Page 81 - Cross Country Travel Guide 2019

Infrastructure, sunshine and clouds to the horizon. Australia’s Godfrey Wenness introduces Manilla and more
cWIDE OPEN
One of the carpeted launches on Mt Borah Stanwell Park and the Northern Beaches sites. Travelling north
Photos: Tex Beck
to atmospheric conditions and ground status – we rarely get crazy
10m/s days, it’s mostly 3-5m/s. Pilots fly long flights all season.
Bigger XC flights naturally occur when more pilots are around, and that
gives the impression that, for example, late January or early February is
better, when in reality those flights are possible any time from October to
March. Site records are 371km overall, 251km for EN-B paragliders.
Where to stay?
Most pilots stay at the cabins and camping on site at Mount Borah
with a bar, pool and free Wi-Fi. It’s also where the ride-to-launch
service runs from.
In town The Royal Hotel, a country pub, is a pilot favourite.
There are two other pubs, a B&B (Ambleside) run by a glider and
paraglider pilot, and a campsite.
What are your tips for pilots who want to fly 100km?
Take it easy. Too many pilots are in a rush if it’s a good day and then
find they’ve used too much speedbar, or they get too confident after
two or three hours and don’t read the clouds right, especially on days
where base is below 2,500m.
What about 200km?
The difference between a 100k and 200k day is that usually 200km
flights are flown by pilots who can stay in the air for six or seven
hours. Most pilots aren’t prepared for that and fatigue early. So
some attempt at flying all day and landing at sunset, regardless of
kilometres flown, is good training.
Most important is to have a good retrieve following too. That takes
away the “How do I get back?” anxiety and allows you to concentrate
on the day and fly anywhere, as opposed to simply following the road.
If it’s a 200km day then the climbs will be good until around 5pm.
After that you have to usually drop down a gear and take everything
to the maximum height.
What’s the biggest mistake XC pilots make in flying Manilla?
They haven’t planned a few glides ahead and fly into blue holes. That
results in a bombout or a slow scratch back up. Understanding and
using the classic XC “Rule of Thirds” is highly recommended. A
locals’ secret is that the Mount Kaputar massive near Narrabri tends
to modify or “bend” the local winds, so account for that when flying
near it. On the hotter days and when it’s dry be on the lookout for
dust devils.
After Manilla where should I head to next?
It all depends on how much time you have – Australia is bigger than
Europe! A typical east coast flying holiday could start in Melbourne
and end in Brisbane or Sydney. Firstly flying from the well-known
Bright around the Victorian Alps for triangles and out-and-return
XC. Then head to Sydney for some refreshing coastal flying at
cHOMEBOY
Godfrey Wenness
Photo: Tex Beck
AUSTRALIA CROSS COUNTRY TRAVEL GUIDE 2019 81