Manilla!

Well we're all finally here in Manilla...I met up with Will and Keith at the Sydney airport, and we travelled to Tamworth via Qantas. A short flight and then we're on the ground, looking at the showery skies (a comp must be happening soon, this only happens when a comp's about to happen!). Got our retrieve vehicle squared away and then off to Manilla. Driving was an adventure since it's driving on the opposite side of the road, good thing the roads were not busy!

We are staying at Rivergums caravan park, along with it seems like the entire pilot population of Manilla. Apparently the park will become Pilot Central after next week, when the World Championships start. David and Lee are really nice people and the park is great. RV's to stay in, communal cooking facilities, showers, laundry, free wireless, and free ice cream for any pilot that lands in the Rivergums LZ! Oh yeah and the women's washroom is to-die-for...it's like a ritzy hotel in there (I had to include that!). I think Lee likes to take care of the female pilots since there's not too many.

Anyways, tomorrow is the first day of the XC comp. We are all registered, got our GPS waypoints downloaded, and got our retrieve all arranged. Our team is "Durka Durka", in case you want to keep track of how our team does for the team scoring. I think Tom is gonna drive for us tomorrow, since Alaskan Airways managed to lose his gliderbag on the way over from San Francisco, and won't deliver it until tomorrow night.

It's a beautiful night, warm and dry, with bats flying around as I write this at a picnic table. And tomorrow is a flying day! This is the life. And we have 1 more month to look forward to!

Nicole