- Making headlines in the Port Macquarie News - Thursday 13 January 1972
Car Recovery
An unfortunate incident happened on Tuesday morning when Mr. Ken Little, an employee of Woolworths, arrived at work and parked his car on the western end of the Plaza car park. He alighted from the car and walked toward his place of employment when the car commenced to roll forward and went straight into Kooloonbung Creek. It floated for a short while and then drifted towards the centre of the river and sank. The car was later recovered with Ken Chapman securing a rope to it and then being towed out by means of the boat ramp by the N.R.M.A. service unit in conjunction with Harvey and Wheeler.
Private Flying Boom
Private flying instruction in the Hastings District is at present enjoying a minor boom compared with most other centres in Australia. Mr. Barrie Abbott, chief flying instructor of the Hastings District Flying Club at Port Macquarie airport said this week that 25 student pilots were at present under his wing. During the past three months, the local club had experienced a 30 per cent increase in the number of people enrolling for flying courses. In the case of the Hastings District Flying Club, most of the student pilots were learning to fly because they intended to fly themselves around the country on business or because they wanted to take up flying as a hobby. The local club at present owned its own two aircraft and had the use of two others for instruction and charter work. The strength of the club was indicated by the fact the two aircraft it owned were valued at $30,000. In addition, a new $10,000 hanger built by the Oxley County Council was to be leased by the club for its own use. Mr Abbott was commenting on reports that the Australia-wide decline in demand for flying instruction is having a serious effect on the future of aero clubs.
Lighthouse Beach Inspectors Appointment
Port Macquarie's Lighthouse Beach has been 'opened' up to the town's holidaymakers by the appointment of two beach inspectors to patrol the golden sands. The temporary inspectors are Mark Dingle and Norman Morgan, local men at present studying for careers elsewhere. The fact that the area is now being patrolled on a seven-day basis has drawn growing crowds of sunbathers and swimmers to a beach previously regarded as being unsafe prior to the establishment of the latest safety patrol measures.
Another Ferry Goes Down
Yet another one of the ferries being towed up the New South Wales coastline has struck trouble, according to reports reaching Port Macquarie this week. The Koondooloo beached at South West Rocks bringing the total of lost ferries to two. The craft were being towed by the Polaris, a tug from the Philippines, which still has the Sydney Queen and the Lurgurena in tow. The sea drama surrounding the Polaris started last week when another ferry, the Kooroongaba, was lost on the coast south of Laurieton. Since then, the New South Wales Government have sent an inspector to ensure that the remaining members of the Polaris "flotilla" are seaworthy and capable of making the long voyage to Manila.
