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Whataroa was perhaps the most unlikely
of destinations served by the New Zealand National Airways Corporation after
its formation in 1947. NZNAC took over Air Travel (NZ) Ltd’s services from
Hokitika north to Westport and Nelson and to South Westland on the 1st of October 1947 including Whataroa, or as it was spelt then Wataroa.
Located some 31 km north of Franz
Josef by road, (though in the 1940s the road went via Okarito Forks and would
have been some 10 kms further), Whataroa
was served on demand as part of an
unscheduled service to Waiho (Franz Josef). Wataroa ceased to be mentioned in
the NAC timetable in early 1954 which is when the last De Havilland Fox Moth
was retired from the NAC fleet which indicates that NAC served it with Fox Moths.
The airfield was located to the north of the township opposite the sawmill. Into the 1970s there were wooden runway boards and a windsock but I never saw an aircraft on the strip or, indeed, any photos of aircraft on the strip.
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| 1946 Whataroa airfield charts |
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| How it looks today from Good Earth... A rough estimation of where the Whataroa airstrip was from my memory |
My own guessimate it that it was
most likely to be used by the Doctor doing a clinic at the Wataroa hospital or
perhaps the judge heading to Wataroa for a hearing at the local court house.
Bill Rawstron recalls, circa 1951-2, as a small child my brothers and I flew into the Whataroa airfield with my mum (née Jessie Gunn) to visit her parents Willie and Minnie Gunn. I recall we sat in a cabin across the plane. Two pairs of seats facing each other, and the pilot sat above and behind this compartment . He had a view hole from cockpit down into the passenger compartment. The airfield was in the front paddock of the (once) Hyndman farm with the driveway to the house from road crossing this airfeild paddock. The farm was approximately 1 Km north of the Whataroa village on the main road.
Until 1954 a passenger could fly from Wellington to Westport via Nelson in, at first, a Lockheed Electra then later a Lockheed Lodestar or later still a Douglas DC-3. At Westport they would change to a De Havilland Dominie/Dragon Rapide and fly to Hokitika, though for a time the Lodestars flew through to Hokitika and the DC-3 service extended there from 1953. At Hokitika the passenger would change to a De Havilland Fox Moth to fly to Wataroa. I wonder how many, if any did that!
Bill Rawstron recalls, circa 1951-2, as a small child my brothers and I flew into the Whataroa airfield with my mum (née Jessie Gunn) to visit her parents Willie and Minnie Gunn. I recall we sat in a cabin across the plane. Two pairs of seats facing each other, and the pilot sat above and behind this compartment . He had a view hole from cockpit down into the passenger compartment. The airfield was in the front paddock of the (once) Hyndman farm with the driveway to the house from road crossing this airfeild paddock. The farm was approximately 1 Km north of the Whataroa village on the main road.
Until 1954 a passenger could fly from Wellington to Westport via Nelson in, at first, a Lockheed Electra then later a Lockheed Lodestar or later still a Douglas DC-3. At Westport they would change to a De Havilland Dominie/Dragon Rapide and fly to Hokitika, though for a time the Lodestars flew through to Hokitika and the DC-3 service extended there from 1953. At Hokitika the passenger would change to a De Havilland Fox Moth to fly to Wataroa. I wonder how many, if any did that!
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| NAC timetable, July 1949 |
Any other info, stories, photos that you would like to share would be most welcome - Steve westland831@gmail.com
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