Joy Air Australia, takes off in Lake Macquarie!

November 29, 2020
Lifestyle

You know that feeling you get when you literally bounce out of bed in the morning? When the day finally arrives for that big holiday you’ve planned, and you can’t wait to get going? That’s how our team felt this morning knowing we were about to experience something completely new in Lake Macquarie. Joy Air Australia.

This shiny new float plane only recently arrived at Lake Mac, alongside the annual spring bird migration. Although with her vibrant, bright-red presence on the water, ‘Joy’ has already made quite the splash among locals. Spotted both on the water, and in the sky, some locals have wondered who she is and what she’s here for. Bouncing with excitement, today we met ‘Joy’, the new baby of business owner Adam Faulkner, and they’re over the moon to call Lake Macquarie home.

Joy Air takes-off

Joy Air Australia certainly delivers a unique experience to Lake Macquarie. While the float plane bases itself out of Warners Bay and Rafferty’s at Cam’s Wharf, you don’t have to be close to either of those places to get on board. Joy Air operates a 90HP Brig Tender, which to landlubbers like me, is a boat! Adam or one of his crew, Jye or Kye, both lifeguards from Swansea Belmont SLSC, are your captains and will be the ones who come and collect you.

You can choose to depart from either Cams Wharf or Warners Bay, however they’ll also pick you up from a private jetty, public jetty or floating pontoon at any location around Lake Mac. Just have a chat to Adam before you book.

Start with a boat ride on the lake

We were picked up next to the boat ramp on the floating pontoon at Valentine. Adam issued us all with life jackets which we wore for our entire adventure. We had a thorough safety briefing before we boarded the boat, and off we went. It’s funny how you instantly get that ‘James Bond’ feeling as you’re speeding across the water to board a sea plane. Beaming from ear to ear we soaked up all the excitement and buzz as ‘Joy’ came into sight. There she was sitting patiently on the water waiting for our arrival.

Meet the float plane on the lake

It was a very smooth transition from the boat to the plane, even though we were in the middle of the lake. Onboard the sea plane was Paul. An enormously experienced and super friendly pilot. Paul had a few ice-breaking jokes that instantly made us feel at ease. With just a couple of steps up to the plane and a nice comfortable bucket seat to sit in, we were all ready to race. We waved goodbye to Adam.

You’re in safe hands

Paul provided us with headphones which also had a mic attached, made sure we were buckled in, and ran through our safety briefing. The engine was started and we slowly moved across the lake. After a quick call into air traffic control we were good to go.

With over 50 years of flying experience, we knew we were in safe hands. Paul’s flying experience was extensive. He has flown for agricultural purposes, water bombing for bushfires, and had his own float plane business on Magnetic Island. With over 16,000 hours of flying under his belt we not only felt safe, but assured we were going to have a great flight.

Off we go!

The take-off was smooth and effortless, then suddenly Lake Macquarie was laid out below us in all her glory. Our flight plan included taking-off from Speers Point end of the lake, then across land to the coast, and up to Newcastle. We cruised along at 100 miles per hour, 1000 feet above ground. Once we arrived at Nobby’s we did a quick turn, and flew back along the coast to Belmont, then back across the lake to Eleebana for a gentle water landing.

You’ll never forget those views

Our flight was around 20 minutes, and we didn’t stop pointing out the window at landmarks we knew for the entire flight. It’s amazing how this alternate perspective shone a new light on just how lucky we are. The ocean baths at Merewether really are huge! Belmont lagoon was amazing from above, its size blew us away. As did the hectares of bushland we have around Lake Mac. It’s breathtaking when viewed from above. We saw people parachuting, hang-gliding, and we even spotted some dolphins in the surf off the coast.

Safe landing

Adam was ready to pick us up once we landed on the water off the point of Eleebana. Following a swift transfer from the plane to the boat we waved goodbye to Paul as he took flight to get ready for his next adventurers.

A great experience at a great price

Did you know, you can enjoy a flight on Joy Air from as little as $399? That works out at only $133 per person if you include three passengers. Flight times range from ten minutes through to thirty minutes, so you can tailor your flight to your budget. Adam has created a range of flight options so the choice is all yours. Head down the coast to Catherine Hill Bay, choose a flight into Newcastle along the coast, or take a trip around Pulbah Island. With so many options, it’s perfect for any special occasion, ultimate gift voucher or work activity.

How pricing works

Here’s some important things you need to know.

When you book the flight, you book the plane. It can hold a maximum of 3 passengers but the number you take depends on weight.
The plane can take a maximum passenger weight of 240 kgs, so we were able to fly as 3 adults, but you could also take 2 adults and a child, or one adult and two children.
If you want to keep it romantic, leave the kids at home and just fly as a couple!

Some useful information

Children are able to fly from the age of 8 years old as long as you’re confident they will enjoy the flight.
The plane is large enough inside for you to be comfortably seated.
We’d recommend you leave bags at home as there isn’t enough room.
You can choose to fly with the doors closed, as we did. It does get quite warm inside so wear light clothing.
If you’re more of a thrill-seeker, you can choose to fly without the doors on. Just note the wind can get quite chaotic, particularly for the two passengers in the back. If you have long hair I’d tie it back and make sure you have no hats or accessories that could take off.

Departure from Rafferty’s Resort, Cam’s Wharf

If you choose to climb aboard at Rafferty’s Resort, if the beach is quiet, the float plane is able to come into the shoreline for boarding. This would mean you might get your feet wet, but how cool would it be jumping on from the shore? However, if you fly on the weekend, the beach tends to be busy so you would need to hop on board the boat for a short ride out to Joy.

What excuse can you find?

There are way too many reasons for us to list in this article, why you need to fly Joy Air Australia. However, here’s just a few to get your thinking started:

If you’re looking for a special present for that special someone.
A gift to mark an occasion or major milestone.
An experience to remember your wedding anniversary.
Something different to do with your mates.
A great opportunity to show someone in your family where you live.

We can guarantee this is an experience you’ll remember forever. Book your flight today onboard this gorgeous red flying machine called ‘Joy’. She sure did bring a lot of joy to our day!