Source: www.abc.net.au...
13 March, 2014 1:36PM AEST
Top of the pecking order with Wollongong's pigeon racing Hall of Famer
By Justin Huntsdale
It's an athlete that can travel over 1000 kilometres without stopping, at roughly the time it takes to drive a car. Welcome to the fascinating world of pigeon racing, where Wollongong is home to one of Australia's best.
Graham Davison says he's had two holidays in his life because he can't bear to let someone else look after his beloved racing pigeons.
It's that level of dedication that has made him one of the best pigeon racers in Australia, and saw him inducted into the Australian Pigeon Racing Hall of Fame.
His prized hen is a bird that travelled 1,070 kilometres from Bundaberg to Wollongong in one continuous flight over 14 hours and 23 minutes in the mid 1990s.
Come with us to Graham's Mt Ousley home to find out what drives him in this niche, yet intriguing sport.
Top of the pecking order with Wollongong's pigeon racing Hall of Famer
By Jordan Matthews (University of Wollongong intern)
It's an athlete that can travel over 1000 kilometres without stopping, at roughly the time it takes to drive a car. Welcome to the fascinating world of pigeon racing, where Wollongong is home to one of Australia's best.
Graham Davison lives with wife June, tucked away under the escarpment in their Mount Ousley home.
However it's what's inside that is truly remarkable.
Flick open his well-thumbed visitor book and you'll find former test cricketer and notable pigeon fancier Bill Lawry's name, among hundreds of others who visit the Davison household to see Graham's champion birds.
The main attraction is his 20-year-old 'record hen' - the only pigeon to fly from Bundaberg in Queensland to Wollongong in less than a day.
That's 14 hours and 23 minutes of continuous flying over 1,070km.
"I heard it in the dark and then I saw it and thought, what an effort.
"That sort of thing motivates you to try to do that again."
Standing in their living room, the view to the north is breathtaking.
To the west, the looming and jagged silhouette of the Illawarra escarpment, and to the east, glimpses of the stretching northern coastline.
The landscape provides the perfect view as he watches his birds cruise home from the north in pursuit of their loft, just below the house in his backyard.
The humble Australian Pigeon Hall of Famer walks down to his backyard, not mentioning the large rumpus room with its wall shelves filled with silverware from his illustrious career.
In fact, we only see that when he gives us a tour of his house, and he says he stopped accepting trophies 20 years ago.
He says he's most inspired by their endurance.
"They weigh about a pound and to think that that athlete can stay in the air for 12 or 14 hours, and if it's not home in the daylight it will get up the next morning and start flying at the same velocity... they're pretty marvellous little things."
Apart from the 1,070km Bundaberg race, one of the toughest races on the South Coast Pigeon Federation calendar is from Launceston to Mount Ousley - an 830 kilometre journey.
So how on Earth do these animals know where home is, then navigate hundreds of kilometres to get there without stopping?
"There are theories about how they get home, but I hope they never find out, because they will probably ruin our sport," Graham says.
"It's got nothing to do with road maps and roundabouts, because they fly Bass Straight... and they don't have roundabouts and hedges along a 250 mile crossing of water I'm sure.
"Some people think they use magnetic north to navigate, but they have never been able to find out."
Starting as a 10-year-old in the Gwynneville Pigeon Club, 66 consecutive years of pigeon racing has not diminished his love for the sport.
His passion and drive to breed, train and race quality pigeons remains.
"Success breeds success, and I have had a lot of success, so that keeps you motivated."
He says to sit in his living room, looking to the north and seeing a group of pigeons flying home after a long journey is very enjoyable.
"It's a great thrill.
"It's more exciting when you see one of yours drop off in the lead batch - it's not real good when you see the lead batch go over and you haven't got one.
"But it's a great thrill to see one come when they've been on-the-wing for 10 hours, and you realise that they're wonderful little machines."
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