Flying 300km for Breakfast at Goulburn, NSW

Out of the blue one Friday afternoon, I received a phone call from a flying friend who wanted to know whether I would like to go for a bit of a fly the next day. As if he had to ask!? The answer to that question is always a resounding, “Yes, please”!

It was going to be another horribly hot day so an early start was in order which, in turn, meant the chance of breakfast when we landed.

Come fly with me…

What?

• As you have no doubt identified by the photos, today’s post is all about an amazing helicopter flight.
• Zipping through the crystal-clear skies at 250kph, it was a wonderful opportunity to experience the Australian landscape from a completely different perspective. Truly a bird’s eye view.

• There were wind farms, small villages, and houses/farms tucked away in remote corners of scrub and buried in the densest bush. I would hate to be living there in a bushfire.
• There were pine plantations, manmade lakes and dams, and endless handkerchief-pattern countryside with the only patches of green being the small, irrigated paddocks. Ah, our Wide Brown Land.

• Normally my flying friend doesn’t fly 300km just to enjoy breakfast. He had a much more serious and important purpose – to complete some mandatory safety training including emergency procedures.
• While he undertook the rigorous training, the pilot’s wife and I trundled into Goulburn to enjoy a delicious coffee and Breakfast Bruschetta at Valerie’s Sunroom – part of the Gehl Garden Centre. It was so delicious, I didn’t even think to take a photo. Sorry about that. 😊

Where?

• We flew from Mudgee (Central West NSW) to Goulburn in the Southern Tablelands and return – about 300km each way.
• Our flight path took us due south and almost directly over Bathurst.

When?

• Mid-Summer! Ugh! It turned into yet another very hot day. Thankfully the helicopter had excellent air conditioning.
• We took off around 0715 and the cooler temperatures of the early morning meant a smooth and fast flight – around 1hour and 4minutes to Goulburn.
• It was a different story on the return flight as it was significantly hotter and the thermals made for a slightly bumpier trip. It was still wonderful though and perfectly safe.

Why?

• Why not? I NEVER say ‘No’ to a helicopter ride.

How?

• By helicopter of course! Doesn’t everyone zip around the countryside in one? 😊

Who?

• The excellent pilot.
• The equally excellent pilot’s wife and breakfast companion.

General Comments:

• What can I say? I just loved every second! I got an excited, buzzing feeling when I climbed into the cockpit and that feeling didn’t leave me the whole time we were in the air. I was a 10year old kid again.
• And just like the 10year old kid I used to be, I had to calm down a little and stop waving my arms about in case I accidentally bumped a button or switch that really shouldn’t be bumped! 😊
• I loved sitting in the cockpit and peppering the pilot with a million questions. The hundreds of dials and buttons just boggled my little mind and it was the most awesome brain food to try to understand – even in the smallest way – what was happening on the dashboard.

• Isn’t flight just the most fascinating thing? I am in awe of the brains that dreamed it was possible (Yes, hats off to the Wright Brothers) and then all the brains that continually refine the technology for higher, faster, smoother and smarter flights.
• I stood there looking at the ultra-aerodynamic helicopter and, even though my brain knows it can fly perfectly well, I still marvel that it can fly.

• The only downside to the whole experience was to see our country looking so parched. Yes, Summer in Australia is not to be trifled with and we are all commenting that this Summer has been particularly severe. In our area, it would be getting close to six months since we have had any decent rain. In Australia, decent rain is defined as tank- or dam-filling, and Yes, our rainwater tanks are getting dangerously low.
• Oh well, I guess it will rain again one day and ruin a perfectly good drought!

Thanks to my flying friends for a very special experience. While it may be business-as-usual for them, for me it was and will continue to be, an absolute thrill.

Up, up and away…

Are you a fan of flying?

#travelinspo #flight #helicopters #Mudgee #Goulburn #Bathurst #airtravel #birdseyeviews #Australia #Australianlandscape #breakfast #widebrownland #SummerinAustralia #WOWmoments #pinchyourselfmoments