Flying to Innisfail

It literally was a flying visit to Innisfail, but we did also have the intention to fly once we arrived there!

Departing the Whitsundays on Friday afternoon, we were both looking forward to another Delvy adventure. Heading north on the Bruce Highway, the dusty, tree-stunted landscape, interspersed with fields of sugarcane between Proserpine and the north of Townsville, finally gave way to some tropical vegetation just south of Ingham - our stop for the night. It was as far as we could manage to drive, and we were still only halfway to our destination. We squeezed Delvy in amongst all the other highway travellers at the roadside camp of Frances Creek. The only sounds were those of passing traffic, and as the night wore on it was less frequent.

Awake early and on the road by 6.30am - we had another three hours driving to get to Innisfail on the Cassowary Coast!

The vegetation was becoming more dense and the air thicker with humidity. A stop off at the Hinchinbrook Island lookout was hard to go past. The largest island in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, I have always wanted to walk the Thorsborne Trail since my Queensland Travel consultancy days. However, it may remain on the wish list as the resort has just been destroyed by fire.

Hinchinbrook Island

We continued along The Great Green Way, driving adjacent to the Hinchinbrook Channel, through the waterside town of Cardwell. There was no time to explore the hinterland and National Parks - we'll have to have a few more days for sightseeing next trip.

Banana plantations were becoming as common as sugarcane as we passed through Tully, and then finally into Innisfail. It was 9.30am and it was time to learn to fly!

Learning to fly a gyrocopter

Gary had a couple of hours in the air with Rob, the instructor, before convincing me to get in the chair and see what it's like. Terrified at first, I soon eased into it and the wonder of feeling the warm air pass over me as I soaked up the views. Rob flew me over Etty Bay and the caravan park we were booked into that borders the Moresby Range National Park. Our friends who travelled from Cairns to meet us waved enthusiastically - we were only about 500 metres up in the air. Stunning coastline, lush rainforest and Johnstone River views were just mesmerising. The cultivated symmetrical patterns in the red dirt were striking from the air: a beautiful contrast to the lush green ordered rows of papaya, bananas and cane, all neatly contained in square fields. No photos from the air unfortunately, as to have a camera on board was a little precarious.

Cassowary on the beach at Etty Bay

Coming back down to earth I was buzzing. Nearly as much as Gary was - he has always wanted to fly and he was loving it. The gyrocopter is a fascinating machine - it's grass roots flying, completely open to the elements. That's the attraction I think - Amelia Earhart style. Whilst the weather was very favourable on Saturday, Sunday morning was looking less so. Still, we both managed a turn in the air before the showers became too heavy. This time I took control of the stick - only for a short stint though as it's quite daunting!

It was a long drive back home on Sunday, but we were both on a high (pardon the pun) from our flying adventures. Stay tuned for some more gyrocopter action - we are hooked!

Cardwell jetty