Thursday, May 21, 2015

High flying hermit

Two weeks off-island is a long time for this hermit but being in the big smoke makes me appreciate the fresh air and birdlife even more when I get home. I headed north to New Plymouth at the beginning of the month and I'll bring you pics of a different lifestyle in my next few blogs.

I'm very grateful to the weather gods for the nice calm flights and the sun was shining brightly in Invercargill as I waited a couple of hours for my flight to Wellington. Invercargill Airport is undergoing a major expansion - Stage I is underway at present and once this is completed everything will move to the left to allow Stage II to be built on the site of the existing terminal.

Invercargill Airport - Stage I of the rebuild to the left

Stage I - scheduled for completion early 2015

Existing terminal

I was cutting it a tad fine for my connecting flight at Wellington Airport; the pilot told us we were 10 minutes ahead of schedule so I wasn't expecting the final boarding call to be announced as soon as I started walking to the departure gate. My walk quickly escalated to a run and fortunately my backpack was whisked off one plane and on to the other at superfast speed. Well done, Air New Zealand!!

Clear skies gave stunning views of everything except Mt Taranaki - he decided to stay hidden for most of my visit.

Super clear views of the Central Plateau mountains