AROUND AUSTRALIA IN 44 DAYS

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first aerial circumnavigation of Australia. Aviator Michael Smith retraces the flight in his unique amphibious flying boat, Southern Sun, starting and finishing at RAAF Base Point Cook, on Melbourne's Port Phillip, taking in 15,000km of vast, diverse and stunning coastline in between.

- MICHAEL SMITH

THE EARLY 20TH century was a time of pioneering aviation achievements. There were, for example, the first flights from England to Australia in 1919, a nonstop transatlantic flight in the same year, and around the world in 1924. That it took five years after the 28-day England to Australia flight for an attempt to be made on the 44-day flight around Australia in 1924 is testament to how difficult a journey it was, and how long stretches of Australia were more remote than, say, India through to the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia).

Building the three big R's-roads, railways and runways around Australia - was great nation-building work at the time. A flight around Australia would not only "prove it could be done", but be reconnaissance to investigate areas for airfield construction. It was the early days of air travel and public confidence was buoyed by intrepid flights. The adventure captured the nation's attention, was spread across newspaper front pages and was followed by families listening to the wireless in their sitting rooms.

Wing Commander Stanley 'Jimmy' Goble and Flight Lieutenant Ivor McIntyre (G&M) of the RAAF had been tasked to undertake the mission, following the coast, and chose to use a Fairey Mk III Seaplane because there weren't enough runways to cater for a conventional aeroplane. This caused all sorts of complications - fuel drums were delivered to about 50 rivers, lakes and beaches over several months by sea and land, so they could land on water and refuel. They often slept by the plane.