I launched into a broken 1-1.5m/s climb with Ivan and Jerry but soon left them and glided forward into the valley upwind of where Geoff Sexton had been climbing as there was some cumulus forming. After connecting with good lift I noticed heavier development and some showers upwind in the Nunimbah valley and decided to make a run for Canungra but changed my mind after the cumulus on that line dissolved. I then made a hasty decision to turn back downwind towards Witheren to meet up with Ivan and Jerry who had gone straight over the back from launch and who were both now climbing in the O’Reillys Valley under solid cloud. I crossed the valley a lot lower than I would normally prefer and got stuck in some pretty trashy air in front of Witheren peak. I found an average climb there and had started into the Kerry but saw Andrew Cooper gliding onto Witheren from Hinchies so I came back hoping to join up with him. Unfortunately Andrew didn’t connect with anything decent and ended up down in the O’Reillys valley with Geoff Sexton. Meanwhile Kirsty and Dave Gibbs had come across high from Hinchies and continued on into the Kerry Valley following Jerry’s line towards the chicken sheds who had left Witheren earlier. By the time I climbed out of O’Reilleys I could see it had shaded in where they had all flown so I diverted more to the West where there was some filtered sun on the ground and some fresh cumulus in the middle of the valley. After getting a good climb in the middle of the Kerry I flew straight to the Eastern foothills of Muhummut / (Muhummoud?) where I found another good climb to base. Dave Gibbs came in low below me, ran out of air and joined Shane Hill on the ground for a romantic stroll together back out to the main road. At that point I could have flown on to Kooralbyn but with it looking like rain behind me and Ivan already at the Beaudesert KFC I chose to follow my stomach.
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I launched into a broken 1-1.5m/s climb with Ivan and Jerry but soon left them and glided forward into the valley upwind of where Geoff Sexton had been climbing as there was some cumulus forming. After connecting with good lift I noticed heavier development and some showers upwind in the Nunimbah valley and decided to make a run for Canungra but changed my mind after the cumulus on that line dissolved. I then made a hasty decision to turn back downwind towards Witheren to meet up with Ivan and Jerry who had gone straight over the back from launch and who were both now climbing in the O’Reillys Valley under solid cloud. I crossed the valley a lot lower than I would normally prefer and got stuck in some pretty trashy air in front of Witheren peak. I found an average climb there and had started into the Kerry but saw Andrew Cooper gliding onto Witheren from Hinchies so I came back hoping to join up with him. Unfortunately Andrew didn’t connect with anything decent and ended up down in the O’Reillys valley with Geoff Sexton. Meanwhile Kirsty and Dave Gibbs had come across high from Hinchies and continued on into the Kerry Valley following Jerry’s line towards the chicken sheds who had left Witheren earlier. By the time I climbed out of O’Reilleys I could see it had shaded in where they had all flown so I diverted more to the West where there was some filtered sun on the ground and some fresh cumulus in the middle of the valley. After getting a good climb in the middle of the Kerry I flew straight to the Eastern foothills of Muhummut / (Muhummoud?) where I found another good climb to base. Dave Gibbs came in low below me, ran out of air and joined Shane Hill on the ground for a romantic stroll together back out to the main road. At that point I could have flown on to Kooralbyn but with it looking like rain behind me and Ivan already at the Beaudesert KFC I chose to follow my stomach.