23 - 24 - 25 APRIL 2005

9 AIRCRAFT PARTICIPATED - CLUB ATTENDEES WERE:

LINDSAY & MAREE SINCLAIR

DAVE THOMAS

DOUG & JACKIE MONTAGUE

VIC LAYBUTT, ROD RUSSELL & ED

DAVE RITTIE & NAOMI RITTIE

BRUCE & WENDY NASH

PETER SCOTT

NASH PILLING

PETER & JUNE HODGENS

SAM RANDAZZO

HOORAY - we had fine weather for the weekend. Unlike last year when it was cold, windy and raining (which caused us to cancel at the very last minute), this time it was beautiful, with clear blue skies and sunshine.

Vic got the group away for us - doing the briefing and handing out the info packs (as Lindsay and I were driving down in lieu of flying down). So thank you Vic for helping out. We arranged for the slower aircraft to depart first and the faster aircraft got to have a sleep in and leave later. This way everyone arrived at Milawa around about the same time - which was about lunchtime.

Once again, the pilots had a quiz to do along the way to keep them from getting bored.

From all reports by the flyers, it was a smooth flight down. A little bit of smoke haze in the local area from burning off, but that cleared away by late morning.

The airstrip is at Brown Bros Winery and I think some were wondering how they were to land between the lines of vines but then the airstrip popped up and all were landed safely. The strip is just a short 5 minute walk across to the winery where meals could be had and sampling could be enjoyed. A very lovely set up and an excellent range of wines. Sorry Vic no VB wines were available.

Mid afternoon everyone wandered (or staggered) down the road to the centre of Milawa and where our Motel was situated, settled in, some had a rest, others wandered down to the Pub, then there was the Olive place and the Mustard place to visit and sample and purchase some goodies.

Late afternoon is was happy hour at the Motel BBQ area - thanks to June and Jackie and the others who brought along some nibbles - we all sat down and had a drink and chat prior to dinner.

Dinner tonight was at the Motel - they were putting on a buffet style dinner which I reckon all would agree was terrific. Just to tempt those who didn’t come along, we had some home made pate & home made bread, home made soup, then it was on to garlic prawns, mussel & dory hotpot, chicken something or other (v tasty), roast beef and racks of lamb with baked vegetables and salads. Dessert was two huge plates - one being a baked cheesecake and the other a berry flan. Cheese platter and coffee served afterwards. Our group did it justice. Dave Rittie had the task of earning extra points if he could get the last two pieces of dessert eaten. He failed. Everyone was totally full.

Klaus and Gabi ran the motel with Klaus cooking up a storm in the kitchen and Gabi serving. A lovely couple who could not do enough for us.

Then it was Sunday morning and breakfast time - more food. Everyone protested and said they would not be needing any breakfast but guess what - they were all down there tucking into the wonderful breakfast that Klaus cooked up. The home made jams were delicious.

Sunday dawned fine and sunny. We had a couple of mini buses organised and our first stop was to the airfield to reunite the pilots with their aircraft - in case anyone needed an aviation fix - actually, we were organising a group photo - the bus tour mob wanted to get a advertising photo of our aircraft and their mini buses for future promotions.

Then it was off for a visit to the cheese factory where we could sample quite a large variety of cheeses, along with all sorts of different chutneys, spreads, (the lemon butter was the best), also there was a small winery where we sampled a few and bought a few, the coffee shop for those who wished a coffee instead and out the back of the complex was a gallery of interesting bits and pieces.

Onwards to a couple more wineries in the local area for some more sampling and where we were taken through one of the sheds and had the wine making process explained. Lunch was soon on us but thankfully it was a very light lunch (what with the big dinner last night and no one could resist the breakfast this morning) a light lunch was all anyone was wanting - we certainly were not wasting away to a shadow.

After lunch it was a stop at a meadery to sample honey mead and also a range of honeys.

Afternoon saw us heading off down the track to Beechworth which is a lovely town - full of gold mining history, museums, shops, craft shops, antique shops, and a beaut bakery and cake shop - in case anyone was hungry and wanted dessert. Time to wander about the town and then we drove up for a look at the old Chinese cemetery. Being a gold mining town a lot of Chinese turned up to work the mines and earn a fortune. A lot didn’t make a fortune nor made it home, as can be seen in the cemetery. All through the town all the streets are lined with autumn coloured trees. A very beautiful spot. Late afternoon we headed back to Milawa.

Tonight was fairly leisurely - was to be dinner at the local Pub but another group pipped us at the post and got in first and the place was fully booked out. Quite a popular pub. We ended up getting some tucker at the local Cafe and a Fish & Chip joint. With a few drinks afterwards in the pub garden, it finished the night off nicely.

Monday morning, Lindsay and I headed off early for the drive back to Sydney, leaving the mob to arise whenever they felt like it, have another delicious breakfast cooked by Klaus and then depart as they so wished. Weather was still very kind to us - fine and sunny, so everyone had a good flight back to Wedderburn.

As with everything, there is quite a lot to see and do and we really could have spent a few more days at Milawa and the area around. But we’ll just have to come back again next year and catch up on what we missed out on this time.

Quiz points: Vic Laybutt had the highest points of 35 (it must have been Ed helping him that did it), followed by Dave Rittie and Dave Thomas both on 34, then came Peter Scott on 32 and Doug Montague on 28. All others attending received 20 points.

Till next time - happy flying.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------