Auckland to Taupo (AKL-TUO) on NZ Beech 1900D

After a string of recent weather disruptions I was pleased that today the weather was clearing and merely a bit cloudy. I use the quickcheck machines. Again not much seating options to choose from, but at least I see the 1-1 layout of Beech and not 1-2 of Jetstream. I decided to pick the right hand side which should have better views.

Through security and into the lounge. I check FT and some emails while I wait for the flight. The mid-morning selection of food is several types of cookies, savoury scones (corn and kumara - yum), chocolate muffins, fruit basket, vegetarian mini-quiche. For once no queue for the coffee machine, and I forgot to check the beer and wines (sorry). A bit later the food switched to salads, cheese, rolls, cold meats, still with biscuits and muffins and fruit. The soup seems to be gone now from the NZ domestic lounges (QF still has it in their NZ domestic lounges), but at least there is a large variety of fresh food and contents change regularly throughout the day ^

There are a few flights at the same time as mine and these are called but not Taupo. Several minutes later Taupo is also called and I make my way to the other end of the terminal. Along the way I see part of the domestic terminal revamp has already reopened - some shops in the bit between NZ and QF terminals.

I'm the last to board and take my seat. The flight is 3/4 full, not bad for off-season. We taxi out behind a Q300 and take off to the southwest. Unfortunately it is reasonably cloudy at low levels so even though we fly in bright sunshine there are only glimpses of lush green farmland and some towns below, until the cloud breaks up a bit closer to Taupo. The central volcanoes of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu are standing tall above the clouds; with a thick fresh blanket of snow.

We get a couple of small bumps descending through the clouds and break out over the farms and forests north of Taupo. The dozens of steam plumes clearly mark out Wairakei Valley (as do the many pipes for the geothermal power stations). As we approach the township I get a great view from low altitude of the Huka Falls on the Waikato River, and out past the town to the vast Lake Taupo which is choppy today in a brisk wind. While much colder here than the Hauraki Gulf, there is a big flotilla of yachts racing in the bay.

We land across paddocks and gorse filled gullies at Taupo airport, according to some one of the most dangerous in the world.

Scattered around the terminal are about a dozen light passenger aircraft and helicopters, plus some top-dressing a/c. The terminal itself is small (with outdoor viewing and picnic area) with a cafe that opens only for a few minutes when flights arrive/depart and 2 car rental counters that do likewise. There are several seats and tables scattered around. I imagine in busy periods the terminal would get totally full, and even the carpark outside is fairly full with car rentals at the moment.