The following is an extract from Roy Massicks' site where he recounts Sea Bee Air operations on Great Barrier Island. There is also a nice picture of a Goose waddling ashore at Tryphena... see : http://www.redbubble.com/people/roynz/art/7604619-the-goose-has-landed?c=33091-aircraft
When we first went to live on Great Barrier Island and these aircraft were still flying, the only traffic jam ever seen on the Island was when, at high tide at Mulberry Grove, Tryphena where there was not enough beach for the plane to sit so they trundelled up the shingle onto the road. It was quite a sight to drive round the corner into Mulberry Grove and see the plane sitting there, blocking traffic. So, the only thing to do was to get out and have a chat with the other stalled motorists until the plane had departed...
At Whangaparapara halfway up the Island there are the remains of an old whaling station. The plane lands there on the water then runs its left hand wheel onto a small beach and swings sideways – this means the wing swings across a small grassy bank at the side of the road. A wooden plank was then placed between the door of the aircraft and the grassy bank to board.
Those were the days when travelling to Great Barrier was an adventure in it's self. Roy
ReplyDelete