By Boyd and Sarah Devereux
It started with an AOPA email in the first week of January. A one day fly-in was planned for Saturday the 9th. That could work, I thought gladly, as we would be in between weanings on the farm.
“Do you want to fly to the Hunter Valley on Saturday?” I asked my wife, Sarah. “Why?” she replied. “An AOPA fly-in.” “What’s the weather forecast?” “Good.” “Right, sounds great.”
Hunter Valley Station lies on the western shore of Central Otago’s beautiful Lake Hawea. It has always been a place that I have wanted to visit by air, having passed by the airstrip plenty of times while fishing on the lake.
Saturday dawned fine, as predicted, and an early start saw the plane fueled and pre-flight checked, ready to roll by 9am. A short flight from Moa Flat to Alexandra to collect Sarah after she’d dropped our daughter off with her grandparents, then we were on our way. We climbed out of Alex over the Clyde Dam, followed the Cromwell Gorge onto Cromwell, then the top of Lake Dunstan and into Wanaka CFZ.
Next point of interest was Lake Hawea township; a couple of orbits overhead and a wave to the ‘old man’ then we headed up the western side of Lake Hawea. The radio chatter started to get busier as we approached the Hunter, familiar voices and call signs telling me there were quite a few heading to the same destination. Smooth flying conditions meant a relaxed passenger beside me taking plenty of photos of the scenery. Below us, the lake was like glass.
Hunter Valley was soon in sight. Another familiar voice on the radio told me the boss was leaving Wanaka in the Bearhawk. Better slow down (tongue in cheek); I did not want to be first there. Overhead the strip at 1800ft, left hand downwind, number two, over the lake and onto finals. As with any first time into a new strip, there is always a little of the unknown! Through the gap at treetop height, a bit of sink, a touch of power, a gasp or two from my co-pilot, and we were on the ground.
Clear blue skies, sun shining and amazing scenery: what a great setting for smoko/lunch and a catch up with friends new and old. We had the added bonus of watching the Tiger Moth gracefully performing aerobatics overhead. In all 26 aircraft arrived.
After an hour or two of talking everything aviation (and a little farming) with fellow aviators and their partners, it was time to head home. Guy Mead, who’d made the short hop from Dingleburn, had invited all who were interested to land on the Dingleburn Station strip, so that was our next destination. Another strip I’d long wanted to visit.
The view as we rounded the peninsular onto long finals was spectacular. More chat here then we decided to head up the Hunter River for a recce. The southerly was getting up by this stage and further up the valley, after a little encouragement from Sarah, we turned back and headed for Alexandra. The wind steadily picked up from the west all the way down the Clutha Valley, so we headed over Bannockburn via the Fraser Dam to Clyde then into Alex. It was bumpy and gusty when we arrived on the ground at Alex and it was a good feeling to be taking up the kind offer of a hangar and an overnight stop with family in Earnscleugh. The flight home to Moa Flat the next morning was much smoother.
I cannot say enough about the organisation and support for these fly-ins, through email, text and the AOPA website. While the notice can be short, the concept of the one day fly-in is great, as you have a far better chance of getting the weather right. If you get the chance, join in.
Many thanks to Digby, Hannah and Walter for your warm welcome and hosting us at Hunter Valley.
This article first appeared in the Autumn 2021 edition of Approach Magazine, the dedicated magazine of AOPA NZ, which is published quarterly.