After 81 flights I finally flew a glider solo on June 6 2015. I experienced a cable break at a low altitude on my second solo, which was a really good experience...even if it left me a little shaky at the time!
Royal Visit
It's a good job I hadn't caught anything before the royals came! This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a good test of some of the radio equipment...and my patience...in areas where there was no phone signal, which is something you literally have to plan for all the time here.
It was great to see William and Kate in the flesh, and for the first time experience what it's like to be part of the press pack for such an event. But the best bit was travelling with my friends from the local paper, the Centralian Advocate. Many people don't realise that Uluru is about a five hour drive from Alice Springs, and no outback drive should be undertaken without reasonable planning. It was lovely to travel in a group, and a vehicle that was going to make it. I don't think I'd risk taking my car down there! Thank you Phil, Jess and Editor Bryan who made it all happen.
The actual job was definitely a case of work hard, play hard. I worked a 19 hour day on the day itself. But it was cool, after the madness, to catch up with some British journos I either knew, or recognised off the tele!
It was great to see William and Kate in the flesh, and for the first time experience what it's like to be part of the press pack for such an event. But the best bit was travelling with my friends from the local paper, the Centralian Advocate. Many people don't realise that Uluru is about a five hour drive from Alice Springs, and no outback drive should be undertaken without reasonable planning. It was lovely to travel in a group, and a vehicle that was going to make it. I don't think I'd risk taking my car down there! Thank you Phil, Jess and Editor Bryan who made it all happen.
The actual job was definitely a case of work hard, play hard. I worked a 19 hour day on the day itself. But it was cool, after the madness, to catch up with some British journos I either knew, or recognised off the tele!
An awesome place if you love animals!
Feeding a rock wallaby on my 33rd birthday
When I was looking for pictures for this blog, I found a snap of a lovely huntsman spider who'd brightened my morning as it was time to leave Uluru after the royal visit. I noticed when I was camping once that they run towards you, as opposed to the usual spider reaction, a fear of movement. Here he is:
The joey in the middle found himself to be in my radio studio one day. I can tell you that work is 100 times better when there's a joey on your lap! And the other picture (with a bluetongue lizard) was taken at the reptile centre some time ago. I've been there a couple of times since, and on my last visit they let me into the staff room to look at a deadly Western Brown snake they'd just collected as it tried to get into the doctors' surgery. Look what happened next: https://vimeo.com/106365692
When I was first in the Alice I was lucky enough to arrange a house sit with two beautiful doggies while their owners got married. This is Diesel and Sheila on 'their' wedding day. The money I saved on rent enabled me to afford a car, so I was very lucky. And I made some canine friends! Although that's not hard in Alice Springs. Never have I known a more dog-obsessed place. People have them for security reasons primarily.
Taking advantage of blue skies
By far the single most thrilling new experience that Alice Springs has brought me is gliding. I had already thought that the blue skies would enable me to indulge my lifelong sky obsession in some form, but when I was invited to cover the gliding club open day for the radio station I'd only really just moved into a long-term house and thoughts of how I could spend any 'spare' time were limited.
One radio feature later and I'd signed up to learn to fly. But it wasn't an easy start. Despite a skydiving licence, a previous job on a rough ferry crossing and numerous other dabbles in air sports, gliding made me feel very airsick - my poor instructor Robert TWICE having to deal with me actually vomiting! I'm now taking motion sickness pills, but almost 20 flights in I hope to rid the need for medication when the pack runs out.
Here I am operating the launch point radio, which is what I do a lot of the time when I'm not in the air. The gliders are launched by a winch, as you can see in the picture on the right.
One radio feature later and I'd signed up to learn to fly. But it wasn't an easy start. Despite a skydiving licence, a previous job on a rough ferry crossing and numerous other dabbles in air sports, gliding made me feel very airsick - my poor instructor Robert TWICE having to deal with me actually vomiting! I'm now taking motion sickness pills, but almost 20 flights in I hope to rid the need for medication when the pack runs out.
Here I am operating the launch point radio, which is what I do a lot of the time when I'm not in the air. The gliders are launched by a winch, as you can see in the picture on the right.
Gliding is everything I've ever wanted from an air sport. It teaches you about the theory of flight, it's a test of skill, and something you do on your own but from a team environment. And the landscape we fly over is beautiful; vast and dry. The airfield is 20 kilometres north of Alice Springs where there is no phone signal, and no significant population. For another 500 kms. I often spend the whole weekend out there. You are entirely removed from normal life in town.
And before you ask, no I don't fly them solo yet....that's quite a way off. Here I am with instructor Simon who took me for a few awesome loop the loops recently. I filmed it for a friend as a birthday surprise. You can watch the video here.
And before you ask, no I don't fly them solo yet....that's quite a way off. Here I am with instructor Simon who took me for a few awesome loop the loops recently. I filmed it for a friend as a birthday surprise. You can watch the video here.
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