AUCKLAND to MASTERTON (AKL-MRO) on Air New Zealand Beech 1900D

When the new route was announced I immediately set to plan how I could fly it to keep my 100% record intact of flying every current Air NZ route. It didn't take me long to see the schedule was convenient for those living in Wairarapa but not so convenient for others (forced overnight, lack of weekend flights and arrival back in Auckland a bit late for workday). Fortunately the 6th flight of the week was a turnaround on Friday evening, so I nabbed this.

Fast forward several months and the route has been going just a few days and I'm heading out to the airport once more. This year my travel is but a tiny fraction of what it has been and my itchy feet sure are doing strange things with my mind. I'm looking forward to 2 1/2 days of flying around.

It didn't get off to a good start. A 55 minute wait for the airbus (which supposedly runs every 15 minutes). Then just when I am ready to give up, the airbus appears. Unfortunately the bus keeps going right by and I'm left standing grumpily in the soupy humid air trying and failing to interpret the gestures the driver gave me. A look at my watch tells me my time cushion has gone and I admit defeat by calling a cab. The cab turns up 10 minutes later, which isn't bad for Friday rush hour and $70 later I pull up at the terminal.