Has anyone stayed at the Coral Coast CP in Garbutt, Townsville. Plan to be up there around 4th Nov, 09 and probably stay for a week, 10 Days. Any comments, advice greatly appreciated. Maybe someone has a better place to stay, only thing is we would want to be fairly close to the RAAF Base. Thanks Ma
Cruising Granny said
07:14 PM Jul 2, 2009
I stayed there for a week last year. It was nice, easy to park, and they have Sunday Pancake breakfast - well, they did when I was there.
It's been resurrected from being developed as industrial estate.
If you're heading to Cairns, please call in. I'll put the kettle on.
Cheers Chris
Ma said
07:17 PM Jul 2, 2009
Thanks Chris, will certainly look you up if we go up further, although this trip it's not planned to go any further than Townsville. Only coming up at that time of the year as 38 SQN RAAF is retiring the Caribou airplane and they are having a "farewell" bash.
Guru obviously is ex 38 SQN and wouldn't miss sending off his old "gravel Truck" in style.
Ma
Wombat 280 said
07:28 PM Jul 2, 2009
You won't get any closer to the Base unless you camp on the over shoot
Ma said
07:59 PM Jul 2, 2009
Wombat 280 wrote:
You won't get any closer to the Base unless you camp on the over shoot
That's what I figured Wombat. You know how the smell of the exhaust gets in the blood and never leaves. Guru will be in 7th heaven to be able to go to sleep with that sort of sleeping pill.
kenmarg said
08:06 PM Jul 2, 2009
hi ma. the wife and i stayed at the coconut glen 910 ingham rd eighteen months ago, it was very good. put it up on google and see what you think. the phone no 0747745101. its right next to the caltex bohle 24 hr truck roadhouse. while you are in townsville,the reef headquarters is great to see ( a big glassed in tunnel with sharks swimming right beside you ) castle hill is a must ,the veiw of townsville and magnetic island are great. spend a day on magnetic island,the sunsets are beautiful. the only thing that might put you off is the humidity.
Ma said
08:26 PM Jul 2, 2009
Thanks Ken, yeah not too far from the RAAF base, looks good. Will see if they have any vacancies and so much to see and do up there, may have to extend our stay.
If I can put up with 49 degree heat for over a week last Feb on our travels I now reckon I can put up with anything. November will be humid but at least it isn't Jan or Feb, they reckon the humidity then is a real killer.
Thanks
Ma
Cruising Granny said
10:50 PM Jul 2, 2009
Ma wrote:
Thanks Chris, will certainly look you up if we go up further, although this trip it's not planned to go any further than Townsville. Only coming up at that time of the year as 38 SQN RAAF is retiring the Caribou airplane and they are having a "farewell" bash.
Guru obviously is ex 38 SQN and wouldn't miss sending off his old "gravel Truck" in style.
Ma
Are they retiring a specific Caribou aircraft/gravel truck, or the entire "fleet"? I was lucky enough to get on board one in 1998 when the combined defence force conducted a missile tracking operation NASA on Anna Plains Station. They wouldn't let me fly with them, but I saw it as a small shed with wings, as opposed to the Herc which is a large barn with wings. The Herc brought in all the missiles, hardware and vehicles for the operation. Just another Kimberley experience. Cheers Chris
ibbo said
08:36 AM Jul 3, 2009
That sounds like a great send off bash.Now if you Raffies behave yourselves and if you invite me,I would be honoured to Represent the Fleet Air Arm at the send off.The Caribou has always been a great favourite of mine.Hawker De Havilland used to do a lot of mainchecks on them.That was at Bankstown.Smell the Avtur now,brings tingles doesent it.Cheers>ibbo.
ballast2 said
10:12 PM Jul 4, 2009
Ibbo Please forgive my impertance in asking you this. Your last post mentioned that you were fleet air arm. My brother was a birdie for over 20 years. He was a cpo air frames and engines. His name was Noel Jay Fischer. I wonder if you ever crossed paths? My name is Jack Fischer and i did 21 years as a dibbie. Please post even if you dont know him. He has crossed the bar and i wish to contact anyone knowing him.
Thanks Jack
Wombat 280 said
07:13 PM Jul 5, 2009
Ma wrote:
Wombat 280 wrote:
You won't get any closer to the Base unless you camp on the over shoot
That's what I figured Wombat. You know how the smell of the exhaust gets in the blood and never leaves. Guru will be in 7th heaven to be able to go to sleep with that sort of sleeping pill.
I know how he feels, I walk the dog every morning across the bottom of the airfield as Virgin land and Takeoff and the smell of jet exhaust to me is like napalm in the morning is to a grunt , It's in the blood
Enjoy Townsville will be there in a few weeks to see my son
Ma said
06:25 PM Jul 7, 2009
Cruising Granny wrote:
Ma wrote:
Thanks Chris, will certainly look you up if we go up further, although this trip it's not planned to go any further than Townsville. Only coming up at that time of the year as 38 SQN RAAF is retiring the Caribou airplane and they are having a "farewell" bash.
Guru obviously is ex 38 SQN and wouldn't miss sending off his old "gravel Truck" in style.
Ma
Are they retiring a specific Caribou aircraft/gravel truck, or the entire "fleet"? I was lucky enough to get on board one in 1998 when the combined defence force conducted a missile tracking operation NASA on Anna Plains Station. They wouldn't let me fly with them, but I saw it as a small shed with wings, as opposed to the Herc which is a large barn with wings. The Herc brought in all the missiles, hardware and vehicles for the operation. Just another Kimberley experience. Cheers Chris
Sorry Chris for not replying sooner. Guru has been in hospital, only got home today and when he's feeling up to sitting in front of the computer I'm sure he will reply as he is the one with the "know how". All foreign to me......Ma
Ma said
07:10 PM Jul 13, 2009
Chris,
Unfortunatly they are retiring the whole fleet of Caribous after 45 years of service. No longer will we see that fine gravel truck travelling through the air at a speed less than an old Dakota (DC-3) or making a short take off and landing within the confines of a football field.
But then, if they pull the right numbers in Powerball this week, I might buy one and donate it to the Aviation Museum at Temora. Provided I get to ride in the right hand seat again, or even just connect the monkey strap to the floor and dangle out the cargo ramp at the back.
Latest I heard is that two will be kept as static displays, one at Pt Cook (RAAF Museum) and one at the War Memorial in Canberra.
The powers that be have not decided on a replacement aircraft as yet, in the interim they will use Kingairs. How a little passenger plane can replace a cargo carrier is beyond me. But then, I was only an NCO, didn't have the brains of an officer to see the justification in this decision.
Basil Faulty said
07:47 PM Jul 14, 2009
I've stayed there and it was quite good, also stayed at Rowse Bay and that was bad news.... The best thing in Townsville has to be the "Cold Rock" icecreamery on the Esplanande......
Drove to the summit of mt Stuart with the 4 legged tower on it and there was so much RF whizzing around up there it screwed the computer up on our Jackeroo which had to be "reset"....
Thanks
Ma
Guru obviously is ex 38 SQN and wouldn't miss sending off his old "gravel Truck" in style.
Ma
If I can put up with 49 degree heat for over a week last Feb on our travels I now reckon I can put up with anything. November will be humid but at least it isn't Jan or Feb, they reckon the humidity then is a real killer.
Thanks
Ma
I know how he feels, I walk the dog every morning across the bottom of the airfield as Virgin land and Takeoff and the smell of jet exhaust to me is like napalm in the morning is to a grunt , It's in the blood
Enjoy Townsville will be there in a few weeks to see my son
Unfortunatly they are retiring the whole fleet of Caribous after 45 years of service. No longer will we see that fine gravel truck travelling through the air at a speed less than an old Dakota (DC-3) or making a short take off and landing within the confines of a football field.
But then, if they pull the right numbers in Powerball this week, I might buy one and donate it to the Aviation Museum at Temora. Provided I get to ride in the right hand seat again, or even just connect the monkey strap to the floor and dangle out the cargo ramp at the back.
Latest I heard is that two will be kept as static displays, one at Pt Cook (RAAF Museum) and one at the War Memorial in Canberra.
The powers that be have not decided on a replacement aircraft as yet, in the interim they will use Kingairs. How a little passenger plane can replace a cargo carrier is beyond me. But then, I was only an NCO, didn't have the brains of an officer to see the justification in this decision.
Drove to the summit of mt Stuart with the 4 legged tower on it and there was so much RF whizzing around up there it screwed the computer up on our Jackeroo which had to be "reset"....