Yours truly in the driver's seat. A near perfect winter's day in Manapouri. Calm and broken cloud. I took the opportunity to take my wife for a local flight around the Te Anau basin. She really enjoyed recognising familiar landmarks, taking photos and appreciating the excellent visibility from the GP One.
First we checked out the Shallow Bay area and followed up the Waiau River to Lake Te Anau. After that we circled around a friend's house to see if they would come out and wave. Then south to The Key and the Mararoa Weir. Lastly a quick look at our wee 'crib' in the Manapouri township. To finish, I managed a near perfect landing.
What a contrast to the next day when I flew the GP One back to Oporo Flat. I had to wait until late afternoon for the strong NW wind to die away. Even so, there was still a significant tailwind higher up. The GPS showed 160 knots (300 kmph) along the windward face of the Takitimu Mountains. Eventually I reached the end of the mountain range and had a rough time getting out towards the Southland Plains. The lee turbulence was horrible, but I was impressed by how the GP One handled it.
First we checked out the Shallow Bay area and followed up the Waiau River to Lake Te Anau. After that we circled around a friend's house to see if they would come out and wave. Then south to The Key and the Mararoa Weir. Lastly a quick look at our wee 'crib' in the Manapouri township. To finish, I managed a near perfect landing.
What a contrast to the next day when I flew the GP One back to Oporo Flat. I had to wait until late afternoon for the strong NW wind to die away. Even so, there was still a significant tailwind higher up. The GPS showed 160 knots (300 kmph) along the windward face of the Takitimu Mountains. Eventually I reached the end of the mountain range and had a rough time getting out towards the Southland Plains. The lee turbulence was horrible, but I was impressed by how the GP One handled it.
 Looking up the Waiau River to Lake Te Anau |  Manapouri township on the shores of Lake Manapouri |  Can you spot our 'crib' in Manapouri? |
