New Plymouth to Auckland (NPL-AKL) on NZ Saab 340

New Plymouth has a regional koru club (apart from being small the main difference to main koru clubs is no *Gold guests). As with the others there is keypad entry (get the daily code at check in). The terminal is small and basic, and reminds me of Kerikeri airport.

Beer and wine check - 2 wines, 5 different beers. No computer terminals (as with all the regional koru clubs), although there are ports to plug in your laptop and a printer. The magazine selection is okay, which means it is so much better than the main koru clubs.

While waiting for flight 2 private planes fly in wingtip to wingtip formation over the runway at a few feet off the ground before banking and landing on the grass runway at right angles to the sealed runway.

The flight is called early - one of the benefits of leaving from a small airport, if everyone has checked in and the a/c is ready then they can leave early. Flight is full, but I had managed to get a window and aisle seat (ie "A" seat). We have a fast taxi down the runway to the turn point. I see the reason for the fast taxi out the window - an approaching aircraft on final approach. So we spin around and quickly take off.

Again a water service, but this time also a hot drink.