A sacred site

Carnarvon to Kalbarri on Owen Zupp’s solo flight around Australia

The final run home is 170 miles along the coast, beginning with the beautiful Shark Bay. With full tanks of fuel, sandy beaches below and clear skies above, I decide to fly at least part of this last stage at the relatively low altitude of 500ft above ground level. At 500ft AGL, the detail in the scenery below becomes even more acute with individual trees and even leaves, easily discernible.

The world seems to pass by more quickly at this height and abandoned airstrips and dirt tracks come and go in a heartbeat. All the while the white sands are a constant companion out to my right hand side with waves gently lapping the shore on isolated beaches. My mind has almost exceeded capacity absorbing the broad spectrum of colours and textures that I have seen today and this coastal fringe provides even more. I want to yell the praises of this region to the world, but then pause, wondering if the key to its beauty lies in its isolation and sparse spattering of mankind.