I have a bit of time before my next flight. So I take a short walk in the sunshine and wind, and return to do some work and read the last of the newspaper. There is no lounge at Rotorua airport, and with a couple of 737 flights as well as a couple of flights on smaller aircraft the airport is rather busy at this time of day. A contrast to the last time I was here when the terminal resembled a ghost town with employees outnumbering passengers by a sizeable margin.

While I work a bus disgorges a large group flying on Qantas to Queenstown (via Christchurch). I'm amazed at how much luggage some people have, even for a 3 week holiday (which I learn through their rather loud conversation). One couple in front of me had no less than 11 bags. All oversized. In contrast another couple in the same group had just a modest wheelaboard. Perhaps some FTers?

I pay the NZ$5 employment tax. Officially it is an airport development levy, but I call it the employment tax since, as with the other local airport taxes at Hamilton and Palmerston North, it seems to be mainly used to fund the people who collect the payment and scan the boarding passes for the sticker at the gate.