Dill's Hill
Site Information
Dill's Hill is an inland site located West of Warkworth.
The site is reached by driving North along State Highway 1 to Warkworth. As you enter the township of Warkworth, take the first turn to the left on Woodcocks road and follow this road for 10 km.
After crossing the railway line continue up the hill for about 1.5 km until you reach the top at a sharp right hand bend with a pull over area on the left and gate to a pine forest on the left. On the right there is a clay, dry weather only track leading to the takeoff. Be very careful of oncoming traffic on this corner.
Go through 2 more gates up to the trig and then you are in the launch area.
The site involves three different landowners: 1) the launch, 2) landing, and 3) the paddocks we might walk across to get from the landing to the road.
Landing Paddock Use
The landowner of the property that you would walk across if you bomb out would like a text to let him know that we plan to fly, and therefore may be accessing his property on the day. Even if you don't intend to walk across his property, please send a courtesy text.
So that he doesn't get multiple texts, let's coordinate our flying days with a single person notifying him of our intentions and letting everyone know in this WhatsApp group that they've done it. Please contact the site monitor (below) for contact details.
Take extra care to leave gates as you find them. With electric fences, please make sure to re-connect them EXACTLY as you find them.
Site Type
Inland
Landing
The bottom landing is straight out in front in any one of several paddocks.
Take-off height is 700 foot A.S.L and 400 foot above the landing paddock.
For Hang glider retrieval vehicles the bottom landing is accessed through a farm on Davie Martin Road. Davie Martin Road is the first on the left heading north west along Old Woodcocks Road. Old Woodcocks Road is the road on the left just back over the railway line.
Before taking your vehicle on to the property for retrieval, check the signs on the farm gate at the sharp bend on West Coast Road or Davie Martin Road and telephone the owners.
Ensure you leave gates as you find them.
Mandatory Notices
None
Site Radio Channel
If schools are operating, they are normally on Channels 10 and 26.
Free flyers suggested channel is Channel 20 - 476.900MHz
Restrictions
None.
Cautions
Hang Gliding
There is a good top landing in the paddock to the left of take-off, however do not go behind the crest on top landing as this can be expensive in aluminium and pride.
Although there are a number of possible landing paddocks, take care to thoroughly scrutinise these on foot beforehand as some have little streams and gullies running through them, plus a few bulls.
If the wind is off to the east - southeast landing can be turbulent.
Paragliding
Be careful of scratching low down amongst the spines if the wind is very cross.
Airspace
Airspace VNC Snippet
This site is located below CTA/C with a VFR ceiling of 4,500ft ASL.
Kaipara Flats airfield is almost directly in front to the North East so be aware of aircraft movements and possible parachute activity.
If you go cross country heading in a south westerly direction, NZG153 Waitoki with a flight ceiling of 3,500ft ASL starts 0.4km south of launch, encompasses both sides of West Coast Rd, and continues approximately 3km north of the West Coast Rd and SH 16 intersection.
Flight ceiling can be lifted to 4500ft with ATC approval.
Approximately west of SH16 the flight ceiling is 2,500ft ASL (Airspace boundary between 3500/2500ft ASL is the main transmission line a little to the east of SH16).
Further south NZG155 Woodhill and NZG154 Whenuapai extend to the west coast with a ceiling of 3,500ft, both can be used with ATC approval.
For pilots equipped with air-band radio Whenuapai CTR/D may on occasion be used with ATC approval and when ATC are off watch (usually weekends) the CTR/D becomes a MBZ.
Check the latest Airspace VNC's for this area.
Be aware there is a MBZ for Parakai (SW of Kaukapakapa) of approximately 3 mile radius.
Access Conditions
The access track is suitable for 4WD vehicles only.
During wet periods do not attempt to drive up any tracks as if you begin to skid as the situation will only deteriorate further in.
Carry equipment to take-off or out of the landing area rather than cut up any of the farmer's tracks.
Always close any gates behind you.
Please see Landing Paddock Use at the top of this page.
This site is closed for lambing every year between mid August the end of September. Check with site monitor for further info.
Site Monitor
Kyla MacDonald - 021 056 2320
Notes
This site was closed for over a full season due to people not properly using the bomb out paddock. Please see the Landing Paddock Use section at the top of this page for details.
Site Achievements
Hang glider pilot Debbie Corbbet has flown across country from this site to Muriwai.
PG pilot Evan Lamberton has also flown to Muriwai setting a site record of 40.8km in Jan 2005.
This was extended (just) to 41.2km by Jeff Ripley in March 2011, landing on Muriwai Beach.
Wayne Rohrs then set a new record of 59.1Km on 24th Feb 2013 flying Northwest to land at Oparakau Rd near Ruawai, beating the old record by 18km.
On 6th of March 2019, this record was again brutally smashed by another 18 km by Leighton Joll, flying 77.03 km, landing close to Pukehuia, just west of Tangihua Forest. On the same day, Lukas Walton-Keim acheived 73km
Flights have also been made North past Wellsford and South to Stanmore Bay.