Stewart Island Flights, Flight 162 bound for Invercargill

After a awesome couple of days on the incredibly breathtaking Stewart Island, it was time to head back to the mainland. We were booked on the 1.30pm flight. The weather had packed in, and it was super windy. The Ferry had been cancelled, and the early morning flight went missed and returned back to Invercargill. Things were not looking promising, and this was a worry. Whilst I could think of worse places to be stuck an extra night, this would play havouc with our schedule. We had to drive back to Queenstown that night in order to catch the first flight out of there the next morning. However, just before 1.00pm, the weather disapated, and it was looking good. Check in for our flight was at 12.50pm. Same drill as before, bags weighed, we were weighed.

I had a really good chat with the Check In Gentlemen, who told us that both Islanders and the Piper Cherokee were all on there way. One Islander was to remain on Rakiura, while the other one and the Piper were taking the people on our flight back to the mainland. About 15mins before departure, we were driven up to Ryans Creek Aerodrome in the SIFs Van. We sat on the road and a minute later we heard the roar of engines and our Islander, ZK-FWZ flew right over top of us and landed, in a pretty gusty wind. The passengers and bags were offloaded, and we were loaded. We took off to the south and had a very scenic, albeit turbulent climbout

The Stewart Island Flights Terminal in Oban

 ZK-FWZ and ZK-FXE at Ryans Creek Aerodrome

 

Takeoff Stewart Island

Patterson Inlet

Trying to get a close up of our Holiday House

 
Oban Township

 Hello South Island

Invercargill City

Main Street

On Finals for Invercargill Airport

 

Stewart Island Flights 161 bound for Ryans Creek/Oban

Stewart Island has been a place on my list 'of places to go to' for ages!! After having booked a weeks holiday down on the West Coast and Otago, I decided to push it out a extra few days and head down to Rakiura for a few days. I hate boats, so it was a clear cut option for me to fly to the island with the local airline. I paid $203 return for the 20minute flight to and from the Island. Although I booked a month in advance, I am sure prices don't fluctuate. The airline operates three daily flights from Invercargill and will operate an aircraft to suit. They have two Britten Norman Islanders, A Piper Cherokee and a Cessna. If there are only a couple of people booked, they will send the Piper over, and if there are heaps of people, they will send two Islanders. On the day we flew out, Both Islanders plus the Piper made the 1pm flight to Ryans Creek, One Islander remained on the Island and the Piper and other Islander returned our groups to the mainland.

Anyways, we had overnighted in Te Anau. We had two options for the drive to Invercargill, the more direct route through Lumsdum, and the indirect route through Tuatapere and Riverton. Unfortunately due to a sleep in, we opted for the shorter route. We arrived into Invercargill at about 12.00pm. Our check in was 12.30pm. We went to the Warehouse and got a book, just incase the weather on Rakiura turned. Out to the airport, were we parked our car and went inside to check In.

Check in was done by the pilot who was to fly us over. He weighed our bags. 15kg allowance per passenger (mine was 14.9kg! Yuss!!) and then we had to stand on some scales holding our carryon. I saw the number he jotted down, not too impressed with myself. Diet when I get home!!

Stewart Island Flights Boarding Pass

Boarding was called for flight 161 to Stewart Island, and we made our way out to the Aircraft, Britten Norman Islander, ZK-FXE. Me and my cousin who was traveling with me were seated in the seats directly behind the pilot, and right next to the prop. It was quite cramped. We got a quick safety briefing and started our taxi out to Invercargills runway 22.

Takeoff Invercargill

On Our Way South!

Cockpit of the Britten Norman Islander

Oreti Beach

Farewell South Island

Hello Stewart Island/Rakiura

Halfmoon Bay, Oban Township tucked just out of sight

Lush Bush

On Finals for Ryans Creek Aerodrome

Touchdown

Pics of Stewart Island Flights Britten Norman Islander ZK-FXE

Looking down the Ryans Creek Airstrip

NZ2602 to Kaitaia and NZ2603 back to Auckland

Trip Report from a quick jaunt to Kaitaia today.


I flew up to Auckland from Tauranga, and connected to my Kaitaia flight. The Weather in Auckland was real gloomy!!!

NZ2602 Auckland to Kaitaia, Beechcraft 1900D ZK-EAP, Seat: 3F

Departing Auckland on a gloomy morning

More Pics of Auckland City

 Above the Cloud layer at FL210

Powering North

Upper Reaches of the Hokianga Habour

Descending into Kaitaia

Through the Oval Window

Taxiing to the Terminal

Kaitaia's small Terminal and Ramp

Beechcraft 1900D, ZK-EAP at Kaitaia Airport

Kaitaia Airport

Kaitaia Airport

Kaitaia Airport is run by Serge and Susan Wintraecken, Susan taking care of inside matters, and Serge handling Ramp Duties. Kaitaia is served by two Beechcraft flights from Auckland on Weekdays, and one on weekends. The couple work seven days a week running the airport. This is the second time I have flown to Kaitaia, and was still wowed with the friendly Northern hospitality of the Airport staff. Turnarounds in Kaitaia are 20minutes. Baggage is unloaded onto a trolley and wheeled into the carpark. the terminal is tiny!! But very cute!!

The Boarding call for my return flight was Susan going around telling everyone they can board now. Love that!!

NZ2603, Kaitaia to Auckland, Beechcraft 1900D, ZK-EAP, Seat: 10F

Turning around to takeoff Runway 12, Kaitaia Airport

Rotate!

 Kaitaia Airports other runway 18/36

Lush Northland Farmland

Clouds over the Hokianga Harbour

The Cabin of the Beechcraft 1900D

Anyone who flies the Beechs regularly, will know these little things are great on a hot summers day!!

Descending into Auckland

Manukau Heads

Gear Down

Touchdown Auckland


The flight up to Kaitaia had only me and two other people onboard. I paid $29 for my ticket! Very loss making service. The flight back to Auckland had 8 people onboard, I really cant help feeling that Kaitaia will fall victim to the same fate as Masterton, Oamaru and Wanaka. With flights operating with so few passengers!! Kaitaia is definitely a Eagle port, demand would never grow to the point of having a Q300 or ATR being profitable on the route. Especially when the Beechcraft is no doubt making a consistent loss. It saddens me to think of all these ports that are losing their air services. The Far North is a low economic area, meaning bus and car travel will predominately have trumps over air travel.

On the grapevine, it is true Kaitaia is struggling, and also is Timaru and Westport. I really hope things improve!!


It was a great route to fly, and a awesome little airport. I really enjoyed it, and long may the Kaitaia-Auckland link continue.