After a long draggish transit in the lounge in Auckland, it was time to board my flight back to Whakatane. I know this route well, it is the route I fly the most. Whakatane is serviced by up to 4flights daily to/from Auckland. A few years ago Whakatane had direct flights to/from Wellington in the summer, but these were canned. Last year Whakatane was a brief stopover on a Sunday afternoon Auckland to Hamilton flight. Beechcraft 1900Ds are the mainstay of the AKL-WHK route, with occasional Bombardier Q300s making an appearance on charter flights, and when major disruptions occur.

Boarding was called early and we made our way out into the overcast Auckland evening. I had seat 4F. After doors shut, the FO did a welcome message and then played a safety briefing. We started up and taxied out to the runway. We climbed out over Manukau City and banked towards the east. We climbed to 14.000ft, and made good time towards the Eastern Bay of Plenty. I ate a Moro Bar I found in my carry on, and watched the sun start to slide into the horizon. We started our descent, and headed out to sea, passing the Whakatane township, before turning around and heading in for the runway. We flew low over the town before having a real smooth landing. We taxied to Whakatanes funky colourful terminal and shut down. I only had carry on, so it was straight through the busy terminal and out to my car for me.