Across Australia by Helicopter.

[cimboc]

Ahh yes "bullocks crossing" we were up there in 2006 - you wouldn't recognize the place now... over grown with reeds and stuff you can barely see the river.
Darwin - love it too, we still have family up there so popped in on our 06 trip.

So is bkk work or pleasure?

[Nawty]

Well, guess you would call it pleasure and a little bit work. Been here 6 years now.

We are building a house in Bkk currently.

My ex wife still lives in Darwin. Planning to go back for a month at the start of the wet season for the storms and the fishing. Probably not make it this year, so next year I guess. Stay at my favourite place ......cannot remember the name now.... near smith st and stuart hwy from memory.... is it Marakai apartments ?

[Nawty]

[MeMock]

Hi Nawty, marakai apartments sounds about right.

Great to have a fellow Kimberley boy on Teak Door.

Well I finally got around to looking at the CD of photos that the instructor posted to me about 3 months ago so picked a few of his pics to finish this thread with.

[MeMock]

Couple of arty farty shots at lunch on day 1.





Early start on day 2.



















Coming in over my brothers farm.







His family excitedly waiting to see their Dad after 3 weeks away. (And their uncle after 6 months away of course!)

[kingwilly]

(And their uncle after 6 months away of course!)

Exactly, ITS BEEN BLADDLY LONG ENOUGH!

great pics to start back with mate, how are you?

[MeMock]

Fighting fit thanks mate.

[Nawty]

yup...nice pics....its a big big country out there.

By the way, just made contact with Marakai last week, might be going there start of october for a coupla weeks fishin.

[MeMock]

October is a good time. Started to warm up = good fishing and available accommodation (usually cheaper as well).

There is heaps of new accommodation now in Darwin. Is Marakai a favourite or just happened to be available at the time? Happy to help you out with other suggestions if you want.

[Nawty]

Well it has been years since I have been there and yes much has changed and many new hotels. The big hotel on corner of knuckey and smith I think it is was just in planning stages then.

I like the marakai because the apartments are big and roomy and the views from whichever corner you get an apartment on are outstanding. Mind you it has been many years since staying there and it may be a run down dump now. Yes their rate was reduced for october and also I am contacting them direct as I used to have a tour company up there, so hoping for a 'special' discount rate.

But always open to advice of better places to stay, I like high rise with views, needs to be a serviced or semi serviced apartment with 2 bedrooms as we have kids and all.

Its lucky that time of year coincides with my kids school holidays here, the buildup with the spectacular lightning shows but no rain and the start of the fishing seasons.

[Nawty]

My ex missus is also or was the ops manager for the biggest heli company in Oz and base in Darwin, don't know what she doing now, maybe still there.

[sunsetter]

sick as you like mate! wicked thread with great pics

[MeMock]

Thanks sunsetter.

From time to time I get a few pics emailed to me from my brother after he has been flying to some place so thought I would update this thread from time to time to show some of those photos. This time he took two locals who are renowned for bush walking and who chopper into places and then take 4 or 5 days walking out of them. My brother decided to stay over night which was a big mistake he said as there was very unseasonable rain that night! The place is called Roe River.

Before



After

[Nawty]

What is he doing with this heli...tourism work ??

What company is it ?

Always miss that part of the world.

[MeMock]

When he is not using it a local company called heliwork hires it. When he is flying it, it is just for himself or family and friends.

[Mid]

great pic's

thanxs for sharing

[MeMock]

I asked him about his choice of landing spot and his response was:

"Yeah, it pay's to think about where you land, thankfully I didn't land on a sand bar in the river!"

[Mid]

out of interest , taking off ??

wait till the water wasn't there anymore or mini tornado ??

[klongmaster]

Nice to see you back Memock: where have you been?..

[MeMock]

Thanks Klongy. I got really busy on a couple of projects which happened to coincide with a few jerks here on TD being morons so figured it would a good time to go quiet for a few months. I am just keeping a little more to myself now, ignoring a few people and only posting on threads that aren't rubbish (unfortunately there are only a few) and it seems to be going well.

Mid - I am assuming a lot of spray would have happened, either that or he and his passengers got busy with some straws! I will ask him and get back to you.

[Mid]

thanxs

[klongmaster]

only posting on threads that aren't rubbish (unfortunately there are only a few)

ain't that the truth...strange how TD ebbs and flows...guess it's the same with all forums but new nics - not newbies because of the stupid multi-nicing here - are ruining what started off as a good forum...

It would be okay if they kept themselves to themselves but they have to spread their trash through every thread, so selective posting - and reading - is obviously the answer...

[Nawty]

Taking off in that little puddle is not a problem.

See if I can dig out a pic fishing from the heli and hovering 6 inches above a dam, no real amount of spray to worry anything.

So if he uses it for himself...he must be loaded to afford the price of a new r44 and continued running costs.

Heliwork rings a bell. although was not around when I was there. Possibly a guy named Clinton Brisk or the black hat brigade from roper river area originaly....Burry Groves and ....hmmmm on the tip of my tongue.....not the nicest bunch.

Many years ago there was a young japanese cyclist that was cycling his way around the globe. He only had to get to Darwin to finish, had left Katherine and the black hat brigade drove past him on the stuart highway and bulldogged him from a bullcatcher....totalled his bike and left him beat up on the side of the road.

[Nawty]

MeMok...were you a journilast in that area ?? If so do you remember a white water rafting trip down the Katherine gorge in the wet season that kinda went topsy tervy ?? Somewhere around 93/94

[MeMock]

Taking off in that little puddle is not a problem.

Yes, you wouldn't have thought so.

See if I can dig out a pic fishing from the heli and hovering 6 inches above a dam, no real amount of spray to worry anything.

Look forward to it.

So if he uses it for himself...he must be loaded to afford the price of a new r44 and continued running costs.

Not necessarily. The original plan was that we were going 50/50 but then I got a bit worried about his budget (as well as having moved country I wouldn't be around to enjoy it). His budget was based on the assumption of getting enough hours from Heliwork that it would cover everything and allow him 50 hours a year 'free flying time'. So far so good I have been told. It also helped being able to lock it in when the aussie dollar was at about 92 cents. [/QUOTE]

Heliwork rings a bell. although was not around when I was there. Possibly a guy named Clinton Brisk or the black hat brigade from roper river area originaly....Burry Groves and ....hmmmm on the tip of my tongue.....not the nicest bunch.

Heliwork is quite a large organisation. Biggest in the Kimberley anyway. 70 odd staff. Was owned by Kerry Slingsby for many years until just a few months ago when it is rumoured to have been sold to Grant Kenny.

Many years ago there was a young japanese cyclist that was cycling his way around the globe. He only had to get to Darwin to finish, had left Katherine and the black hat brigade drove past him on the stuart highway and bulldogged him from a bullcatcher....totalled his bike and left him beat up on the side of the road.

Ouch, that is a bit rough. I have done it with a crocodile but never a cyclist!