Kiwi Flyer

Blenheim to Wellington (BHE-WLG) on NZ Beech 1900D

Woodbourne airport has a modest new terminal, small café but no koru club (much to the annoyance of mad_atta). The airport has a large runway, a legacy of it’s use as both an airforce base and, in the past, as a major airfreight centre.

But today it’s back on the usual aircraft for Blenheim, a Beech 1900D. The aircraft is full but I still get my preferred seat. The inbound flight is 10 minutes late but some time is made up in the turnaround and we leave only 5 minutes late. The take off roll uses a tiny portion of the runway and we climb steadily over Blenheim and out into Cook Strait.

For this very short flight the cruise altitude is a mere 5,000 feet which means we skim in and out of the thin cloud layer. Below the progress of the strong tides through Cook Strait is marked by the sharp contrast in water colours – dark blue meeting bright bluegreen.

Just minutes after reaching cruise height we are already descending over Wellington’s northern hill suburbs. We ended up arriving early, making up time even on this little 20 minute flight between the main islands of New Zealand.

Arriving in Wellington there are plenty of aircraft everywhere and so no surprise to get a parking position a long way from the prop finger pier.

peteftlaud

Great report. I'm exhausted just from reading it.

Kiwi Flyer

The flights are over a 10 month period (so far). And yes, I've left out many, many more domestic flights within NZ.

mad_atta

hehe, Blenheim appearing in a trip report - not something you see very often

The good news is that the terminal (now about 7 or 8 years old I think) is soon to be expanded... though inexplicably, as far as I am aware the expansion plans *still* don't include a koru club!

Kiwi Flyer

FLYING TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND

Continuing with the increasingly badly titled mini tour of New Zealand I pause for a moment of indulgence.

After lots and lots of international travel in the past few years, my schedule for 2007 was looking like I wouldn’t be able to fit much longhaul travel in. Don’t get me wrong, I still expect to do quite a bit by non-FT standards – say 2 or 3 round the world trips plus some other trips, however this is well down on the past few years. Instead my schedule currently suits short domestic trips.

Having recently flown to the last few of the 26 domestic destinations served by a major airline in New Zealand, I decided to set myself a new goal – to fly all 49 (soon to be 50) current domestic routes. I had previously flown quite a few of them, but the network schedules will pose some challenges to fit into my time constraints (as well as booking engine constraints) – particularly the routes served only once a day.

While I will collect a modest amount of mileage thanks to sector minimums, this is not a mileage run. Fare rules in New Zealand do not permit routings other than the most direct possible, and the cheapest domestic fares on Air New Zealand are non-mileage earning (with Qantas only having 6, soon to be 5, routes almost all flights are on Air New Zealand).

The current routes are listed below, and I’ll mark them off as I go.

From/To Auckland

• AKL-KAT first flown 2007 (Auckland - Kaitaia)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• AKL-KKE first flown years ago (Auckland - Bay of Islands / Kerikeri)
• AKL-WRE first flown 2006 (Auckland - Whangarei)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• AKL-HLZ first flown 2006 (Auckland - Hamilton)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• AKL-TRG first flown 2006 (Auckland - Tauranga)
  • NZ Jetstream 32 operated by Air National
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• AKL-WHK first flown 2006 (Auckland – Whakatane)
  • NZ Jetstream 32 operated by Air National
  • NZ Jetstream 32 operated by Air National
• AKL-ROT first flown years ago, and again in 2006 (Auckland - Rotorua)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• AKL-TUO first flown 2006 (Auckland - Taupo)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• AKL-GIS first flown 2006 (Auckland - Gisborne)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
  • NZ Beech 1900D
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• AKL-NPE first flown years ago (Auckland - Napier/Hastings)
• AKL-NPL first flown 2006 (Auckland - New Plymouth)
  • NZ Q300
  • NZ Saab 340
• AKL-WAG first flown 2006 (Auckland - Wanganui)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
  • NZ Beech 1900D
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• AKL-PMR first flown 2006, and again in 2007 (Auckland - Palmerston North)
  • NZ ATR 72-500
  • NZ ATR 72-500
  • NZ ATR 72-500
• AKL-WLG first flown years ago, and again in 2006 & 2007 (Auckland - Wellington)
  • NZ A320
  • NZ 737-300
  • NZ 737-300
  • QF 737-300
  • QF 737-300
• AKL-BHE first flown 2007 (Auckland – Blenheim)
  • NZ ATR 72-500
• AKL-NSN first flown years ago, and again in 2006 (Auckland - Nelson)
  • NZ Q300
• AKL-CHC first flown years ago, and again in 2006 & 2007 (Auckland – Christchurch)
  • NZ A320
  • NZ A320
  • NZ 737-300
  • NZ 737-300
  • QF 737-300
  • QF 737-300
• AKL-ZQN first flown 2006 (Auckland - Queenstown)
• AKL-DUD not yet flown (Auckland – Dunedin)

From/To Hamilton

• HLZ-PMR first flown 2007 (Hamilton - Palmerston North)
  • NZ Beech 1900C operated by Vincent Aviation

From/To Wellington

• WLG-WRE not yet flown (Wellington – Whangarei)
• WLG-HLZ first flown years ago (Wellington - Hamilton)
• WLG-TRG not yet flown (Wellington – Tauranga)
• WLG-ROT not yet flown (Wellington – Rotorua)
• WLG-TUO not yet flown (Wellington – Taupo)
• WLG-GIS first flown 2007 (Wellington – Gisborne)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• WLG-NPE first flown years ago (Wellington - Napier / Hastings)
• WLG-NPL not yet flown (Wellington – New Plymouth)
• WLG-WAG first flown 2007 (Wellington – Wanganui)
  • NZ Beech 1900C operated by Vincent Aviation
• WLG-PMR not yet flown (Wellington – Palmerston North)
• WLG-BHE first flown years ago, and again in 2007 (Wellington - Blenheim)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• WLG-NSN first flown years ago, and again in 2007 (Wellington - Nelson)
  • NZ Q300
  • NZ Q300
• WLG-WSZ first flown 2006 (Wellington - Westport)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• WLG-CHC first flown years ago, and again in 2006 (Wellington - Christchurch)
  • NZ A320
• WLG-TIU first flown 2006 (Wellington - Timaru)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• WLG-DUD first flown 2006 (Wellington - Dunedin)
  • NZ 737-300

From/To Nelson

• NSN-HLZ first flown 2007 (Nelson - Hamilton)
  • NZ Beech 1900C operated by Vincent Aviation
• NSN-PMR not yet flown (Nelson – Palmerston North)

From/To Christchurch

• CHC-HLZ not yet flown (Christchurch – Hamilton)
• CHC-ROT not yet flown (Christchurch – Rotorua)
• CHC-NPE not yet flown (Christchurch – Napier / Hastings)
• CHC-PMR not yet flown (Christchurch – Palmerston North)
• CHC-BHE not yet flown (Christchurch – Blenheim)
• CHC-NSN first flown years ago (Christchurch – Nelson)
• CHC-HKK first flown 2006 (Christchurch - Hokitika)
  • NZ Jetstream 32 operated by Air National
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• CHC-OAM first flown 2006 (Christchurch - Oamaru)
  • NZ Jetstream 32 operated by Air National
• CHC-WKA first flown 2006 (Christchurch - Wanaka)
  • NZ Beech 1900D
  • NZ Beech 1900D
• CHC-ZQN first flown years ago, and again in 2006 & 2007 (Christchurch – Queenstown)
  • QF 737-300
  • QF 737-300
• CHC-DUD first flown 2006 (Christchurch – Dunedin)
  • NZ ATR 72-500
• CHC-IVC first flown years ago (Christchurch – Invercargill)

Kiwi Flyer

AUCKLAND to WELLINGTON (AKL-WLG) on NZ A320 with Biz seats

I found myself heading to Nelson again at short notice. As the fare is the same whether flying direct or via Wellington and the flights with convenient timing would have an A320 to Wellington and thus an excellent chance of getting a business class seat on the all economy domestic flight thanks to my status. So I decided to take the slightly longer way. The extra miles and segment credit is just an added bonus. I head back out to the airport early one morning, get the couple of boarding passes from the quick check in machine, first changing my FFP# to credit to another program, and yes I did get a business class seat, through security and up to the lounge. I have enough time to grab breakfast before boarding is called.

I board and settle into my seat. There is a short delay before push back as the last passengers board one group at a time. Apparently there was some problem with “the computers” which slowed down the check in process. While we wait the captain apologises for the delay and reassures those connecting passengers with short connections that the onward flights will be held for them.

The flight itself is uneventful. Unfortunately little views thanks to the extensive cloud cover, with just the peaks of the volcanoes Taranaki on the right and Ruapehu on the left poking through. We land to a chilly Wellington slightly late, the time saved by a straight in approach from the north lost to the headwinds en route. As I have a long enough connection I head to the nearby lounge while I wait for the onward flight, checking the monitors on my way for the gate which has changed since I checked in.

Kiwi Flyer

WELLINGTON to NELSON (WLG-NSN) on NZ Q300

This flight is on time. As usual boarding is announced in the lounge late so no wait at the gate – a few steps across the tarmac dodging the rain drops, up the stairs and into my seat. Another passenger was in my seat. When I checked in in Auckland the row in front was empty (indeed as it turns out I was the last passenger to board so the row in front was really empty) and so I volunteered to the FA to take a seat there however she would have none of that and so the other passenger returned to her seat and I took mine. The seat pre-allocation on this flight was rather odd with no passengers in either of the front 2 rows.

There were lots of Air New Zealand aircraft taking up all the airbridge gates and many prop aircraft parked up across the tarmac. On the other side of the terminal was a lone Qantas 737. We had a short wait taxiing to the runway, to allow several flights to land and some to take off ahead of us. While the wait was tiny compared with some major airports (London Heathrow for example) it was still a little annoying on such a short flight to spend so long on the ground.

With the wind in Wellington being a southerly and likely a northerly in Nelson I hoped there was a reasonable chance of the southern routing being in use – directly over the mountains of the northern South Island (as opposed to the more common northern routing over the Marlborough Sounds). I like this routing with the spectacular mountain views (when skies are clear) and the pirouette on descent into the airport. For the first time in many flights between Wellington and Nelson I get the southern routing. Unfortunately the cloud cover is still extensive, so the views are limited to the peaks of the Kaikoura mountain ranges as well as glimpses of mountains and deep valleys below.

On the Nelson side of the ranges the cloud cover is much patchier so we have views of the bays, estuaries, plains and hills. We descend over the ranges and cross the airport. However instead of the expected pirouette to land we head straight across the forested Rabbit Island and the Moutere Hills, a thin layer of ground fog filling the gullies. We then circle to the south, completing a slow lap of the patchwork Waimea plains in nearly as much time as the rest of the flight, with good views of mountains out to the right throughout. On landing the reason for the delay is obvious with 5 aircraft (including ours) landing in a short period thanks to weather delays caused by the low cloud.

Kiwi Flyer

NELSON to HAMILTON (NSN-HLZ) on NZ Beech 1900C operated by Vincent Aviation

It is an early start to the day but despite the hour the small airport is a hive of activity with full loads on 5 flights taking many commuters to the main cities in the next 50 minutes. I use the quick check machine and get all my boarding passes. On all flights I was offered no choice of seats due to flights being full. With a seat assignment in row 2 I wasn’t happy remembering that on the Beech 1900D this is a non window seat. But I was not so unhappy as to wait in line for the check in agent to ask for a seat swap.

Boarding is called and I take a long walk across the tarmac to one of the farthest possible gate positions. Despite my carry on being easily small enough to fit under the seat in front of me, I am invited to put it in the “closet” (in reality a nook opposite the door with webbing holding the contents in). Thanks – gives me more legroom. I didn’t see anyone else being offered use of the closet, so perhaps the offer was made upon spying the status on my boarding pass? I am pleased to see the layout of Beech 1900C is indeed different to the Beech 1900D and row 2 has windows. Yay.

Once the engines are started and thick condensation wiped off the front windows (dang FT auto-censor ), we taxi past the early golfers at the course next door and then take off to the south, banking sharply back towards the north. The mountain ranges have sheltered the bay and so good views of the waters, inlets and even the sandy finger of Farewell Spit which partially encloses Golden Bay. As we head through the skies, the drone makes me sleepy, or is that the lack of coffee? Once over the western expanse of Cook Strait, well away from the mountains, we encounter cloud cover which reduces the views. However there are enough gaps to see the plains of Taranaki and volcano, and we fly a zig-zag course around towering thunderstorms over the hill country. We descend over the farmlands and small towns of Waikato and land at the airport.

A Freedom Air aircraft painted with the Warner Bros colour scheme, is waiting to take off for Australia. Otherwise the airport is quiet. Even the ongoing construction in the terminal is stopped at the moment. With no checked bags I am quickly on my way into town.

Kiwi Flyer

HAMILTON to PALMERSTON NORTH (HLZ-PMR) on NZ Beech 1900C operated by Vincent Aviation

Back at the airport and despite having my boarding pass already I head to check in counter, in order to get the code for the lounge door. I notice there are a few tables and chairs for the small café which has very ordinary looking offerings, and due to construction there are no power outlets or even inside toilet (instead a row or portapotties outside ). The lounge is small and has minimal amenities - fridge with 4 different beers and 2 different wines, tea, coffee, juice, chilled water, tv and a newspaper and some magazines. No computer and only 3 power points (2 of which used by tv and photocopier). The one desk is hopeless being full with the photocopier, phone and junk.

About the time I expect boarding I head out to pay the newly introduced departure tax (aka renovation slush fund) – NZ$5 for all passengers A choice of either using kiosk (credit card/ATM card only), or paying in cash at the counter manned by 3 airport employees. Add the other airport employee standing around by the gate scanning the receipts and we have 4 employees for the few daily flights just dealing with this new tax - more of an employment generator funding than for the renovations I reckon There are signs informing that Air NZ has taken the airport to court over legality of the charges and thus be sure to keep your receipt in case it can be refunded (only in person at the airport – fat lot of good that will do for many). The aircraft is late arriving so I wander outside for some fresh air while I wait.

The same aircraft I flew earlier in the day lands, empties and soon boards. The flight is again full. Good to see new services being well patronised. The skies have cleared and we have great views of the Waikato basin and then the hills and mountains of the central North Island. We fly close to Ruapehu, but not quite close enough to see the full crater lake which has been in the news lately for the impending lahar risk as the level nears the top of the soft tephra layer thrown up by the 1995/6 eruptions.

There is quite a contrast in land uses en route, from lush brilliant green farms, to forested slopes and bush/scrub in rugged terrain, to the sparse desert-like vegetation in the acidic soils around the volcanoes, and more bush forest and farms down into the lowlands. As we descend into Palmerston North we see across the ranges dotted with windmills into inland Wairarapa, and before us the floodplains and urban sprawl. When we land it is a busy time with several aircraft of all sizes, including another Freedom Air flight – this time painted in Air NZ colours.

Kiwi Flyer

PALMERSTON NORTH to AUCKLAND (PMR-AKL) on NZ ATR 72-500

With a little bit of time to kill to my next flight I head to check in to again get the code to access the lounge. I am reminded to pay my departure tax (again NZ$5 payable in $1 and $2 coins only, no change given, at a machine on the wall). Very annoying.

Then up to the nice lounge. It isn’t huge but has a nice outlook over the apron, some tasty nibbles and several different beers and wines. The newspaper is long gone but there are plenty of magazines. Plenty of desks with power outlets for working on, even watching the telly at the same time.

Boarding is called a little late, and with yet another full flight we can’t make up the time. Other than the business seats on NZ’s A320 and selected Jetconnect (QF) aircraft, I think the ATR 72-500 has the most comfortable seats of all the domestic aircraft. Only 2 abreast and seems the same or slightly more legroom as on the 737. It is noisy though and feels like it is travelling very slow, but looks are deceptive. The flight tracks back over the way I just came, passing directly over Hamilton and continuing on to Auckland. Ahhh.

Meeting and work accomplished, nice food and drink, a couple of naps to catch up on much needed sleep, and cross off 2 more routes as flown. Not a bad day out.

Kiwi Flyer

AUCKLAND to WANGANUI (AKL-WAG) on NZ Beech 1900D

After my meeting in Auckland was rescheduled I dreaded the dash to the airport during rush hour which is never pleasant at the best of times never mind trying to beat the check in cut-off for the only flight of the evening to Wanganui. Fortunately the meeting finished early for the central city resembled a parking lot thanks to incidents both northbound and southbound on the motorway. Even with some aggressive driving it still took 90 minutes, much of this time taken in the first kilometre or so.

So I was relieved to arrive at the airport ahead of the closure of check in. Again no real choices of seating offered by the quick check machine. Through security to the lounge and just barely enough time to sample a couple more of the approx 15 seasonal beers (this on top of near dozen different regular beers!). I’ve been slowly working my way through the offerings but summer is fast running out so I suspect I will not get to sample them all. The food is slightly disappointing – greasy looking sausages, 3 different salads, roasted vegetables, salsa, rolls and fruit. So I give the masses milled around the servery a wide berth and catch up on some emails. Indeed the lounge is the fullest I have seen it in a while, literally standing room only despite the 250 seats.

Boarding is called for several flights in quick succession for this is a very busy time of day with lots of business travellers and commuters returning home. I make my way to the prop gate lounge and then to the furthest gate of all. I was surprised not to be paged en route as I normally am on the prop flights.

As we taxi out I notice Reg Grundy’s private jet is still sitting on the tarmac as it has for the past 2 or more months. We scurry out after a bank of arriving aircraft, quickly take off and bank steeply away to give the following jets taking off some more room. With clear skies most of the way we have great views from 15,000 feet of the varied landscapes below. Our path is more to the east than that used by jets flying between Auckland and Wellington or Christchurch, thus loosely follows the Waikato and Waipa rivers south – along much the same route as taken by the main trunk rail line over which I rode last year. Again I marvelled at the ingenuity of the engineers who plotted the course – even from this height it isn’t obvious that there is an easy way through the rugged hills and plateau.

We had a couple of big bumps coming in low over the hills on the outskirts of Wanganui before turning over the small city and landing at the airport just across the river from the city centre.

Kiwi Flyer

WANGANUI to WELLINGTON (WAG-WLG) on NZ Beech 1900C (operated by Vincent Aviation)

This route has only very recently restarted and so I’d managed to get a reasonable introductory fare. When I originally booked there was to be a 1 hour connection, however in the interim the schedule had been changed to reduce the connection to 30 minutes. I not only got notified by email but the Wanganui airport agent also called me to make sure I was aware of the change.

When the aircraft arrived from Wellington they offloaded the passengers, no checked baggage and called us to board immediately. A small load with just the 2 pilots and 3 passengers, and no checked bags either. So the flight left early with the aircraft spending less than 10 minutes on the ground including taxi time! Amazing how much more efficient they can be for the last flight of the day. In the end I got to Wellington more than an hour early – more time to enjoy the evening entertainment.

We were warned to expect a bumpy flight along Cook Strait with winds around 50 knots. Sure enough there was a big surf pounding the beach we crossed just after take off, and the sea was full of white caps blown along in the wind. We cut the corner of the broad sweep of the southwest coastline and passed near the rugged Kapiti Island – its seaward cliffs plunging from the ridge in contrast to the lush forested hills rolling down the other side. Flying in across the northern hill suburbs we got a neat rollercoaster ride. Seeing through the forward windows the pilots struggling to keep the runway in line. Then finally a hard landing, making good use of both length and width of the runway. The Lyall Bay surf was crashing up against the road beside the runway. As is often the case at Wellington we had a long walk from past the end of the prop finger pier to arrivals.

Kiwi Flyer

WELLINGTON to GISBORNE (WLG-GIS) on NZ Beech 1900D

Back out to the airport – a short ride from the central city. With no bags to check I head straight for the lounge and check in using the quick check machine there. Once again there is no choice of seats but the auto-selected seats are good enough.

I grab breakfast and a coffee while I wait for the flight. One coffee machine is broken, so like the Auckland lounge only one machine is in operation. For breakfast there is toast, several different cereals, cold cuts, a selection of fresh fruit, yoghurt, juice, quiche, etc. Not bad at all. I also check my email before heading out to my flight. At the gate I’m asked to wait a moment since the aircraft next door to mine has started its engines. A couple of minutes later it departs and I board last. With one spare seat I put one carry on by that seat and the other under the seat in front of me.

As we take off I notice the surf has subsided somewhat from yesterday but still plenty of white caps. Unfortunately there is an extensive layer of low cloud obscuring all views even though we are in bright sunshine above it. An hour later we descend over the hills behind Gisborne and a break in the clouds in the sheltered Poverty Bay. We fly over lots of vineyards and land short of the railway which crosses the runway.

Another 2 domestic routes down, still quite a lot to go.

Kiwi Flyer

GISBORNE to AUCKLAND (GIS-AKL) on NZ Beech 1900D

I have enough time to see to some things in the nearby town before heading back to the airport for my onward flight. This time the flight is full and so no room onboard for my second carry on. The pilot stows it in the hold for me, which I collect on arrival directly from the aircraft rather than waiting at baggage claim. Good service.

North of Gisborne the skies are largely cloud free so we have great views of the hills and mountains, from coast to coast. The Taranaki cone in the distance with the central volcanoes in the middle distance and many smaller ones closer. Lakes Taupo and Rotorua looking large nestled amongst the hills, and the smaller lakes dotted amongst the bush nearby. The tranquil blue seas of Bay of Plenty. Even a steam plume on White Island which is currently in a reawakening phase with its crater lake edging closer to boiling point.

The cultivated fields between the Kaimai Ranges and the coast, forested Coromandel Ranges reaching north towards the sun and low farmlands stretching out between the east and west coasts. Ahead lies the sprawl of Auckland city while Hamilton city and other Waikato towns are clearly seen amongst the farmland to our left.

All too soon the we descend and the short trip is over. I am thankful that I have had 4 such good flights. While the aircraft seems slow compared to the normal pace of jets, the low altitude more than makes up for it in my opinion.

Kiwi Flyer

Some more to come soon.