We did get to fly two days ago as the wind finally calmed down a little in the afternoon. The task was 167 km west. It turrned out the goal was in the middle of nowhere as the coordinates were wrong. I flew with Bo after the TP, conditions were OK with a strong inversion from 1200 meters. I got to 1500 in the best thermals. I forgot about the first TP and flew back to get it, then I joined up with Bo. We did a few good long glides, but got low near a lake. After drifting 10 km we got something 200 meters over a treeline and got up there. Only problem was the three local eagles attacking us on the way up. I attacked back once I got some height and the eagles left me alone to dive down and harass Bo instead. I glided when the thermal started breaking up at 1200 meters, Bo staid and and later I heard he got to 2000 meters. Next was a huge forest, I glided hoping to get something from the treeline where the forest begun but only found sink and landed 34 km short. It felt like my brain had shut down before the flight had started, I did not plan ahead or try to look around for clues and other gliders. I just flew along without any motivation or desire.

As Matt came to pick me up the fanbelt on the car fell off. I walked out a few km from the field I had landed to find him. We had no extra belt, and no tools exept a leatherman. We broke the belt trying to run it on again with the starter, and called the NRMA. He came around and changed the belt, but must have done a piss poor job, as the new belt squealed and finally broke again as we were to drive back at 23:30 after picking everyone up. We called the NRMA again, but the guy had no more belts. We finally got back at 4:30, and Matt got a mate to drive him out the next day with new belts and bring the car back.

Yesterday we flew south, 178 km towards Echuka. I tow up through a lot of sink, and get dropped off near some weak lift. I drift low over town and get up to 2000 meters over the airport south of Hay. The day seems good, with cloudbase over 3000 meters. It’s the first day here with clouds. Bloody warm on the ground with 47 degress in the shade measured in the paddock. I get up to 2700 meters and go on glide, get low and fight for a long time to get back up again. The cloud is really hard to read, and I cannot connect the thermals to the clouds. I plot a course towards Deniliquin under good looking clouds but the only one working is a ragged dead looking patch of fog. Arriving west of Denni at 1000 meters I decide I’ve had enough flying for today, park into wind and land 54 km short, next to the crossing highway.

I have a motivational problem in this comp, I’m unable to concentrate on the task and the flying. I have to really force myself to get out and up in the air. I never had this problem before, even if I did badly in a comp. Yesterday I would most likely have made goal if I had continued to fly, it did just not seem worth the effort. Sigh… Today is finally the last day, conditions seem good, with a little less wind down low, but more in the height than yesterday.