Whakatane to Auckland (WHK-AKL) Economy Class on NZ Jetstream 32 (operated by Air National)
It is still windy as I head back to the airport. I saw a sparrow struggling in vain to avoid being blown out to sea. But I digress. I like these small airports. Not only are there no security hassles, and parking is free, but you can also turn up 15 minutes before departure (as long as no bags to check) and the agent wont bat an eye - in fact if you know them they likely will have pre-checked you in so just collect the boarding pass at the counter.
A boarding call is made and when only 1 person gets up to walk across the tarmac, a "final call" is instantly made
This gets the desired action and we board quickly. The flight is only half full so a bit more room to spread out (eg no need to store my small carryon under the seat in front, freeing up a valuable few inches of space for my feet.
As with my earlier flight on the J32 (see the
mini tour of NZ thread) it takes a couple of goes to get the engine started. We taxi down the runway, turn and roll. As we climb over the plains I see the great view, much more clearly than on the way in. Nestled in the hills and volcanoes surrounding the plain are the several lakes of Rotorua area, with the city glistening on the shores of the largest one. The huge mass of Mount Tarawera (scene of a big eruption in the 1880s that obliterated several villages as well as then famous tourist attraction the Pink and White Terraces) is obvious to the south, its 11km (7 mile) long crater a highly visible scar of that eruption.
We fly over Tauranga and moments later hit turbulence as the strong winds spill over the Kaimai Ranges. On the other side we pass the small Hauraki Plains with the bush clad Coromandel Ranges as spine of the peninsula on the other side. All too soon we are descending into the airport, for the flight is a mere 30 minutes.
These short flights are great (especially to a main city) - slightly uncomfortable and no onboard service (other than the airline magazine), but much quicker than driving and almost always great views. The ground handling is quick, efficient and friendly. On the times when I have to check bags they invariable arrive at the front of the terminal either before I do or within a minute.