeling very pleased with our attention to detail.  Instead, we were greeted by a bolshy ABF officer who informed us, with great enthusiasm, that we’d done everything wrong, sent the wrong information, and apparently hadn’t given them anywhere near enough notice.  I got a proper telling‑off.  You can’t argue with these people, so you just stand there, apologise, accept your new status as a complete muppet, and smile sweetly.  We were later told not to take it personally — they give the same treatment to every itinerant aircraft pilot.

Norfolk Island to Lord Howe Island

After a whistle-stop tour of the historic area of Norfolk Island we were back out at the airport at 7am the next morning (1 July 2026) to complete our crossing of the Tasman Sea.

As Lord Howe Island is a world heritage park you're not allowed to stay on the island when traveling east to west.  We only had permission for a "tech stop" - land, refuel as quickly as possible, don't leave the airport and be on your way as quickly as you can.  On the way home from Australia we plan to stay a night to have a look around and that's permitted.

Leaving Norfolk Island I settled into my routine of monitoring and logging.  Again, 8500' was a good altitude to avoid the cloud and an economic cruise height.  Some rain cloud had to be avoided but the winds were light and the ride was good.

In the Tasman Sea, there is no land mass to disturb the wind so even thought the wind can be strong, the ride is pretty smooth.  There are lovely puffy cumulus clouds all around and the shades of blue and white are spectacular.  With Pink Floyd playing quietly in my headset to set the scene, I never tire from taking in the view.

The forecast winds at Lord Howe island were light when we left Norfolk Island but by the time we reached our Point of No Return a direct crosswind of up to 14 knots had developed.  I knew from experience, that would also make the air turbulent as I approached the airfield.  Braced for a lumpy ride in the vicinity of the airport and a tricky landing, I began my descent.  It was a bit wild on the approach and my re-acquaintance with Mother Earth was less graceful landing and more surprise arrival.

The refueler was waiting for us and the biosecurity guy that needed to check us over was quick and efficient but ... then we encountered our first aircraft problem ...

After refueling we always drain a sample of fuel from each tank to check for water and debris.  In Andrew's Cirrus that's achieved by pushing a thin needle into a valve and letting the fuel drain into a small clear cup.  When he did that on the left tank and removed the needle from the fitting the fuel continued flowing.  He yelled for help and we quickly tried reinserting the rod and wriggling it to reseat the valve.  However, every time we tried this the problem got worse and fuel was p*ssing out.  The only thing that would stop it was putting a finger over the outlet.  Uh oh - now we've got a big problem.

As it wasn't practical for John to hold onto the wheel spat with his finger over the fuel drain while Andrew flew him across the remainder of the Tasman Sea to Australia, we made a call to Andrew's engineer back in New Zealand for advice.  He told us how to remove the drain valve and clean any debris from it so that it would close and reseal.  The problem was we were removing a valve from the underside of a wing tank that was full of fuel!  Fortunately the refueler and other bystanders quickly provided some buckets to catch the fuel that would pour out of the tank when the valve was removed.  With the valve removed, a finger over the outlet stopped the fuel flowing but it was a messy job that required careful coordination of people and buckets.

We successfully removed the drain valve, cleaned it and reinstalled it and it stopped running - phew.  Although there was no evidence of further leaking, the valve was quickly replaced by an engineer after we arrived at Gold Coast Airport and were cleared into Australia by the authorities.

The relief of seeing the Australian coastline appear on the horizon didn’t last long—things ramped up quickly as Air Traffic Control handed me my approach instructions for Gold Coast International Airport and I was maneuvered to take my position amongst much bigger aircraft than me. Since Gold Coast is a designated First Point of Entry, touching down there wasn’t optional; it was mandatory.

We were only on the ground at Gold Coast Airport for just over an hour before leaving on the final 30 min flight to Archerfeld where we would be leaving the aircraft for two nights before continuing on our trip around the continent.

After 6.8hrs of flying over two-thirds of the Tasman Sea, I crashed into bed, exhausted but satisfied that we'd safely completed a large over-water crossing completed by few light aircraft pilots.

 

Refueling at Norfolk Island

Reflecting on the day - Norfolk Island

 

Thank you ZK-VRV for carrying me safely across the Tasman Sea

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Video of ZK-LDY & ZK-VRV taking off from Lord Howe Island kindly provided by Peter Phillipps, Chase n Thyme Journeys (https://chasenthyme.com).

Checkout Andrew Schofield's Blog too:  https://nzcirruspilot.com/trans-tasman/

 

Route - Where we've been & where we're going

Click here to go straight to the detailed plan that shows where we've been & where we're going.

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Planning is half the fun of a flying adventure.  Poring over charts, finding out what there is to see and do at stops along the way, reaching out to others for advice, working out a route that works all build excitement.  Finding answers to questions like what is interesting about the place, will fuel be available how do we get into town and where can we stay are some of the multitude of things that must be considered.

Trans-Tasman Crossing 

The REALLY big trip begins with a crossing of the Tasman Sea to Australia.  ZK-VRV doesn't have the range to fly from New Zealand to Australia direct and, even if it did, it would be a huge undertaking at my cruise airspeed of 145 kts (268km/hr).  Therefore, we island hop across the Tasman Sea and stop at Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island where, on each island we can have a break and refuel.

The Tasman crossing begins in Kerikeri where we New Zealand Customs approves us to leave the country.

On the legs across the Tasman there are reporting points where we are expected to update Auckland Oceanic Control that we have passed the point and what our estimated time of arrival is at the next reporting point and our final destination.

Coincidentally the distance between Kerikeri and Norfolk Island at 484nm (896km) is almost the same as that between Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Islands at 483nm (894km).  The distance from Lord Howe Island to Gold Coast airport is a shorter 354nm (656km).

On reaching the Australian mainland, we must call into Gold Coast international airport as that's one of the few recognised First Points of Entry on the east coast of Australia where you must be cleared by the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry (DAFF).

 

Trans-Tasman route

The Route Around Australia 

The REALLY big trip around Australia

 

There's many places in Australia that I've visited that I'd like to return to and areas places that I haven't been that I like to visit.  When I joined these places together I ended up with a circumnavigation of the Australian Continent.

Our plan is a wish list.  We've not booked any accommodation because there are too many things that can influence a reliable commitment to be at a place at a certain time.  We have the time to do this trip and part of the fun is, where shall we go next?

Flying in the centre of Australia in the true outback, is fantastic and, the more remote it is, the better I like it.  However, the reality is the distance between places is vast and there is not as much in the centre as there is on the coast.

Some have asked why we're not visiting Tasmania.  The reason for that is the weather in July in the south of Australia can be unsettled like New Zealand and, we have to get home sometime!

After crossing the Tasman our route will start at Archerfield Airport in Brisbane and head north counter-clockwise around the country.

I did a flying trip to the tip of Cape York in 2023 so we'll skip going up there again.  Flying at low level along the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria is always good fun so that was added to the plan.  I've not been up into Arnhem Land in the far north so we'll take a look up there before approaching Darwin from the North.  My absolute favourite place to fly in Australia is the Kimberley region so that's a "must visit" addition.  Although I've done multiple trips in Australia, I've not had the opportunity to fly much of the coast of Western Australia.  It's a helluva long way from Broome to Perth but, hey, lets do that too.  ZK-VRV and ZK-LDY are booked in for their 50hr maintenance checks at Jandakot Airport (YPJT) in Perth to give them some fresh oil and to ensure they continue running sweetly.

Originally I was going to cut the corner from Perth to fly through Kalgoorlie to the coast of the Australian Bight, but many people have recommended flying around the SW corner of the continent with visits to Albany and Esperance so that was a late addition to the plan.

Forrest (YFRT) is a large remote airport with lots of history that I briefly visited once and would like to go back to again.

A key objective is to take my aircraft to Adelaide and visit my grandkids, Arlo (6 - nearly 7) and Annabelle (5).  They've both sat in ZK-VRV when visiting New Zealand but I know they'll think it's cool that "Pop's Aeroplane" is coming to see them.

My fascination with flying in Australia started in Stawell (YSWL), South Australia.  There I met Graeme, Val and John who led me on some of my first trips through the Great Southern Land and taught me much about what I know about flying in Australia.  A call into to see them for a night is another key objective.

Andrew and John in ZK-LDY will do their own thing as I have a few days with my grandkids in Adelaide and visit friends in Stawell.  From Stawell, I'll make a bee-line back to Archerfield to meet up with them in preparation for our flight home across the Tasman.
 

The REALLY Big Trip

Having now retired I have more time to invest in my passion - flying my Vans RV-6, ZK-VRV, "Thunderbird 6".

New Zealand is a great place to fly and we are spoiled by the freedom we have, the differing terrain and scenery none of which is much more than a couple of hours of flying away.  However, I've also been privileged to be able to fly extensively in Australia and I'm fascinated by the vastness of that big dusty continent.

Since 2005, I’ve criss-crossed the Australian continent on 10 wonderful flying trips.  All were great but none lasted much longer than 3 weeks due to work commitments.  I’ve long dreamed of having the time to do a big trip in Australia – a REALLY big trip.  A trip that takes in some of the places I've visited and a trip that covers some new ground. Something like this ...

The time has now come and, after months of planning, on Monday 29 June I’ll leave Paraparaumu for Kerikeri to fly across the Tasman on Tuesday/Wednesday.  I’ll be on my own in my aircraft but good friends Andrew Schofield and John Kilby will be accompanying me in Andrew’s Cirrus SR22, ZK-LDY.  They’ve enthusiastically signed up for the big trip around Australia and it will be good to have their company.

Andrew is a skilled photographer and blogger and will also be keeping his blog up-to-date as we travel.  Keep an eye on NZ Cirrus Pilot \ Trans-Tasman and check out Andrew's other interesting blog posts while you're there.

My bag is packed, Thunderbird 6 has been inspected and checked thoroughly and the paperwork that must accompany a light aircraft flying from New Zealand to Australia is filed ready for use and presentation to the authorities.  I now just need a good nights sleep before leaving home tomorrow.

Final flights

There were westerly winds of 20-25kts forecast for our final flights back to Brisbane from Charleville.  That was good news as we were flying almost due east!  Apart from the time spent taking off and landing, strong winds in outback Australia aren't the same concern as they are in New Zealand.  As the land is flat there's nothing for the air to rise over and create eddy's and uncomfortable (and sometimes dangerous) rotors like New Zealand.  We enjoyed ground speeds of 140 - 150kts (259 - 278 km/hr) all the way.

The total distance from Charleville to Redcliffe was 237nm (438km) so we decided to stop after approx. 1hr at Roma.  I'd been told there was a good cafe in the terminal so it seemed like a good idea to stretch our legs, have a pee and grab a coffee there.  Unfortunately with no scheduled flights imminent the cafe was closed.  However, we did the other two things!

The final flight from Roma back to Redcliffe (where we'd hired VH-DXJ from) was uncharacteristically quiet compared to the banter I've enjoyed with Bruce and Rob during previous flights.  I think we were all reflecting on the good times we'd had over the last 11 days and that our adventure was coming to an end.

About 75nm out from our destination things started to get busy as we had to avoid active military areas and descend beneath Brisbane's airspace.  We were also passing through a busy area pilots from Redcliffe, Caboolture and Coloundra use for training.  There was a bit of traffic about but nothing too bad until we encountered an annoying helicopter practicing auto-rotations at Redcliffe.

With final bump onto Redcliffe's sealed runway our trip was over :(

We busied ourselves for the next hour unpacking and washing the aircraft to return it spick and span.

It's been a great trip with a mixture of new places and places I've already visited.  I really enjoyed showing Bruce and Rob the outback and, of course, flying up the east coast to Cape York was a highlight.  That's a corner of Australia I've now "ticked off".

Bruce and Rob were great company and we never failed to find things to talk about.  We all work in Information Technology and so many work stories have been exchanged.  As expected when three guys are travelling together the conversation was a bit risqué at times (they started it).  They are both aviation enthusiasts (a bit more military oriented than I) and were genuinely interested in the planning and conduct of our flights.  Thanks for your company guys.

Until next time ...

After a long multi-day trip I always give the aircraft a kiss
of thanks for keep me and my pax safe. It's a tradition started long ago!

Leg Summary
Charleville (YBCV) - Roma (YROM)
Distance: 135nm (250km)
Time: 1.1hrs
Alt: 5,500ft 

Roma (YROM) - Redcliffe (YRED)
Distance: 237nm (439km)
Time: 1.8hrs
Alt: 5,500ft  

Trip Summary
Planned distance: 2,745nm (5,083km) + various meanderings to take in scenery
Total flight time: 28.8hrs
Landings:  16
Fuel:  1,332.87 litres
Fuel cost:  Min AUD$2.60/litre (Redcliffe) - $3.11 (Weipa)
Consumption: 46.3 litres/hr

Outback 747 & a secret air force base

747-200 of the Qantas Founders Museum

We had relaxing day in Longreach yesterday.  Bruce and Rob visited the Qantas Founders Museum and Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame and I spent a couple of pleasant hours kayaking on the Thompson River with Shelley, Pete, Kristen and Gabby. Like most rivers in this vast flat land, there is barely any current so it was nice not having to exert yourself too much and just cruise along dipping an oar gently in the water while chatting.

There's a 747-200 parked outside the Qantas Founders Museum (under a big roof now) that you can tour.  It's customary when flying into Longreach airport to take a photo of your aircraft in front of the 747.  After packing our plane we pushed it into position in front of the 747 and took the following photo:

It's customary for visiting pilots to photograph their aircraft
in front of the Longreach 747

After re-fueling we left Longreach for our next stop - Charleville.

We are deep in the central Queensland outback now and the country we're flying over is parched cattle country.  Dotted over this remote flat land are large cattle stations, most of which have their own airstrip.  Aircraft and helicopters are common in these parts due the large area of the stations.  We've seen several helicopters far below mustering cattle or sheep.  How the animals survive in these parts is beyond me.

Far in the distance sometimes you see a line of dust.  That's a rare vehicle on an outback road kicking up a dusty trail that rises hundreds of feet into the air.

The flight to Charleville was lovely and smooth at 3,500'.  With our aircraft trimmed nicely it pretty well flew itself with just the odd nudge to keep it on track.  Although the land is barren and some might say boring, I love it out here.  It's so different from home and I often describe it as like flying over an oil painting - full of colours and textures.

We'd timed our arrival at Charleville so we could join the WW2 Secret Base Tour.  In 1943 3,500 United States Army Air Force personnel were stationed in Charleville supporting the war effort and servicing up to 300 B-17 aircraft.  Charleville was chosen because of its isolated position in central Queensland out of reach of Japanese bombers which didn't have the range to get to the base and return.  Although all the buildings used by the Air Force have long since gone, their foundations remain.  We'd been lucky enough to be given an airport car to use for our stay and so joined the drive-around tour around the former air base.

 

Leg Summary
Longreach (YLRE) - Charleville (YBCV)
Distance: 208nm (385km)
Time: 1.8hrs
Alt: 3,500ft

The view out the left window on the way to Charleville

 

The view out the right window on the way to Charleville
- remarkably similar and flat as far as the eye can see!

 

Charleville - the WW2 air force base occupied most
of the land in the foreground

 

Things that bite & the centre of Australian aviation history

Winton is an interesting place and, although it's a small outback town it punches above its weight when it comes to history.

The birth of Qantas was announced in November, 1920 in Winton with the initial registration of the company – Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd.  The first board meeting was held at the Winton Club on February 10th, 1921.  The local saying about Qantas that it was conceived in Cloncurry, born in Winton and grew up in Longreach.

However, dinosaurs pre-dated Qantas by abut 95 million years in Winton!

We spent an interesting morning at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs where we were guided through some of their laboratories and exhibits.  The Winton area is rich in dinosaur fossils and the Museum of Natural History within the park is a world-class home to Australia's largest collection of dinosaur fossils.  Of most interest was about a 100m of a muddy rock face that was lifted over a period of 3 years and placed under cover.  At this rock face a herd of at least 150 small two-legged dinosaurs, including carnivorous coelurosaurs about the size of chickens and slightly larger plant-eating ornithopods, came to drink at the edge of a lake.   Over 3,300 footprints of these long-extinct dinosaurs are scattered in the mud of the rock face as they fled the scene upon the arrival of a large theropod.  This snapshot of a few terrifying moments has been frozen in time, immortalising the event and making Winton home to the only known dinosaur stampede in the world.

We left Winton at 1pm for the short flight to Longreach.  We planned to meet one of my long-time flying buddy's Shelley Ross and her husband Pete in Longreach and, as luck would have it, we arrived in the circuit together at Longreach and Shelley landed right behind me in their Cessna 172.  I've been on several trips with Shelley and Pete in Australia and on our 2011 African flying trip.  They're great company and, on this occasion were accompanied By Kristen and Gabby in their Piper Archer.

We've got a day off in Longreach tomorrow so Bruce and Rob can visit the excellent Qantas Founders Museum and Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame.  I've been to both several times so apparently I'm going kayaking with Shelley and Pete!

 

Leg Summary
Winton (YWTN) - Longreach (YLRE)
Distance: 92nm (170km)
Time: 0.9hrs
Alt: 3,500ft

Checking if a Brontosaurus has bad breath

 

 

 

 

100's of dinosaur footprints made during a stampede

747-200 on display at Qantas Founders Museum, Longreach

 

Waltzing Matilda

Burke & Wills Roadhouse airstrip

Today I introduced Bruce and Rob to the vast nothingness that is the outback of northern Queensland.

Leaving Burketown we turned south for a short flight of 1.1 hous to to the Burke & Wills Roadhouse.  The Roadhouse is on the junction of the Burke Developmental Rd and Matilda Highway both of which are major routes across this isolated land.  Behind the roadhouse is a large dirt airstrip which we used today.  The airstrip is pretty basic and the windsock has long since been blown away.

The Burke & Wills Roadhouse is typical of the roadhouses you find in these parts.  It offers fuel, a caravan park, a restaurant, simple shop and basic mechanical repairs.  As we sat and had an early lunch, we watched many dusty "grey nomads" with their 4 x 4's and caravans stop for a well deserved break at this oasis in the middle of nowhere.

Our flight from the Burke & Wills Roadhouse to Winton was a bit hot and bumpy.  We started off at an altitude of 3500' but then climbed to 5500'.  Air cools at 3deg/1000' so is ~15 deg cooler than on the ground.  We were comfortable in the cooler air but the ride was only marginally better.

I love flying in the outback.  The magnificent emptiness of the place fascinates me.  Flying over land that's billiard table flat as far as the eye can see is so different from the country I fly over at home.  In parts of the Australian outback, like the Simpson and Stryzelecki Deserts, there's no trace of humanity.  However, on the leg to Winton we passed over stick tracks and remote stations miles from anywhere.  How they farm in such an inhospitable land is difficult to imagine.

Our route took us over the Combo Waterhole which I circled over for Bruce and Rob.  Combo Waterhole is  believed to be the setting for the story of Waltzing Matilda or to have inspired the famous Australian bush ballad.  Banjo Paterson, the composer of Waltzing Matilda, is known to have visited the site in 1895.  The song was first publicly played in October 1896 at Winton's North Gregory Hotel which still stands today.

Arriving at Winton we nearly became stranded.  Although Bruce, Rob and I all had cellphones using different carriers, none of us had coverage.  Winton airport is a long way out of town and we had no way of contacting the motel we were staying at to have them come and collect us as we'd arranged when booking. The airport looked abandoned on a Sunday afternoon but fortunately we found a guy pottering around with his helicopter who took pity on us and called the motel.  Note to self - when travelling in the outback buy a Telstra Sim card!

After a lazy afternoon hour or two at the motel and catching up on some washing, we wandered into town (which was surprisingly busy) for another pub meal and more chips.

 

Leg Summary
Burketown (YBKT) - Burke & Wills Roadhouse
Distance: 100nm (185km)
Time: 1.1hrs
Alt: 3,500ft

Burke & Wills Roadhouse - Winton (YKMB)
Distance: 244nm (452km)
Time: 2.3hrs
Alt: 3,500ft - 5,500ft  

 

Downwind at Burke & Wills Roadhouse airstrip

 

The magnificent emptiness of the Australian outback

The magnificent emptiness of the Australian outback

 

 

 

The magnificent emptiness of the Australian outback

 

 

 

Winton

 

 

 

Banjo Patterson
Composer of Waltzing Matilda

Main street Winton