Leaving OZ

By the time you are reading this I am already at home. I left Australia tomorrow and will arrive home yesterday. At least that’s how it feels. It’s maddeningly difficult to keep track of the time zones with the International Dateline putting a time-warp through the middle of the Pacific.

As I write this I am sitting in the Honolulu Airport. It’s sunny and warm here, and the trade winds are blowing through the terminal. I just talked to my neighbor Charlee and she says it’s snowing off and on today. Perhaps I’m a little hasty in returning home? It was definitely a little sad leaving Oz, but it’s time to get home and start preparing for the flying season at home. Looking at my plans for the spring and summer I can hardly imagine that I will have enough time to plan my next trip to Australia before it’s time to go!

I spent my last day doing some final sightseeing and saying goodbye. The goal for the Paragliding Worlds was right next to the caravan park. I got to see two huge gaggles go over on their way to the turnpoint, and I got to see many “interesting” landings at goal. One pilot accidentally spun his wing close to the ground after a very showy approach, then stalled it trying to recover. He fell from about 15ft and landed with a sickening thump. Last I heard he had a broken hip – that will be his last goal crossing during this comp.