tell a Model A related story

[woofa.express]

Yes Rick 4 is still coming.

Action in Roebourne W.A.

Port Hedland, West Australia has a population of 14k and is some1000 miles north of the state capital, Perth. Large tonnages of iron ore, natural gas, salt and other minerals are exported through this port. Iron ore is the biggest tonnage with 520 million tons last year.
Roebourne is 120 miles to the south west with a populationof 983 with 741 indigenous (last sensis). Once a large town with gold mining but little or no industry today. The goal and court house are the most prominent buildings and still in use today.
A recent news item on this town bought back memories of my visit there in ’67 or ’68. A large petroleum explorer and today a large exporter of natural gas had chartered an aeroplane which I flew to check out a helicopter landing site. The airfield had an aeroplane refuelling facility housing a pump and drummed fuel in a small tin shed. It was mangled as a result of a helicopter having crashed into it. This is the story. There had been a robbery in town. I don’t recall who or what was robbed but the thief stole a helicopter for a getaway vehicle. He made about 30 yards, trashed the little shed and the helicopter of course and injured his leg in the crash. He buried the stash then attempted to hitch hike out of town but got a ride but not south where he was intent on travelling but to the local jail.
In the interim the local kids uncovered this stash and arrived back in town where they bought bicycles and I guess there would have been only a very few in the small store, plus anything that was for sale including a considerable amount of confectionary. The kids weren’t going to miss the opportunity were they.
Now that was more than 50 years ago. It was near impossible to escape from the outback. Roads were all dirt and passed through station properties(*1) , easy to spot because of the dust trail and vehicles were few so they did attract attention. Bush telegraph (*2) users kept track of them and that wasn’t difficult. The only successful escape at that time that I knew of was a bloke who booked a departure on MMA Airlines (*3) in his name and left the previous day with a phoney name. The cops were a day late. Today it would be much easier to disappear because roads are bitumen and the population in some towns is bigger and folk are not as curious as folk in a tiny community. However one would need to buy gas and these days all refuellings are recorded on CCTV’S at service stations.
Isn’t it easier to lead an honest life?

*1. A station is what Americans call a ranch.
*2. The bush telegraph is the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS)radio.
*3.MMA is or was MacRobertson Miller Airlines. Sir Macpherson Robertson was the financier, and English confectionary company owner and Miller was an early aviator of renown.The airline started with DeHavilland Dragons and at the time of this story operated DC3’s and Fokker Friendships.

[woofa.express]

Insufficient gas to reach my destination.

Some time ago I was spraying cotton at Wee Waa which is approximately mid New South Wales. The season was ending and I was to return 2 Airtractors to Griffith NSW, a distance of about 400 nautical miles.
I delivered the first aeroplane in daylight hours, I was flown back to Wee Waa for the second which was a night flight. On this flight I ran into difficulties. A cold front was crossing the state with strong south westerly winds. I was about an hour into the flight when I incurred a strong headwind and corresponding decay in ground speed. This aeroplane, unlike the earlier one had smaller fuel tanks and now I did not have the endurance to make the destination. I would need to refuel enroute, either at Parkes or Dubbo. Both would require me to turn on the runway lights which is done PAL, short for pilot activated lighting. That’s 3 quick VHF transmissions. But I had a problem. I didn’t know the frequencies. These are published in a booklet called the ERS which is the enroute supplement. Aviation specific navigation maps bear the same information. But the only thing I was carrying was a drink of water. I can hear readers saying what else would you expect from a cropduster. Cropdusters get either admiration or ridicule from slick town pilots.
About 1981 UHF radios were the new thing. Every farmer had several. One in a tractor, one in a header, one in the workshop and one at home on which he called his wife to make telephone calls or errands for him or even to say he still loved her. Truckies also have them and on these they jibber nonsense all day long. We also had them to communicate with farmers and to call home. We had become dependent on these nearly as much as another important invention - the wheel.
Well I scanned through the 40 UHF channels and came across a farmer conversing and broke into his conversation, with courtesy of course. I requested he call a dedicated aviation authority phone number and enquire for me the VHF frequency for Parkes lighting. He did this for me, I headed toParkes, turned on the runway lighting and landed.
Each aviation region has a SOC or senior operational controller and he thinks he owns the sky even in the far outback. They think of pilots as incompetent. The SOC controller sent out the SES which is the State Emergency Service to check my arrival. So out come these fellows. Like most ground volunteers in many organisations as compared to management, they were good ‘head screwed on’ blokes. We conversed and I asked one ‘do you just happen to be the aeroplane refueller” ? Yes he replied. Great, I bought a tank ofgas, fired up, turned the runway lights back on and departed for Griffith.
I was glad to arrive for I had done enough flying that day with insufficient to occupy my mind with the exception of the diversion. Being idle in the mind is terribly tiring which contrasts to cropdusting where one’s mind is working all day. Of course cropdusting too can be tiring after a long day.

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by woofa.express

Insufficient gas to reach my destination.

Some time ago I was spraying cotton at Wee Waa which is approximately mid New South Wales. The season was ending and I was to return 2 Airtractors to Griffith NSW, a distance of about 400 nautical miles.
I delivered the first aeroplane in daylight hours, I was flown back to Wee Waa for the second which was a night flight. On this flight I ran into difficulties. A cold front was crossing the state with strong south westerly winds. I was about an hour into the flight when I incurred a strong headwind and corresponding decay in ground speed. This aeroplane, unlike the earlier one had smaller fuel tanks and now I did not have the endurance to make the destination. I would need to refuel enroute, either at Parkes or Dubbo. Both would require me to turn on the runway lights which is done PAL, short for pilot activated lighting. That’s 3 quick VHF transmissions. But I had a problem. I didn’t know the frequencies. These are published in a booklet called the ERS which is the enroute supplement. Aviation specific navigation maps bear the same information. But the only thing I was carrying was a drink of water. I can hear readers saying what else would you expect from a cropduster. Cropdusters get either admiration or ridicule from slick town pilots.
About 1981 UHF radios were the new thing. Every farmer had several. One in a tractor, one in a header, one in the workshop and one at home on which he called his wife to make telephone calls or errands for him or even to say he still loved her. Truckies also have them and on these they jibber nonsense all day long. We also had them to communicate with farmers and to call home. We had become dependent on these nearly as much as another important invention - the wheel.
Well I scanned through the 40 UHF channels and came across a farmer conversing and broke into his conversation, with courtesy of course. I requested he call a dedicated aviation authority phone number and enquire for me the VHF frequency for Parkes lighting. He did this for me, I headed toParkes, turned on the runway lighting and landed.
Each aviation region has a SOC or senior operational controller and he thinks he owns the sky even in the far outback. They think of pilots as incompetent. The SOC controller sent out the SES which is the State Emergency Service to check my arrival. So out come these fellows. Like most ground volunteers in many organisations as compared to management, they were good ‘head screwed on’ blokes. We conversed and I asked one ‘do you just happen to be the aeroplane refueller” ? Yes he replied. Great, I bought a tank ofgas, fired up, turned the runway lights back on and departed for Griffith.
I was glad to arrive for I had done enough flying that day with insufficient to occupy my mind with the exception of the diversion. Being idle in the mind is terribly tiring which contrasts to cropdusting where one’s mind is working all day. Of course cropdusting too can be tiring after a long day.

I've heard it said that cross-country flying is hours of sheer boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror. Is cropdusting the opposite?

[woofa.express]

well here it is, the conclusion to "Rick can snore".

Rick could Snore 4. The final chapter.

Rick sold his home property of Kularoo and bought Whiporie Park near Conago. His water from the Murrumbidgee system this year was only 7% of allocation but yet he is still required to pay a licence fee for a full allocation at a cost of 21K. From the Murray he gets 0% this year but is required to pay both licence and delivery costs of 36K. Rick is not an isolated case for these costs for a current allocation of 7% and 0% is quite typical of all irrigation farmers in my region. I am talking about our food producers. The two irrigation areas mentioned are known as Australia’s food bowl. The water for both irrigation areas comes from 4 dams which were close to full at the start of the season. So where did the water go. Answer. The government ran it to South Australia for recreation on 2 large shallow lakes and out to sea to keep the river mouth from sanding up. There has never been nor will there ever be shipping from this river. The water allocation for next year has been announced. It is 0% in both irrigation areas.
Our dairy industry has been diminished and I’m told it will meet only the Australian market in the near future with no product available for export. Two years ago we imported oats from Canada but his year it came from West Australia. Cereal and canola production will be greatly diminished but production would have been helped by water being available to irrigation farmers. Besides lost production many farmers have used the equity in their farms and now stand to lose their it all. That includes some generation farmers. Our farmers do get a small subsidy. That is only for transport of fodder in drought declared areas.. No exceptions. I am aware many of you readers are in USA and many of your farmers also face difficulty from time to time. A few readers are in South Africa and your farmers face a very serious situation. I feel for them. So when you sit down and enjoy your meal think of the farmer who produced this meal regardless of which region or country he lives. When you dress remember it was a farmer who provided the cotton or wool for your clothing and how comfortable these natural fibre garments are.

[woofa.express]

My buddy Phillip is in Oshkosh at the world renowned airshow. here are 2 pictures he sent to me. You will recognize the engine.
I don't understand why the builder of this aeroplane, model serial number 00000001 has positioned the radiator in the line of sight. His or her neck must be sore by the time they reach their destination from craning to see in front.

[woofa.express]

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It’s lunch for the Girls.

I mentioned previously UHF radios became available about 1981. Prior to that date when I’d arrive to start a job that farmers wife would ring forward to the next client in line and give them my expected arrival time for their job. It did work well and I know the girls enjoyed doing that, I guess it made them feel they were contributing and they were. I heard for years that they were the very best years of farming and the best times for aerial work. I must say I think so too. We worked with the farming community as a team, girls too of course and they frequently bought down morning/afternoon teas and sometimes lunch.
Talking about being provided lunch. One never took home an uneaten lunch or part thereof because you wouldn’t get another the next day. That is one reason as to why farmers always carry a dog on the back of their ute. Dogs are always pleased to dispose of an uneaten lunch.
Anyway back to the story. UHF radio became widely used and that made the girls redundant. I put a big lunch on for them and invited a well known person from Griffith to address them. I think I’ll do a story on Griffith including the speaker. I also invited my dear friend Doris Golder from Boree Creek. She is the artist who creates the wool portraits. I wrote of her earlier but will post another piece of art by her at the end of this story.
The girls arrived all done up well. Some I hardly recognised for I had seen them in the past dressed only in farm clobber. Patsy provided a top luncheon and we waited on them. What a great afternoon we all had. They still remember it and sometimes speak of the event.
I sent clients a Christmas card each year and thanked them all for their patronage. I never denied making a profit and when any come to my house I ask if they like the red clay bricks. They do and I point out to them that they paid for them. I did take Bob Caldwell’s advise and never drive a better car than your clients. Bob’s story is number 609. He was a crop sprayer and an ex Viet Nam helicopter pilot.
Tomorrow’s story includes the identity of the guest speaker that addressed these girls. All Australian readers will recognise the name.
Posted below is just some of Doris Golders wool art. I knowI have posted these some time back but they go with this story too.

[woofa.express]

Originally Posted by woofa.express

My buddy Phillip is in Oshkosh at the world renowned airshow. here are 2 pictures he sent to me. You will recognize the engine.
I don't understand why the builder of this aeroplane, model serial number 00000001 has positioned the radiator in the line of sight. His or her neck must be sore by the time they reach their destination from craning to see in front.

Considerable input by readers on this aeroplane under the thread "Take a Gander at this" There were several produced and many were re-engine with more modern aero engines

[woofa.express]

Italian crims and farmers.

Many Italian POW’s were sent to work at Griffith NSW. They were reputed to be good workers and competitive lovers. Following the war many of these fellows immigrated and settled back in Griffith. There was towns folk and farming Italians. Some were bad crims and the town became known as Australia’s drug and crime capital and deservedly so. A local business man, Don McKay took a stand against drugs and was murdered. His body never found. The villains were the crims. McKay’s widow Barbara was the speaker who came and addressed the girls at the luncheon mentioned in my previous story, number 647. Such a lovely woman. She relayed to me on the side what the police had told her. People in high office were involved in grubby drugs dealing by way of pay off and out of court settlements. The Australian Federal Police chased some crims around the world and on occasions police were outsmarted.

Some years ago I worked spraying sugar cane in far north Queensland and the majority of those farmers were Italian. They too were immigrants who started as cane cutters, pooled their money and bought farms. I had no difficulty with them infact I found them honest and straight forward.
Towards 2000 I started doing some flying out of Griffith and arrived in that town with preconceived thoughts on these Griffith immigrants because of their crim history. Mostly they are cleaned out now but one was charged with involvement in drugs. He and his brothers own a winery with hundreds of millions of dollars in turnover. Much destined to the U.S. You would wonder why he’d bother with an illegal industry when he is extremely wealthy wouldn't you? Possibly half of the farmers are of Italian descent. They were honest, reliable and most pleasant to work for and mix with.
I was wrong in my preconceived ideas and I’m pleased to have worked for them. It is said one bad apple can spoil a whole box which I think is the case here.

[woofa.express]

Originally Posted by woofa.express

Considerable input by readers on this aeroplane under the thread "Take a Gander at this" There were several produced and many were re-engine with more modern aero engines

It appears there are many aeroplanes of this design. A Peitenpol Aircamper. And for those interested there is a link to one flying on thread "take a gander at this" and it's story number 26

[woofa.express]

and for those of you who think my interests lie only in aeroplanes here is my love. Three beautiful ladies. Henry's ladies.

[woofa.express]

Viv Barnes.

Viv was an interesting fellow. An expat Pom. He started cropdusting with a tiger moth and finished his career in modern turbine powered Airtractor and Rockwell Thrush. According to Viv’s widow he was an unwanted child, educated at the famous Eaton College, finished school and sent to India to sell paint then immigrated to Australia.
Viv learned to fly in the RAAF, flew Mustangs and Gloster Meteors in Korea. Flew Super Constellations for Qantas, became an Aviation Department flight examiner then went crop spraying in many parts of the world. I worked for Viv on the Darling Downs, Queensland. He was the only bloke I ever enjoyed working for. Viv retired and hadn’t flown for quite some time so I invited him and his wife to Tocumwal and Viv flew my Piper Cub. It was the last time he flew and I was pleased to have provided him the opportunity. Now that’s a preamble and not the story.
In the mid 80’s I was operating a radial Airtractor. I had been busy and my aeroplane was looking grubby and tired. Viv had bought a new Airtractor and was ferrying it back to his home base of Emerald in Queensland. He called by Tocumwal for an overnight.
I looked at this new aeroplane and said to Viv “I wish mine looked like that” and Viv being a quick thinker responded with “ I hope mine doesn’t take long to look like yours.”
It would take me many hours to find a picture of my aeroplane so I will post a generic from the internet. This is VH-FAQ and was operated by Fieldair from whom I bought my Airtractor registered VH-FAA.

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by woofa.express

Viv Barnes.

Viv was an interesting fellow. An expat Pom. He started cropdusting with a tiger moth and finished his career in modern turbine powered Airtractor and Rockwell Thrush. According to Viv’s widow he was an unwanted child, educated at the famous Eaton College, finished school and sent to India to sell paint then immigrated to Australia.
Viv learned to fly in the RAAF, flew Mustangs and Gloster Meteors in Korea. Flew Super Constellations for Qantas, became an Aviation Department flight examiner then went crop spraying in many parts of the world. I worked for Viv on the Darling Downs, Queensland. He was the only bloke I ever enjoyed working for. Viv retired and hadn’t flown for quite some time so I invited him and his wife to Tocumwal and Viv flew my Piper Cub. It was the last time he flew and I was pleased to have provided him the opportunity. Now that’s a preamble and not the story.
In the mid 80’s I was operating a radial Airtractor. I had been busy and my aeroplane was looking grubby and tired. Viv had bought a new Airtractor and was ferrying it back to his home base of Emerald in Queensland. He called by Tocumwal for an overnight.
I looked at this new aeroplane and said to Viv “I wish mine looked like that” and Viv being a quick thinker responded with “ I hope mine doesn’t take long to look like yours.”
It would take me many hours to find a picture of my aeroplane so I will post a generic from the internet. This is VH-FAQ and was operated by Fieldair from whom I bought my Airtractor registered VH-FAA.

Question from an armchair pilot: An Airtractor must be a rather stout plane, considering its intended purpose. So this got me curious. How is it for doing stunts, aerobatics? Can you go out and play after the work is done?

[woofa.express]

question from Deluxe 40.
Question from an armchair pilot: An Airtractor must be a rather stout plane, considering its intended purpose. So this got me curious. How is it for doing stunts, aerobatics? Can you go out and play after the work is done?

Hi Deluxe,It’s nice to hear from you.

You didn’t ask this but please let me start with the development of this aeroplane. The designer and manufacturer was the late Leland Snow. He must have had an early interest in aeroplanes because he designed early ag planes which I remember seeing some scraped in Sudan, North Africa. They had open cockpits and cast hoppers. Then came a 600hp Pratt and Whitney radial with a fibreglass hopper which was known as a "Snow". I’m told he had some financiers in the UK, being Britten and Norman. They wanted their investment returned to build what was the Britten Norman Islander, which was a twin utility aeroplane. The Snow design was sold to Rockwell (Aero commander). That had flaps added and became the Thrush.
Some years later Snow came out with the Airtractor, a 450hp version of yesterdays picture.This was under powered and was upgraded to the 600hp as in the photo. The tail was short so as it could fit better under the power wires but was later enlarged which gave better balance particularly in the turns.
As demand was for more productive aeroplanes Snow went turbine. Every pilot loves these, operators loved the better production and reliability of turbines even though they are very expensive. I don’t believe Snow has produced a radial for years. Because a turbine engine is considerably lighter it had to be moved forward to maintain the centre of gravity which is in the hopper region. Thus the long nose. Incidentally it is said the large flat frontal area of the radial carries a 100hp penalty.
Now to your question Deluxe. Doing stunts. Now I’m not good at that but I can answer your question. Okay but a bit heavy infront. I don’t know the design limit on negative loading or “G”. Two pilots I know crashed and were killed doing what was thought to be aerobatics. It is thought the fuel was thrown to the outer or upper space of the fuel tanks where there is no pickup and the engine quit in a spin or inverted position where they were too low to recover. There is no secondary or supplementary fuel tank to provide fuel for unusual attitudes. I don’t know the official finding.
I hope I have answered your question Deluxe but don’t be afraid to question me further. Also I have no problem with other pilots giving their opinion. Yes, you may say I'm flying high in the picture as compared with cropdusters of old but this height provides a spray pattern than flying lower particularly in calm conditions. Contrary to opinion, a wind provides a better pattern, better coverage and better penetration.

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by woofa.express

question from Deluxe 40.
Question from an armchair pilot: An Airtractor must be a rather stout plane, considering its intended purpose. So this got me curious. How is it for doing stunts, aerobatics? Can you go out and play after the work is done?

Hi Deluxe,It’s nice to hear from you.

You didn’t ask this but please let me start with the development of this aeroplane. The designer and manufacturer was the late Leland Snow. He must have had an early interest in aeroplanes because he designed early ag planes which I remember seeing some scraped in Sudan, North Africa. They had open cockpits and cast hoppers. Then came a 600hp Pratt and Whitney radial with a fibreglass hopper which was known as a "Snow". I’m told he had some financiers in the UK, being Britten and Norman. They wanted their investment returned to build what was the Britten Norman Islander, which was a twin utility aeroplane. The Snow design was sold to Rockwell (Aero commander). That had flaps added and became the Thrush.
Some years later Snow came out with the Airtractor, a 450hp version of yesterdays picture.This was under powered and was upgraded to the 600hp as in the photo. The tail was short so as it could fit better under the power wires but was later enlarged which gave better balance particularly in the turns.
As demand was for more productive aeroplanes Snow went turbine. Every pilot loves these, operators loved the better production and reliability of turbines even though they are very expensive. I don’t believe Snow has produced a radial for years. Because a turbine engine is considerably lighter it had to be moved forward to maintain the centre of gravity which is in the hopper region. Thus the long nose. Incidentally it is said the large flat frontal area of the radial carries a 100hp penalty.
Now to your question Deluxe. Doing stunts. Now I’m not good at that but I can answer your question. Okay but a bit heavy infront. I don’t know the design limit on negative loading or “G”. Two pilots I know crashed and were killed doing what was thought to be aerobatics. It is thought the fuel was thrown to the outer or upper space of the fuel tanks where there is no pickup and the engine quit in a spin or inverted position where they were too low to recover. There is no secondary or supplementary fuel tank to provide fuel for unusual attitudes. I don’t know the official finding.
I hope I have answered your question Deluxe but don’t be afraid to question me further. Also I have no problem with other pilots giving their opinion. Yes, you may say I'm flying high in the picture as compared with cropdusters of old but this height provides a spray pattern than flying lower particularly in calm conditions. Contrary to opinion, a wind provides a better pattern, better coverage and better penetration.

Thanks, Gary. I didn't think about the fuel situation but it does make sense. Why outfit your work vehicle for play? It would be like a farmer racing his tractor on the weekend! (although that's been done)

[woofa.express]

question from Deluxe 40
Thanks, Gary. I didn't think about the fuel situation but it does make sense. Why outfit your work vehicle for play? It would be like a farmer racing his tractor on the weekend! (although that's been done)


There are show events here in Aus including racing ride on lawnmowers. They are powered by motor bike engines and are quite entertaining and amusing. Maybe they do that in America Deluxe???

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by woofa.express

question from Deluxe 40
Thanks, Gary. I didn't think about the fuel situation but it does make sense. Why outfit your work vehicle for play? It would be like a farmer racing his tractor on the weekend! (although that's been done)


There are show events here in Aus including racing ride on lawnmowers. They are powered by motor bike engines and are quite entertaining and amusing. Maybe they do that in America Deluxe???

Yes, they race about anything. Barstools, beds, bathtubs, lawnmowers and more!

[woofa.express]

One should start flying at an early age.

This is where this young fellow started.
Shot 1 is cockpit familiarisation. Granddad explains.
Shot 2 is effect of controls. Tongue expression as demonstrated by Dad.
I was flying before I took my first breath, (Mum too is a pilot), but there is no pictures of me at that time. Learn when you are young.
I am now 24 and the government is teaching me to fly turbines.

[woofa.express]

Originally Posted by 40 Deluxe

Yes, they race about anything. Barstools, beds, bathtubs, lawnmowers and more!

Hi Deluxe. I like that. Do post a picture of a 'bar stool race' if you can find one.

[TerryG]

When I was 5 or 6, an older couple 2 doors down had a Model A Fordor. During the summer, I would hang around their house when they were relaxing in front of the garage - no a/c in those days. One day, they invited me to go for a drive around the block in it. I'll never forget that ride.

[woofa.express]

The town of Derby.

My first paying job as a pilot was with a aerial charter company in the town of Derby which is some 1,400 miles north of the West Australia capital Perth. Located in the Kimberly region. It’s hot in the wet season (summer) and not cold in the dry.
I had just turned 20, my cheeks were peachy coloured and my knowledge of almost everything was green. So was my flying skill. I was flying a Cessna 205 and a Bonanza in a remote area. But I did learn some flying skills and how to drink beer. It was there that I met an attractive nurse, her name was, and infact still is Patricia. But I call her Patsy.
That was in1968. The local population was 1500. Today it is 3300 and half are native or aboriginals. The purpose of the town is the port which exports mainly bovine. Derby is also a government administration and service town including hospital, schools,airport and Royal Flying Doctor Service, (RFDS). A very large portion of the people are young and it’s a great town for them.
The name Derby, pronounced as it is spelt, unlike the town in England, spelt the same but pronounced Darby. Those POMS could never speak well. Named after Frederick Stanley, the Earl of Derby who was the Secretary of state for the Colonies and had previously been the Governor of Canada. The regional name Kimberly was after John Wodehouse, the first Earl of Kimberly, a British Colony Secretary.South Africa also has a Kimberly region.
I have chosen to write on only 2 items. The first is the Boabab tree, commonly called Boab and the second is the tides.
The Boab is an ungainly tree with a big fat trunk in which it stores it’s water. I’m told if you poison the tree you are able to carry it away on your back for it is so light. I have included a picture of a famous one just outside Derby. It was used as a prison and of course it is known as the prison tree. It was said to hold a large number of prisoners. I won’t say how many because I don’t believe it possible. A simular species of tree is found in Queensland and Africa but they are more gainly. They grow rather big seed pods which are carved by the Aboriginals and sold to tourists.

Tides. Low to high tide is a massive 39 feet, the highest being known as a King Tide. At times the boats at the wharf ride high in the water which gets close to lapping the jetty and low tide the boats sit on dry ground. Mud flats are extensive- tens of thousands of acres. When a King Tide recedes the waterways on this very flatground are a spectacle. They are like actuaries and veins one envisages in one’s body. The picture at the bottom does not show it as spectacular as it really is.
I remember many things about Derby. One, the state government figured they’d send us some culture in the form of a ballet company, probably because pub culture was the only culture we knew. A ballet company arrived to perform and the shire hall in which it performed was a full house. The audience was quiet while the company performed whatever it was. It could have been the Nutcracker Suite for all I remember. But I do remember something well. Whilst we all held our breath in awe a massive dog fight brokeout under the seating. Many dogs, much noise and quite vicious. All were aghast then we all broke out in laughter. It made it difficult for the performers to pick up and continue on.
So many memories are coming back, I think I’ll write a few more stories of my experiences in the Kimberly's. Watch this space.