Instead Wackett flew the Widgeon II along the coast to Broome and met the Southamptons there on 1 June 1928. The Widgeon then accompanied the RAF Southamptons all the way to Melbourne, with stops at Port Hedland, Carnarvon, Perth, Ceduna and Adelaide. The arrival of the five flying boats in Melbourne on 29 June 1928 was a major event, with the pilots of each aircraft taken to St. Kilda pier to be greeted by the Minister of Defence, the Victorian Premier and the Lord-Mayor of Melbourne, among other dignitaries. Following the reception the aircraft took off and flew to Point Cook. The Widgeon II returned to Mascot a week later for modifications and then took part in aerial races at Penrith in January 1929. On 31 March 1929, Charles Kingsford Smith made a forced landing about 220 miles WSW of Wyndham, Western Australia, an incident that became known as the Coffee Royal Affair. A number of aircraft were requested to conduct an aerial search for the missing airman and his crew; and the Widgeon II, which had been out of commission for several months due to modifications to enable trials aboard HMAS Albatross, was prepared for the long flight from Sydney. Wackett took off from Richmond Air Base on 6 April but returned after the Widgeon II was not able to climb sufficiently. In July and August 1929 the Widgeon II embarked on HMAS Albatross for its voyage of the New Guinea area to conduct trials under tropical conditions. After arriving back in Melbourne aboard the Albatross the aircraft was handed over to the Civil Air Board. In October No. 1 Flight Training School at Point Cook was requested to determine the suitability of the Widgeon II for seaplane training. The Widgeon I had been used intermittently for flying training, however in October the Minister for Defence recommended that the Widgeon I be struck off strength since the cost of extensive overhaul and repairs could not be justified. Around 17 February the airframe of the Widgeon I was burnt at Point Cook, after logging 99 hours of flying time. Accidents On 6 January 1930 the Widgeon II crashed into Port Phillip Bay off Point Cook, killing all three occupants including Captain Hugh Grosvenor, who was the heir of Lord Stalbridge and had been planning a flight from Australia to England. Variants Widgeon I – original version with capacity for two