The Outback Air Race 2009 Day 4, 5, 6 and 7

Day 3 - Katherine

Rest day Katherine. We spend a relaxing day just looking around Katherine, find a Coffee Club of all things so a have a relaxed morning tea before sitting beside the pool. Most other teams have headed of on a tour of Katherine Gorge.

Win our match race yesterday but still not having much luck with the accuracy comp. Must be the vagaries of the gps as The Rats and ourselves both over fly the same points at the same height but they are 0.01nm off and we are 0.1nm off according to the scoring system.


Day 4 - Katherine to Tennant Creek

We have a bye today so decide to check out the accuracy of the start and finish points as provided by the race as compared to us working it out from a WAC.

Start point is the intersection of the Roper Highway and Stuart Highway. So enter the bearing and distance given by the race committee into the gps and calculate our own lat long for the finish.

Fly direct to the start point and it turns out to be the next intersection south of the Roper Highway intersection about 1nm away from where it should be.

Overfly the finish point and we are spot on, so much for accuracy when the race director can't even get it right.

Dinner at the Memorial Club, what a great effort by the locals. The local service clubs raised over $2600 in four weeks for the RFDS. From a town with a population of less than 2000 that's terrific.


Day 5 - Tennant Creek to Sweers Island

Well we are just about back in Queensland.

After departure Tennant Creek we can see a massive sandstorm out to the east of us. To bad for those going to Adels Grove for lunch as it appears to be directly on that track.

Land Burketown and no amount of phone calls can locate the refueller, not even at the pub. Make the decision to continue on to Sweers and get fuel after departing there.

Arrive Sweers, what a terrific place. We have a cabin to ourselves so lap of luxury in the bush.

Day 6 - Sweers Island - Rest day

Intend going fishing but the wind is blowing 25knots and there's not really much point.

Tex organises a tour of the island for everyone. What an amazing history for such a small place.

The artist ladies from Bentinik Island come over in the afternoon with some of their work and make several sales. Glad to see some "Gallery Director" is not ripping them of with excessive commissions and little returned to the artist.

Once again we win our match race from yesterday and are equal first on our ladder with Team Isis (hot favourites to win the time trial).


Day 7

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