As part of the massive relief effort, the military based a refueling team at the Airpark for over 2 weeks. Six nice young guys that camped in the old ag-plane hangar, but we as a community invited them over for morning tea, and I took all of them for a local flight in the Piper Sport. At least it was a change from Army Blackhawks and Kiowas, and Navy Sea Kings. They donated a few drums of NATO F34 ( Jet A-1) that was the daily flushing of the fuel systems and hope to run our Fergie airfield mower on this for a few years....

Conditions have finally returned to what we expect in summer. Hot and green. Chris and I have been spending a lot of time over the 'new property' - line-trimming and mowing, slashing (brush-hogging as the Yanks call it) moving rocks, planting for erosion control and have just signed up for Land For Wildlife.
We already have wallabies, hares, amazing birds, turtles and snakes but want to plant stuff that will make it even more appealing.

Speaking of which, young Shayla, who loves lizards and now snakes, left this little present for me recently.....

I know, its been 5 months since an update. And plenty has happened in that time. The recent floods for one. Australia's worst apparently, and right on our door step.
Being on high ground we were very lucky, but we could see the raging torrent from our front door and the road was cut for a couple of days, stranding me at home, and Chris at work. Well, someone has to work......
The pictures don't tell a fraction of the extent of the devastation, but at least they are a reminder. The local doctor's Jabiru made news all round the world, but there was another 3 in the same hangar in Grantham, and all seriously damaged. Then there is the old DH-82 we pulled out of the property next door to the hangar. Hasn't flown in 40 years, and unlikely to ever fly again, tho' it is back at the Airpark where it once operated as a crop-duster.