Royal New Zealand Air Force
General Service Training School

GSTS Dip Flat Photo Gallery

Welcome To The R1/89 Dip Flat Gallery

NOTE: Please be aware that the size of the scans have been reduced due to webspace, but if
you'd like a higher resolution scan you can contact Dave Homewood

Dip Flat is considered by most RNZAF recruits as a major highlight of the GSTS experience. A week away from the humdrum of Woodbourne, in the vast wide open spaces of the Rainbow Valley National Park near Nelson. The week included a three day tramp in which you are put into small teams. Also included was a long range shoot on the 400 metre firing range. There were night exercises to train in night vision and night orienteering, and bush craft exercises. A majorly important training day was that when we were sent out to hunt for a casualty and then construct a stretcher for them. This was timely because two days later on my 3-day tramp we all had to put what we'd just learned into practice.

Dip Flat had its downsides too, fire picket at night, the incessant wasps - especially round the cook house, and the dreaded communal showers! Worst of all for the guys was having to shave without a mirror and using a bowl of cold water that ten other blokes were dipping into. The bowl always seemed to be red with blood. On one occasion I cut myself badly on the throat - right before the Sqn Ldr came to inspect us. He asked me if the conditions were so bad, had i tried to commit suicide. Amazingly F/Sgt Warner actually laughed!

Here are a selection of events that may stir some memories for you. If you can put names to any faces where they're missing I'd much appreciate it.

 

 

The Tentline "Upstairs" at RNZAF Camp Dip Flat, Rainbow Valley, Nelson (Photo: Dave Homewood)
The Tentline "Upstairs" at Dip Flat, (Photo: Curly Waters)
The Tentline "Upstairs" now with the two man tents that we would take the next day into the 'bush' (Photo: Dave Homewood)
Curly and his tent . He writes: " My tent, unique among many.   this was the night before we returned to Base" (Photo: Curly Waters)
"Klinger's Run" Curly writes: "Can't remember the full story here but basically Klinger (Kelso Offenbaker) turned up at a spot parade at dip flat with his pants half done up. The GSI was unimpressed by this and ordered him to drop his pants and run around the flight a couple of times. Much to his embarrassment and everyone else's delight. (Photo: Curly Waters)
Corporal Steve Patience, a Provost Martial who was on the excercise with us. Photo taken by either Cpl Steve Walles or Sue Connolly when left in charge of Dave Homewood's camera while he fired on the range. (Photo: Dave Homewood)
The Dip Flat 400 metre Range Can you see the targets? I couldn't when I was firing!! (Photo: Dave Homewood)
The Dip Flat 400 Metre Range Foreground: Cpl Crosswell, Karen Andrew, Glenys Anderson, Mike Ingram and Carl Hooker are the loading party, loading the magazines for the SLR rifles. In the background recruits pick up shells from the last lot of shooting. (Photo: Dave Homewood)
Air Force Cadets cleaning their rifles at Dip Flat Photo - Wayne Jones
Recruits relax on the steps at Dip Flat Left To Right: Sharon Lees, Catrina MacLennan, Angela Thompson, Rachel Wells, Karen Miller, and Julian Thacker (Photo: Curly Waters)
Dip Flat Rescue A few hours before this photo was taken, our small 'bush exercise' team on a three day hike had scaled a peak in the Hamilton River valley, where we were instructed to scree slide down the face. This was no easy task - I myself somersaulted and landed heavily on my back, but poor Sue Connolly came off much worse. She fell heavily and split her leg open to the bone. We suddenly went from playful exercise to extreme situation. Luckily we had drilled in casualty evacuation a few days before. A stretcher was made, and the radio was tried for a helicopter casivac. However the terrain would not allow the radio signal to reach base at Dip Flat. Steve Ingrey bravely sprinted for an hour down the track we'd come in on till he found a spot where the signal could be received. An Iroquois helicopter was notified, and Steve returned with this news. Meanwhile the rest of us had prepared a landing zone and signal fire at our overnight camp. Nothing was heard for ages, so Cpl Crosswell ran out for further instructions on the radio. He returned with the bad news that the helicopter had gone U/S and we then had to carry Sue down the track for about four hours, till a relief team met us. Quite an adventure. I think our group got the best training that week - a real situation.
Dave Homewood standing outside the tent he shared with Wayne Jones on the Hamilton River Valley tramp. This was before the dreaded mountain climb. Photo - Wayne Jones
(Left to Right) Fred Keenan, Grant Keen & Chris Kittow helping people up the shingle slide (the one where Sue hurt herself). Photo - Wayne Jones
Corporal Wayne Crosswell, the team leader on the Hamilton River Valley tramp, sits on the peak of the scree slide, before the sliding began. Photo - Wayne Jones
We built a large signal fire in a clearing for the Iroquois that was supposed to be medevac Sue out, but never came. This is Grant Keen & Keith Jenkins waiting for the helo. Photo - Wayne Jones
(Photo: Dave Homewood) Pictured: Wayne Jones (arms folded); Fred Keenan (beside Wayne); ?, Wolfie Hill; ; Dorian Crighton (smiling); Cpl Crosswell (on his pack); Sue Connolly (in stretcher); Alan Howard (with backpack on); Steve Ingrey (back to camera); Grant Keen (standing) My enduring memory of the hump out with the stretcher is the pain in my back from my fall, which was all the more heightened when I took a turn at carrying the stretcher; and bloody Fred Keenan and Dorian Crighton singing "There's a Bad Moon On The Rise" all the way
Relief at Last The relief team met us not too far from the end of the very long track, and took over the job of carrying Sue to the trucks, which would take us back to RNZAF Dip Flat. Photo - Dave Homewood
"After the Rescue" This was us after we finally got Sue out of the bush. Wayne Jones says, "From memory we were buggered and glad to be at the truck." That's for sure. That was a very welcome drink. Left to right are Cpl Wayne Crosswell, Fred Keenan, Mike Ingram, Dorian Crighton, Drew Hignett (drinking) or is that Steve Ingrey?, Dave Homewood, Wolfie Hill, Carl Hooker and Grant Keen.
Curly's Three Day Tramp Curly Waters was in another team in another nearby valley. here is an awesome view he photographed of a swing bridge over the Roberts River (Photo: Curly Waters)
Curly's view when he and his team reached the saddle. He says: "This is the valley that the group I was in tramped up off the Roberts River .   We camped down the bottom of this saddle in the first clearing you can see.    One of the main things I remember about this camp was Cpl Glenda Cowling getting into her wizzy doo hutch for the night and letting out a blood curdling scream.   A rapid gathering of recruits and GSI's around her set up saw Cpls Bruce Worthington and Jeremy Carroll laughing their boots off - they had put weta's in her hutch and sleeping bag! (Photo: Curly Waters)
The Conquerors! "The few of us who made it to the top." Curly says.   Left to Right:  Anton Whittle Steve Wilson R. Thomson Chris Waugh Mark Wrathall. (Photo: Curly Waters)
An Awesome Shot! Curly Waters on the scree face, descending the ridge. This scree face is very much like the one where Sue had her accident. Also seen here further down are Anton Whittle (left) and Chris Waugh. (Photo: Curly Waters)
Resting on the way down from the saddle.    From left to right:    JeremyThacker, A. Scott, ?, Sqn Ldr McKay, Angela Thompson, Cpl Glenda Cowling, Mark Wrathall, Hans Van Leeuwen, Louise Wouters, Antony Renyolds, R. Thomson, ?, Steve Wilson, Anton Whittle. (Photo: Curly Waters)
Back To Menu Back to Introduction