At YBWP (Weipa), shortly ready to fly down to YNTN (Normanton).
A VFR-Flightplan is made and it will take a while until I reach my destination. Total distance: 308NM equal 2h16min flyingtime and nearly 250lt fuel consumption <> 10%! The Beaver DHC-2 is a drunkard!!
At the hold-short-point for Rwy 12. WX: SCT060CB and wind from the east.
A short back-track for Rwy 12...
... and lining up. Fuel in the tanks: 360lt, TOW 1733kg
Off I go!
Weipa is just south of Duyfken Point, a location now agreed to be the first recorded point of European contact with the Australian continent.
Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon, on his ship the Duyfken, sighted the coast here in 1606. This was 164 years before Lieutenant James Cook sailed up the east coast of Australia.
In 1955 a geologist, Henry Evans (1912–1990), discovered that the red cliffs on the Aboriginal reserve, previously remarked on by the early Dutch explorers and Matthew Flinders, were actually enormous deposits of bauxite – the ore from which aluminium is made. The bauxite mines around Weipa today are the world's largest!
Heading west in direction Gulf of Carpentaria!
Aurukun is a town and locality in the Shire of Aurukun in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is situated approximately 100 kilometres south of Weipa. The town faces west to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and during the wet season, roads are impassable.
Swimming in this waters is not advisable - it is believed to be great breeding sites for salt water crocodiles!!
Over water heading south - on my left, the vast coast of Cape York peninsula.
Reaching the vicinity of Karumba and Norman River. Ready for descent for an RNAV approach Rwy 14 YNTN.
In the late 1930s the town Karumba was a refueling and maintenance stop for the flying boats of the Qantas Empire Airways
On a long final Rwy 14. Somewhere is a PC-12 from Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS).
Apart from that: Solitude and tranquility on CTAF - and mangrove swamps below!! A cheer for the salt water crocs!
Very good - I'm number one - the PC-12 is on a 15NM final 14
After 2h24min flying time, back on earth. A bit short!!
Vacating the runway to my left into a tiny ramp - my new homebase!
I will be awaited! Here, the CHC-2 goes for maintenance: new painting etc..
By the way: Total fuel consumption for this leg: 260lt. (She is really a drunkard!!)
Out of Normanton in the future, I will do some cargo-flights - mostly the Cape York peninsula.
There are many small airfields and mines! Aha, the doctors arrived - nothing could go wrong!