On the 21st of November Sounds Air reintroduced an air service to Kaikoura following the closure of State Highway one caused by the Kaikoura Earthquake the week before. Blenheim-Kaikoura-Christchurch Monday to Friday return flights were introduced. The Kaikoura to Christchurch service subsequently ceased after the reopening of the highway to the south but the Kaikoura service continues.
As my meeting in Wellington on Thursday was cancelled after I had booked my flights there I thought I needed a bit of an adventure and as I had never flown into Kaikoura I flew across to Blenheim to catch Sounds Air's Kaikoura service. This is Part 1...
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| My flight to Blenheim, Kaikoura and back to Blenheim was under the command of Richard Kennard. It seems Sounds Air not only looks for good pilots... they want friendly pilots as well! |
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| Departing Blenheim's enlarged terminal at Woodbourne Airport on 23 February 2017 |
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| Rolling 06 at Woodbourne |
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| The lush vineyards compared to the dry Marlborough hills |
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| Blenheim looking towards Big Lagoon at the mouth of the Wairau River |
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| Turning south towards Kaikoura |
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| Despite a heavy rain a week before Marlborough was still very dry |
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| Mount Tapuaenuku shrouded in cloud |
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| Crossing the coast at Needles Point - Climbing to 8,000 on an IFR flight plan to Kaikoura |
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| A couple more of shots of Mount Tapuaenuku - and the reason why we were IFR |
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| Looking further south along the Kaikoura Range |
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| Back in use... the NDB approach for Kaikoura |
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| The cloud was starting to break up as we approached Kaikoura |
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| Spot the airfield... |
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| ...zoomed in in case you missed it |
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| The road south before we went into the cloud briefly |
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| Breaking off the approach now visual and spectacular views of the peninsula |
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| The colours of the sea |
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| Descent over Kaikoura |
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| Now where is that airfield again??? |
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| Wrong setting on the camera so a little blurred... and if you think the runway is short it is... it is only 700 metres long and so Sounds Air takes only a maximum of 10 passengers in or out. |
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| The Kaikoura terminal |
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| Sounds Air's Cessna 208 Caravan ZK-PDM at Kaikoura on 23 February 2017 |
For bookings on Sounds Air go to : http://www.soundsair.com/
For a history of Sounds Air's services to Kaikoura see :
Great photos of spectacular scenery; inspired me to go off on a bunny-trail about Mount Tapuaenuku about which I'd known nothing before. Thanks, and happy landings.
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