NZIslander

For 10 years i lived in the most remote corner of New Zealand, the Chatham Islands. Located nearly 900kms East of Christchurch, the Chathams are a group of 10 islands, with a population of 650people. I loved my time on the islands, but due to family issues, i have temporary relocated back to my home town of Haast, located in Southern Westland. At the moment i am craving my island lifestyle, but my family comes first. My Mother has developed Breast Cancer, and to relocate her to the islands, hundreds of kilometers from the nearest hospital is unwise. For now, i am making the most of being back home in New Zealand, visiting places i had'nt visited before. To satisfy my hunger for an Island Lifestyle, i decided to explore some of New Zealands other Islands, to see people that live on other Islands. Over the past two months, i've visited nearly every inhabited island in the country, seeing how the other half live!!!!

NZIslander

With my new goal in mind, i quickly set about planning my trip around our islands. During the 10 years i lived on the islands, i took leave only 3 times. The longest holiday was only 5 days.

The first island on my list was Stewart Island, 30kms south of Bluff on the South Islands southern tip. I booked flights from Wanaka to Invercargill as i don't own a car here on the mainland, with Air New Zealand. Then i booked flights across to Stewart Island with local airline, Stewart Island Flights. With everything booked and ready to go, i organised someone to watch over my mother for the 4 days i would be gone. Her sister flew down from Wanganui to keep an eye on my mother, who needed help with cooking and cleaning. On a cold frosty morning, i hitched down to Wanaka, arriving at the Airport 3 hours early. The terminal was shut, so i walked over to the nearby museum and waited. Finnaly the terminal was opened and i checked in, just as the daily Beech 1900D flight from Christchurch touched down. I got my boarding pass and sat down to wait. I was pretty happy with the seat allocation for me. Seat 3A meant i had a primo view into the cockpit and out the window. Seats 1F, 2A and 2F have no windows in a 1900D. We took off ontime into a beautiful cloudless sky on the 55 minute journey up to Christchurch. Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo shon brightly in the winter sunlight. Aoraki/Mount Cook stood proud and mighty upon the southern alps. We landed in Christchurch ontime and in the terminal, i sat in a cafe to wait out my 55 minute transit time. In no time at all, i made my way over to the Gate and pretty much walked straight out onto the plane. I had requested Seat 6D, which would give me a good view back out over the Alps. Our Plane, an Air Nelson Bombardier Q300, was filling fast. There was only 2 spare seats by the time we began our taxi. The FA did the safety breifing and then we took off. Our crusing altitude was 16.000Ft, flight time 80minutes. Like everywhere else, the weather in Southland was stunning. An awesome day for flying. We landed at Invercargill a few minutes late, due to us having to circle once to avoid a landing GA. After i checked in with Stewart Island flights, i had 20 minutes to kill. I went over to the small cafe and ordered a Coffee. I checked my cellphone, only a recent purchase. The Chathams don't have cell coverage, so i only purchased my first cellphone, a month ago. The SIF (Stewart Island Flights) lady waved me over, and told me it was time to board. We walked out of the terminal and over to a parked Britten Norman Islander. It was tiny!!! We crammed in, with me sitting in the co-pilots seat, the Islander being able to be flown with only 1 pilot. Out on the runway, we powered up and finnaly after what seemed like forever we took off. We flew over Oreti Beach, then came Bluff, nestled around the little harbour. Then came the Fouveux Strait, a mass of angry white caps, it was really windy out here!!! Our small little plane was being buffeted by spasms of strong wind. When we finnaly reached the Island, the wind died and we could take in the stunning scenery. The rich forest covered landscape dropped down into beautiful isolated bays and waterways. Soon however we began our approach into Ryans Creek Aerodrome, Stewart Islands only airport. The airports runway only measures 800 metres, located above the Islands main settlement. We touched down onto the runway and taxied to the building that accounted for a terminal.

From Wikipedia: The aerodrome was built in the late 1970s to accommodate Stewart Island Air Services. The strip was made of the native red rock from the area. In the mid-1980s Stewart Island Air Services changed its name to Southern Air Limited. Ryan's Creek was asphalted and ready for service with its new owner. All aircraft from Stewart Island Air Services were sold (apart from an Islander IAS which crashed on the strip and an FFL which remained with Southern Air). Stewart Island Travel used Ford Transits to take passengers to and from the strip and offered bus tours of the island's roads. Southern Air Limited purchased an Islander FGR shortly afterwards which proved to be a suitable aircraft for the job. In 1990 a hill at one end of the strip was leveled; this left more room for aircraft to land, and allowed easier access to the strip. In 1997 Southern Air was brought by Allan Aitcheson, and the name was changed to Southern Air 1997 Limited. The company continued to use Ryan's Creek and remained accident-free. In 2000 Southern Air 1997 Ltd was bought by Stewart Island Flights.

In the small terminal, i collected my luggage and jumped in the shuttle, which takes passengers into Stewart Islands only settlement, Halfmoon Bay, more commonly called Oban. Stewart Islands population is 400, 80% of which live in Oban.

NZIslander

In Oban, i was dropped off outside my accomadation for the night, the South Seas Hotel, situated right across from the beach. My room had its own balcony, overlooking Patterson Inlet. The Sun was beginning to set as i sat down to dinner in the restaurant. I retired to bed early, i was tired. The Next morning dawned into a cracker. It was faultless. I had breakfast in the resturant, before setting off to explore the town. Oban has a few Hotels and B&Bs, a 4 Square Supermarket, a Museum and Information Centre, an Art Gallery, a few Cafes and a small chemist and gift shop. In the 4 Square i had a look at the food prices. Almost comparable to the Chathams, but not quite. That afternoon, i joined a guided tour over to Ulva Island, located in Patterson Inlet. Ulva Island is a sanctuary for both birds and plants, and is a wonderful NZ treasure. Guided tours depart from Oban daily. The Water Taxi trip alone is worth it, to be out on the calm clear water was amazing. Back in Oban, i had dinner before retiring to the balcony with a beer. The sky had faint wisps of the Aurora Australis in it. Absolutely stunning. That night i couldnt sleep so went for a walk. There was a full moon, which helped my vision in the absence of Street Lights. I turned a corner, only to see an incredible sight. There were two Kiwis, foraging next to the road. I gazed at them until they disappeared into the bush. We dont have Kiwis on the Chathams, only pesky Wekas. The next morning, i jumped up early and doned my hiking boats. I walked over to Masons Bay, which is located on the opposite coast of the island. Masons Bay was home to a large farm in the early days. I had arranged for SIF (Stewart Island Flights) to pick me up from Masons Bay. The light plane landed on the wide sandy beach, before turning and taxing back to me. i clambered in and we took off. We glided over Mt Anglem, which at 979 metres is the highest peak on the island. The whole island stretched out before us was beautiful. A rich tapestry of green and blue. We Landed at Ryans Creek and i walked back into town, arriving just in time for dinner. Again, the Aurora Australis was out, only more brighter, more beautiful, lasting for hours. The next morning i drew back the curtains, only to find misty grey drizzle clouding my view. I packed my bags and had brekky before catching a shuttle up to the Aerodrome. I had the co-pilots seat again. We took off into the drizzle, heading south over Oban briefly, before turning north over Fouveux Strait. It wasnt as windy as when i flew in, but still a wee bit bumpy. We landed at Invercargill ontime after the short 20 minute flight. I checked into Air New Zealand, before having another Coffee at the cafe. My ANZ flight took off ontime. This time it was on a Mount Cook Airlines ATR 72. There was a lot of empty seats, and i asked the FA if i could move to vacant row towards the back. She allowed me to, and i settled in for the flight. Sadly being near the back meant that by the time the FA got to me, we were beginning our descent into Christchurch. In Christchurch, i checked my emails, before heading over to the gate for my flight to Wanaka. It was delayed by 10 minutes, but we took off into an overcast Canterbury day. The closer we got to Wanaka, the more the cloud thickened. Out my small window, all i could see was white. The cloud suddenly broke, only seconds before touching down on the runway. In the small terminal, i collected my baggage before heading home to Haast. I had enjoyed my Stewart Island experiance. Very different to the Chathams, not so isolated i feel.


South Seas Hotels
26 Elgin Terrace
Oban
http://www.stewart-island.co.nz/

Stewart Island Flights
www.stewartislandflights.com
64 3 218 9129

FotoConceptsNZ

Interesting. I live on Stewart Island, Lived here for my whole life. The Chathams sound interesting, would love to visit, but airfares are horendous

NZIslander

Yeah the Chathams are amazing. Yes i know, airfares can be a killer. So worth it though.

NZIslander

Next up on my Island touring list was Great Barrier Island. Great Barrier Island is located 90kms out of Auckland, at the top of the Coromandel Peninsular. It is home to around 1200 permanent residents. Great Barrier is the 6th largest island and the 4th most populated island in the country. The island has numerous daily ferry and plane services. There are 3 or so different airlines operating to the island from numerous different onshore locations. I drove up to Hokitika, where i flew over to Christchurch on one of Eagle Airways Beech 1900D fleet. It was overcast morning but we landed in Christchurch ontime after a short sweet 35 minute flight across the alps. I had not time to wait, i ran over to my next gate and boarded my Auckland bound flight. It was a chocka flight. The Boeing 737 was full. I had a window seat, which was good. I hate sitting in the middle seat, drives me bonkers. Up in the air, only the peaks of the alps were seen above a large duvet of cloud. In the North Island, Mt Taranaki was shrouded in cloud, Ruapehu was out the other window. We landed in Auckland to a windy, drizzly day. The terminal was thronging with people. I checked in with Great Barrier Airlines, one of the local airlines. They operate out of the Air NZ check in desks. My flight was called, so i made my over to the gate, miles and miles away. I had'nt been to Auckland Airport previously. Out on the tarmac, what i expected to be a tiny Britten-Norman Islander sitting there, was actually a much larger Trislander. This aircraft is a slightly longer version of the Islander, with a third engine located on the tale. It seats 18 people. I clambered in to my seat behind the pilot and prepared for takeoff. The 30 minute scenic flight over the Hauraki Gulf was one i was looking forward to. In the air, we flew over the sprawling metropolis of Auckland and out into the Gulf. Past Waiheke and Rangitoto and then onwards over the ocean stretch near the island, now visible out the front window. We were flying at around 5.000ft, low enough to see every little detail. We could see the car ferry, heading towards the island. On approaching the Claris Airfield, we descended and circled round a small headland. Out the front window i could see the runway. Great Barrier has a small bitumen runway and a small grass runway. We landed and taxied to the terminal, YES! this tiny little airport has a terminal. Not a shocking size either, bigger than our one at the Chathams. I collected my luggage and went over to the Information desk, where i picked up my rental car keys. My rental car was parked in the small gravel parking lot. It was an old Toyota Corolla, but it went and it had a full tank of gas. I drove down to Claris, one of the main settlements on the island. Claris has a small info centre, general store and fuel pumps. My accomadation for the two nights i was here, was a small B&B located right on the harbour. I went to bed early that night, it had been a big day. From Haast to Hokitika, then Christchurch, then Auckland, then here, it had been a Great Day. The next morning dawned fine, but a wee bit windy. I took off in my car to explore the island. The Island has a pretty good system of roads, mostly unsealed but well graded. It is a little bit like the Chathams, one main access road running North to South, and smaller roads leading to little settlements. I found myself stopping often, taking walks along endless stretches of beaches. I arrived in the main settlement of Port Fitzroy, around 2ish, time for a late lunch. I purchased some Fish and Chips from a little shop and sat on a picnic table, overlooking the harbour. The daily car ferry was powering up the harbour. I watched it dock on the wharf. Heaps of people and cars were unloaded. All this traffic was going to make the road back to Claris pretty congested. So i decided to wait half an hour or so. I walked along the small beach, listening to the extremely loud bird song. I wasn't so windy up here, which made it pleasant. Back on the road i made my way slowly back to my accommodation in Claris. In Claris, is stopped to purchase a Pie for tea. By the time i arrived back at the B&B, the sun had set on a perfect day. The next morning, the wind had gathered more strength, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. At the airport, i surrendered the keys to my rental car, and checked into my flight to Tauranga. Today i would be flying with another airline, Tauranga based Sunair. Sunair operate several Piper and Cessna aircraft, operating to destinations all around the North Island. There was only me and 3 other people heading back to Tauranga, around a 35-40 minute flight. In the air, we flew over the resort towns of Whitianga, Pauanui and Whangamata. The weather down here was pleasant. We landed and taxied over to the Sunair hangar. I collected my bags and went into the main terminal to rent a car. My next island visit was right around the corner..

Fly My Sky Airlines
http://www.flymysky.co.nz/

Great Barrier Airlines
http://www.greatbarrierairlines.co.nz/

Sunair
http://www.sunair.co.nz/

Info
http://www.greatbarrierislandtourism.co.nz/

KeepDiscovering

Very good indeed. After relocating to NZ last Dec to join my Kiwi partner, I have also put down the plan to visit these islands plus those in the pacific. Would love to read your report to get some good ideas ^

NZIslander

After my flight down from Great Barrier Island to Tauranga, i hired a car and drove out to the small harbor side village of Omokoroa, located 15 minutes north of Tauranga. From here there is numerous car ferry trips across the 5km channel to Matakana Island. Matakana Island is home to around 225 people, and is the 15th largest island in New Zealand. The island has been home to Maori for years. The island is 20kms long and no more than 4kms wide. It shelters the large Tauranga harbor. Omokoroa is home to retirees, and commuters who enjoy the laid back atmosphere. I parked my car in the wharf parking lot and went over to the ferry. No office to book your fares or anything, you just walk on and pay your fare. A large milk tanker was loaded and a few other cars and vans. We set off between the sand bars on the 10 minute trip over to Matakana. On arrival at the island, my first sight was a bunch of local Maori kids jumping off the wharf. How cool that was, thats New Zealand. There were a few houses dotted around, most in a bad state of neglect. The ferry captain came up to me and told me that when the Milk Tanker arrived back in 15-20 minutes, we'd depart. I took a stroll down along the beach, always in eyesight of the ferry. I could see over to the distant Kaimai Ranges, which were beginning to cloud over fast with thick grey clouds. The milk tanker lumbered back, and we set off back for the mainland. I had just jumped in the car back in Omokoroa, when the rain started, Lucky!!. I drove back to Tauranga to have dinner, before setting off to my next island.

NZIslander

While technically not an inhabited island, White Island was on my 'to visit' list due to the fact that it once was home to a community of sulpher miners. White Island is New Zealands most active volcano, located nearly 50kms north of the town of Whakatane, in the Bay of Plenty. It is around 2kms in diameter, and at it's highest point is 321 metres above sealevel. Around 80% of the volcano is located underwater. After my quick 1/2hr visit to Matakana Island, i drove the 1 1/2 hr trip over to Whakatane. I checked into a motel and rested up before my big day tommorow. The next morning i awoke and drove down to the wharf. I was exploring the island today by a guided tour run by PeeJay Tours LTD of Whakatane. They operate a fleet of boats that run guided tours out to the island. The trip out to White Island, takes 80 minutes. We boarded the large boat and we made our way out to sea. Further out to sea, the staff and tour guides gave us a safety briefing, before issuing us with Hard Hats (compulsory) and Gas Masks (non compulsory). Being an active volcano, there is a lot of smoke, sulpher and gases around. On nearing the island, we prepared a little launch, which would take us the last 100 metres or so to the landing site. White Island, doesnt have a wharf, so they anchor the boat, and ferry everyone to the island by launch. On the island, you'd be forgiven for thinking you've landed on the moon. The colours and smells, very foreign. In the 1910s, a large sulpher mine was set up here, with many guys living on site for months at a time. But in 1914, the Island erupted violently and a Lahah (mudflow) wiped out the miners huts. No bodies were ever recovered, only the camp cat surviving. Since then, no one has lived on White Island. Believe it or not, White Island, is privately owned. Imagine owning a volcano!!!! The tour was very through, with our guide explaning every little detail

NZIslander

Sorry about dropping out like that, i was going to miss flight if i didn't hurry. Anyway the Tour Guide was really through, going over everything in detail. The landscape was amazing. All the colours and steam, very moonlike. Thankfully i'd remembered my camera. I'd purchased it last year, a Canon 5D mrk III. Pricey, but a welcome addition to my life on the Chathams. After about 2 hours, we boarded the launch and motored over to the boat. On board we handed back the safety hats and masks, before tucking into sammies and biscuits they had on board. As we turned back for the mainland, i stood leaning against the rail, sipping hot coffee. I gazed out at the island, puffing and steaming. It had been an amazing day. Back in Whakatane, i went into town to have tea, before heading back to the hotel. The next morning i left at 4.30am, to get back to Tauranga. At Tauranga airport, i gave back the keys to my rental car, and checked in for my flight to Christchurch, departing at 6.30am. As it turned out, i needed of left Whakatane so early. The flight was delayed twice before finnaly departing at 8am. The weather was overcast, but nothing major, i'd thought. The 1.55hr flight back to Christchurch went by quickly, with cloud the whole way down. I ran over to my flight to Hokitika. Because of my delayed flight out of TGA, the plane was waiting for me. I boarded the Q300 aircraft and we took off for the short hop over the alps, landing in Hokitika, 10 minutes behind schedule. So in this trip, i was able to tick 3 islands off my list.

NZIslander

New Zealand is amazing, and the islands, even better. Should be on everyones list. But getting to and staying on islands takes a lot of money. It costs me $600 for a one way flight home from the mainland!!!

NZIslander

I've called the Chatham Islands (affectionately called the 'Chathams') for 10 years. As i said in an earlier post, i have temporarily relocated to my home town of Haast, to help my mother who has cancer. I decided i needed to return home to the Chathams for a few days, to collect some belongings i needed, and check on things out there. I booked my tickets and then readied myself for a trip home. The night before i left, i was getting excited. I hadn't returned home for 2 months, and i was craving a fix.

My mother was going to stay with friends in Westport while i was away. We drove up there the day before, and the next morning i arrived at the tiny Westport Airport, ready for my flight. The terminal was tiny. I checked in and made sure i had a good seat. The weather was fine here, but the forcast for Wellington wasn't brilliant. We took off and made our way over the ranges on our 55 minute flight. We had a slightly bumpy landing, but nothing major.

There are only two ways to access the Chathams, a two day boat trip, or a two and a half hour flight on a vintage 1950s aircraft. Air Chathams are the only airline to operate the NZ - Chathams route. They operate a few modified Convair 580s and run scheduled services to the mainland several times a week. Air Chathams also own a subsady called Air Chathams Pacific operating flights in Tonga with a DC3, a Metroliner, an Islander and more 580s. Air Chathams havnt been the only ones to operate to the Chatham Islands. In the past, DC3s, Argosys, Bristol Freighters, Hawker Siddely 748s, Cessnas, Metroliners, Beechcrafts, ATRs and Convairs have all operated in Chathams skys.

I arrived at the gate well before the departure time of 1pm. I checked in via the Air New Zealand desk, and was handed an Air NZ boarding pass. It had "CHATHAM ISLAND" on the destination. We boarded the plane at gate 7, 15mins before takeoff. Inside the plane was slowly filling up. I had a window seat looking out over the wing. Finnaly the doors were shut and the 25-30 passengers on board prepared for takeoff. A lovely older lady came out and did the safety briefing. I glanced over at the munty life rafts fastened against the rear wall. Our whole trip was pretty much over ocean. I am a wee bit of a nervous flying over water type flyer. Ive never flown internationally, so flying to and from the Chathams was the closest I had come to an international flight. The pilots fired up the engines. They were LOUD. And I mean, struggle to hear yourself think loud. We taxied out to the runway and took off to the South. The weather was a wee bit breezy and overcast, but nothing to worry about in a plane of this size. We circled round and Passed over Lake Ferry before turning for the long haul out to sea. The FA came around offering Tea and Coffee when we reached our cruising altitude of 24.000ft. Out the window light clouds bobbed far below, looking like awful smudges against a clear sea. A one way ticket to the Chathams will set you back over $500, so its not a trip for joyriders. I could hardly hear the FA over the sound of the mighty allison engines when she offered me a biscuit. I accepted and continued to gaze out the window while munching on it. In what seemed a very quick amount of time, the light fluffy clouds thickened and became very dark. For this moment in time, we were flying above this storm, but sooner or later we had to descend. 10 minutes later we began our descent to 6.000ft. As soon as we dropped below the clouds, rain began streaming against my window and our plane was being thrown around by strong winds. The lovely FA came around offering paper bags. I gratefully accepted mine, as I was feeling rather green. A lot of people were puking and the smell of it alone nearly made me puke. Luckily I managed to keep it down as we descended even further. Out the window I could only just make out the sea, full of angry white caps. Suddenly land slipped below us and the fog began to thicken. We circeled round the airport 3 times before landing on the small runway. We taxied to the small little terminal and waited what seemed to be ages for the engines to be shut down. Outside it was foggy and raining heavily. We departed the plane and made our way over to the terminal where several cups of complimentry coffee were placed on a trestle table. The baggage was unloaded in no time at all. In the terminal, i met my mate, who'd brought my car up to the airport. We drove off down the gravel road, me just enjoying being home. I dropped my mate off at his house, and then i went down to my house which overlooks Waitangi Bay. It was horrible weather here. My house is really a one bedroom cottage with a rusty old caravan to keep stuff in, i can't fit in the house. I unlocked the door, and instantly, a musty smell hit me. The house had been locked up for a few months and needed a good airing. I turned the power on, and turned on some lights. My cottage maybe a bit dilapidated, but i've SKY TV and high speed broadband to wither away the long winter nights. I looked down at my watch, i'd forgotten to move it 45 minutes ahead. The Chatham Islands, thanks to a curve in the dateline, in 45minutes ahead of NZ time. I went into the bathroom, a dead rat was rotting into the Lino, disgusting!!!. I got a shovel out of the caravan a threw it outside. The next morning i drove downtown, in reality to the Chathams largest settlement, Waitangi. Waitangi is the hub of the Chathams. Home to as Hotel, motel, the wharves, a general store, hardware store, liquer shop, petrol station, race course, council offices, hospital, fire and police station and a few fish factories. The weather had cleared overnight, pathing the way for a nice day. I went into the General Store and stocked up on a few grocerys. Food on the Chathams is expensive. A 2 litre bottle of milk will set you back $9. So it's not cheap to live out here.

The Chathams are a huddle of 10 islands, 2 of which are inhabited, Chatham, and smaller Pitt Island. The islands indigenous people are the Moriori. The Moriori are culturally Polynesian. They developed a distinct Moriori culture in the Chatham Islands as they adapted to local conditions. Although speculation once suggested that they settled the Chatham Islands directly from the tropical Polynesian islands, or even that they were Melanesian in origin, current research indicates that ancestral Moriori were Māori Polynesians who emigrated to the Chatham Islands from New Zealand before 1500. Evidence supporting this theory comes from the characteristics that the Moriori language has in common with the dialect of Māori spoken by the Ngāi Tahu tribe of the South Island, and comparisons of the genealogies of Moriori ("hokopapa") and Māori ("whakapapa"). Prevailing wind patterns in the southern Pacific add to the speculation that the Chatham Islands were the last part of the Pacific to be settled during the period of Polynesian discovery and colonisation. The word Moriori derives from Proto-Polynesian *ma(a)qoli, which has the reconstructed meaning "true, real, genuine". It is cognate with the Maori language word Māori and likely also had the meaning "(ordinary) people". The earliest indication of human occupation of the Chathams, inferred from middens exposed due to erosion of sand dunes, has been established as 450 years. The Chathams are colder and less hospitable than the land the original settlers had left behind, and although abundant in resources, these were different from those available where they had come from. The Chathams proved unsuitable for the cultivation of most crops known to Polynesians, and the Moriori adopted a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Food was almost entirely marine-sourced - protein and fat from fish, fur seals and the fatty young of sea birds. The islands supported about 2000 people.

More later, got another flight to catch

peersteve

Wow! Thanks for all the details....not just about flights.....I have fond memories of a trip many years ago, especially driving up the west coast of South Island, and taking train from Westport (I think) back across the mountains to Christchurch(?).....hope all is well....!

NZIslander

Thanks!! Yeah the West Coast is beautful. I am truly privileged to have grown up in such an amazing location. I havn't done the train trip yet, but on my to do list

Airnakicreations

Wow, was wondering were you'd got to!! Seems you've been busy lately. Thinking of you and your whanau