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.