Newcastle Hang Gliding Club

Billo gave us all joy flights over the pound until the thermals picked up. Then we made our way to Lyndhurst but not before returning to Hawker and buying up all the fly nets. No one told me about the flies. Unbelievable.

The convoy had split up with JOD and Selmsey taking the more scenic route while we followed Billo on the bitumen. We were all to meet for a pie at Copley but the others couldn't wait for us and left a message with one of the local kids whom we ignored as he ran down the street waving at us as we passed through the sleepy town at sunset.

We found the others in Lyndhurst, in the pub. This was to be the point at which Billo would start flying the XTC-582 over the dirt roads but he didn't communicate this very well to the others and since they did not want to stay in Lyndhurst and Billo did not want to break up the group we made our way to Maree on the dirt.

JOD and Al stayed in the Marree pub while the rest of us camped by the old Ghan railway line at the end of town. Jason and Billo were getting quite good now at cooking a "mash-up" in the Trangias. I was suffering from a head cold and Jason was getting over a sore throat so it was an early night. Besides I was to be first passenger in the trike flying the Birdsville track the next day.