Pacific Chieftain

I’m on my fathers broad shoulders I am four years old and it’s cold It is three in the morning We’re waiting on the wharf at Rose Bay near the cargo hold It’s Before the break of day boarding the giant sea plane The Ansett flying boat The Pacific Chieftain sits gently afloat On the still water Mum Rae holds the hand of Joanne her daughter Looking out into what the future may hold A family adventure so bold Flying over the ocean to a new land To Lord Howe Island Excited wide awake we board into the lower cabin Leather seats facing each other mum dad sister and brother I gaze out into the growing light of dawn Through the porthole window as the four engines hanging from the wings smoke into life And mother Rae always the romancer sings Golden Days by Mario Lanza In the springtime of our happy days The seaplane taxis out onto the harbour waters with crash boat leading the way And off we go lifting gracefully like an albatross As we go over the Sydney harbour bridge To the blue skies Until my eyes see two towering mountains rising from the sea Lord Howe Island Lord Howe island Lord Howe island The lagoon full of colour Blue and green water below Ready for our landing Water splashing up and over our cabin window at sunrise Our little faces glowing in surprise The Viking 2 launch pulls in under the wing And we load up for the jetty Scotty on the bouw casts the rope to waiting hands and we walk up the old planks to a new life, my feet moving in a hurry Welcome to Lord Howe Island says the Ansett rep David Murray Lord Howe Island Lord Howe island Lord Howe island The lagoon full of colour Blue and green water below Lord Howe Island Lord Howe island Lord Howe island The lagoon full of colour Blue and green water below