That dip south towards Wollongong/Shellharbour was (according to the Qantas press release) to do a "low level overfly of HARS Museum (Albion Park) where it will dip the wings in a final farewell to Qantas’ first 747-400, VH-OJA, which is preserved there." Now maybe I ascribe too much personality to inanimate objects, or maybe I just need to get out of the house more. But the thought of Qantas' final 747 making a detour just to wave goodbye to the first one felt a little gut-punchy.
I don't know, I think that once assembled a collection of inanimate objects do generate a personally.
(Doing a very quick facts here)
When it came time to scrap H.M.S. Warspite, the ship didn't go quietly. The ship was laid down in 1912, had a habit of ramming things (other ships, small islands, the seafloor) at the Battle of Jutland she charged the entire German High Seas fleet, alone (owing to rudder damage) and survived. During WW2 the now aging Battleship sunk 8 destroyers at the battle of Narvik, shelled Axis forces in the Mediterranean, scored the joint longest range shot Battleship to Battleship (and then sunk the Italian Battleship she had been aiming at along with it's escorting cruisers), took a direct hit from the ship killing Fritz X guided bomb (along with a near miss that ripped open her torpedo defences). The same type of bomb that had sent the modern Italian Battleship Roma to the seafloor only a few days earlier. The Warspite was then partially repaired in time for D-Day (one boiler room and the Superfiring aft turret were out of action). She shot off all her ammunition in shore bombardment, reloaded, shot all her ammunition again, returned to reload and an inspector decided to have a quick look at her guns (she was 32 years old at this point) and discovered the guns were totally worn out. These were replaced, she resumed some shore bombardment and was the sent for a quick refit before she was supposed to be sent to the far East, however the war ended and the Japanese were spared her wrath. After the war there was consideration given to making her a museum ship, but ultimately the decision was taken to scrap her. However this ship that had won 15 battle honours and gone through all she had gone through wasn't going to anyone's breakers yard. So while under tow she took the opportunity during a minor storm to slip the tow ropes and run aground. 'No problem' think the salvage crew, 'We just wait for her to refloat herself at high tide.' Insert the trolling song as Warspite stays out of reach and drifts further inland as the tide rises before going hard aground on the rocks of Prussia Cove. Salvage attempts were fouled by one salvage ship managing to ground itself and another was crippled when a section of cable fell off Warspite and fouled it's screws. Eventually She had to be broken up in situ. Defiantly refusing to die anywhere but on the high seas where she had lived.
H.M. Government 'You're going to the scrapyard.'
H.M.S. Warspite 'You ain't the boss of me!'