Down Under - 2/21/14 - Boating with Dick & Pip Smith at Akuna Bay

I have meet so many interesting people via the X Prize and two of them are John & Martha King who are well known in the aviation world for their aviation training videos.  Anne & I have spent some time with them in St. Louis and other locations…and even got to fly with them in their Falcon Jet.  They were involved with helping Erik Lindbergh when he did his solo flight across the Atlantic back in 2002…the 75^th anniversary of his grandfather’s flight.

We were heading to the Smithsonian for Erik's celebratory event in May of 2002 when we hosted them at our house for dinner along with their friends from Australia, Dick & Pip Smith.  Rather than try to describe Dick I would suggest you read his Wikipedia entry en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Smith_(entrepreneur) …he’s done quite a lot and is a real unique personality.

Recently, John & Martha reintroduced us to Dick/Pip as we had ALL forgotten that we had met before!  Dick invited us to spend the afternoon on his boat and we jumped at the chance.  Tony Mikus rented a van and volunteered to drive us, out we head up the coast where it is lined with houses for everyone to go on the weekends…30 minutes from Sydney.

Arriving at Akuna Bay we follow Dick’s instructions and request permission to board…I guess it’s about a 60’ one designed for open water cruising.  It’s magnificent, but the real gem is engaging in conversation with Dick…or rather listening to his stories and trying to get a few words in:

• He’s flown to both the north/south poles
• Flown around the world numerous times in fixed wing and helicopter
• Flown vertically around the world
• Driven around the world
• Flew his helicopter around Mt. Everest
• Fooled the media into thinking he was towing an iceberg from Antarctica to Sydney
• Involved in various political activities
• Tweaked the noses of various authority figures
• Successful businessman

Life preservers

 There are significant rules about when you are supposed to wear a life preserver on a boat...pages of rules that Dick was making fun of...and in the process was explaining how Australians were the most rule based people in the world.

His current insignia

We picked up some local babes!

Tony Mikus and Dick

No caption required

The Bridge

 This is a duplicate bridge to the one above it.

Message to John & Martha King

It's for sale

Dick is trying to sell his boat.  He's having a new one built in China...it's 6' longer than the current one and will have twin engines.

We had a wonderful afternoon cruising up and down the coastline looking at all the cool houses and beaches that are only accessible from the water.  His skipper, Dean Snelling, is a childhood friend of Dick’s from scouting.  Pip serves us a wonderful lunch and we all have a great time…thanks Dick & Pip!

Back we drive to Sydney, tired, full and happy to have reconnected with Dick & Pip! We said goodbye to Tony M. and hope to see him after we return from New Zealand.