Big weather was predicted for Day 8. The forecast 7000'+ climbs and a desire for a change in scenery prompted the task setter to suggest a waypoint in the foothills to the south east, since all the flying so far had been in the flat lands north and west. The fleet was sent north east first then tracked around to the west of Benalla, and then finally into the hills to the south.

Once again the weather was 1000' or so lower at the peak than predicted, which made it a little more challenging than expected. Those pilots who knew to avoid the irrigation in the west made good time around the first few legs. Things became very soft over the hills, but pilots banded together to help each other find the few thousand feet needed to make it out of the valley, and only one outlanded in that area. Another day of very close finishes with three 18m pilots achieving the same speed down to the first decimal place.