Victoria Falls - By Helicopter

The Victoria Falls with mid-volume flow on a September afternoon.

Our skillful and young pilot.

Mist spray and thundering sounds are still evident from above.

Take off with anticipation and expectation.

The bridge that straddles high above the Zambezi also marks the border between the two nations of Zambia and Zimbabwe.  The town of Livingstone is Zambian, whilst Vic falls is on the Zimbabwe side.

Rising above like a bird, with views of the Zambezi River and the beginnings of an ox bow lake, in the way the great river takes a bend.   The sun is at its height for the day.

Behind every great person is a wife or husband or partner or mentor.  Behind the success of each child is the unseen unrelenting effort of each parent.  The Victoria Falls can be seen as the outcome of a great flow of water, natural topography and good rain fall.

Just before taking off.

Grasslands on rock exemplify the landscape at the end of the dry season around the Victoria Falls.

The glory of it all
Such grace and power
Oh what a wonder
Mosi Oa Tunya
You are the Smoke that Thunders!

The River Zambezi is one of the largest water sources in the African continent, on which depends  much wildlife and human settlements.

The helicopter returns home, side views when landing.

Canberra to Sydney - Dash 4 800 - Vistas from a Window

Taking off from Canberra Airport on a sunny Friday afternoon - order and simplicity at this air terminal.

Approaching Botany Bay (above) and then the Dash makes a curved route to make a landing at Sydney runways from the ocean side (below).  The southern Sydney shire of Sutherland is laid out below , together with the entrance to the King Georges River, a main artery of Australia's largest metropolitan region.  Sydney Airport, Kingsford-Smith with the international,  domestic and airline cargo terminals, is sited rather close to the city centre and its iconic Harbour Bridge.  In 2010, this airport handled 36 million passengers.  It has strict aircraft curfew restrictions in place since 1995, and also has a cap of 80 aircraft landing at any one time, perhaps causing the infamous delays on Friday evenings with aircraft having to go through a waiting pattern over the Blue Mountains or the Canberra region before they are authorised to land.

Above and below, the Dash flies over the Royal National Park, a bush reserve that separates southern Sydney from Wollongong and the start of the NSW South Coast.  The RNP was the first Government declared reserve in Australia, modelled on and inspired by the preservation of the Yellowstone National Park by the US Congress.

It is always impressive to see Sydney, whether from a passenger ship or from an aircraft, so it is good to have a window seat. Something about the ocean and the coastal landscape combine to have this exhilarating effect on passengers as the craft swoops in close to land, whether by night or in the daytime.  The Dash provided  a more personal and close up perspective of this experience.

Sydney to Canberra - Dash 4 800 - Vistas from a Window

Take off over the Sutherland Shire in the south eastern parts of the greater Sydney region, New South Wales.

Inland from the Wollongong coast, the aircraft does not go up much higher.

Over the Goulburn Valley, the Dash is already preparing to descend and the cabin crew are sent scurrying clearing up after already served drinks and snacks.

Skirting over pastures, the shadow of the Dash can be seen in the foreground, as aircraft wheels already detract and poise to land.

The Dash approaches Canberra Airport - it can be a vibrant ride, with the vibes of vibrating turbo propellers, and yet at the same time, cosy, as the plane only seats around 80 passengers.  You can embark from the front or back - and like riding in a  manually driven car, always feel close to the craft, engine and all.