Barkly Run

Hi Everyone, we re back in the NT again. This time an effortless flight from Melbourne to Alice Springs arriving in the late morning of 15/10/17. We left Melbourne at 9:30 am but thanks to time zone and other aberrations in the passage of time, we landed at soon after 11 am. The weather here is warm and very pleasant, the skies are actually visibly blue.

It is  always a whirlwind tour to some of the grand old stations and out stations when doing the Barkly. However, this trip was unusual for a few reasons. Firstly, it was my first visit to Mittebah. We entered airspace over the station through some impressive looking clouds. I felt like I was in a toy plane within these massive dark clouds all around us and as the plane weaved and spiralled between these dark, brooding immensities suddenly lightning struck earthwards. 
When we landed, I visited two boys on the station with some mild problems. As with any station, the hospitality and friendliness is unparalleled. We then drove back the short distance to the strip. It’s a well compressed, gravel, strip but tends to be a bit short for a larger plane. The sky looked ominous, dark, thunder clap clouds, occasional twists of lightning striking down. Lightning had caused some fires still burning on the station. The pilot was unimpressed with the weather, and we all happily agreed to stay till things sorted themselves out. Then the rain struck. An inch of rain ( 25mm) fell in two hours rapidly converting their older airstrip to a narrow lake, the roads became slippery and muddy. It was a deluge. We sat in the kitchen. The owner lent me a dry shirt to wear while mine dried off on the covered verandah. She had the girls busy peeling extra vegetables for our anticipated impromptu overnighter. 

However, the sky cleared enough and the airstrip was good enough to take our 4 and 1/2 tonne plane up and away. We arrived at Antony Lagoon only four hours late. Luckily, for once, it was not too busy and were able to finish at seven. We tramped over to the kitchen, kicking over the cane toads, to enjoy Cook Maze’s lamb shanks and bread and butter pudding. There had been no rain here, and the staff were agog to hear about the dump of rain we’d experienced. 

Next morning, we visited Brunette Downs, and then Alexandria station that were both busy clinics, not finishing till late. 

Secondly the trip was a girls club plus one (me). The pilot, whose name is Heather and Charlotte, the nurse we picked up at Elliott on the way from Tennant creek. Heather has only just started with the RFDS owing to some vacancies from staff movement interstate. Heather is an extremely competent pilot, she explained that the qualifications and experience required for RFDS Pilots is way more than that required by airline pilots. Her path was work and study over nine years to achieve selection for this job, where only four years is enough for international pilots. The RFDS job is way more interesting, having to do actual flying as opposed to reading comics while the autopilot flies you to within 20 meters of a touchdown with a 747. Unfortunately Heather took a tumble down one of the clinics steps and badly bruised her shins. I tried to reassure her by telling her I’ve an iPad app which I could use for the plane. Fortunately, her condition was less severe than first feared and so our remaining flying was much less eventful than if I’d been anywhere near a control. Was it something I said?

Charlotte, is new to the territory, having been an ICU nurse for several years at St Vincent’s in Melbourne. Her boyfriend is a doctor now working at Tennant Creek. She was totally fed up with the aggression, spitting, rudeness, and bad language of way too many patients she would have look after at work. Over a 12 hour shift! They were too many drug addicts, abusers of ice, heroin, cannabis, who had wound up in Intensive care and felt a pressing need to hassle all the staff as they woke up from their misadventures. People here in the centre whether of any colour, and no where more than the stations, are polite, considerate and thoughtful – well mostly. 

Charlotte and Heather were repeatedly invited to a function to be held at the Barkly Roadhouse, situated on the Barkly Highway. This is the The Barkly Women’s Meeting. As many women that can, fly, drive or even ride, will attend. About fifty usually can make it. It’s a weekend event usually run two or three times a year, where the women can network ( gossip), and hear presentations from speakers of the caliber of Jean Kitson, and other impressive women. There is a market where ladies who have special skills in crafts can sell their works; hats, ear rings, jewellery, make up, you name it. Yours truly was not invited, but that’s a relief because only a male would be asked to cook at the Barkly women’s meeting. 

After leaving Soudan Station, we flew to Elliott to drop off Charlotte and all the boxes of gear. There is a lot of plastic boxes filled with medications, emergency gear, computers ( however, lacking a power cable ) and printer with bonding issues to the computer. 
Then to Tennant creek, to refuel and collect some staff from the hospital. The pilot and I were marooned there, the hospital was meant to collect us both so we could get some lunch. No such luck, so we survived by each eating a butterscotch bun we’d secreted from Soudan Camp kitchen. Breakfast was at 5:30 am. I don’t mind missing a meal, but I was not happy my pilot was. Anyway, the incident is going upcountry. 

Arrived back at Alice at 6pm. I was too hot and bothered to cook so went out on a solo date to Montes for Clare reisling x 1 and Mexican chicken parmi, which is a chicken breast with abundant avocado and cottage cheese. Such a terrific chill out place.

The rest of the week is sorting out stuff from the Barkly Run and inscribing these words of wit and wisdom. 

Next week, Elliot.