ATWC036 - Auckland (NZAA) to Rarotonga (NCRG)

[ddavid 149]

Welcome to Leg 36 of the Mutley's Hangar Around The World Challenge III

from Auckland International (NZAA), North Island, New Zealand

to Rarotonga International (NCRG), Cook Islands - a New Zealand Protectorate.

To make it a little more interesting, the post is divided into three parts:

1. A short trip in the Bell 206 Jet-Ranger (Dodo-Sim) to the sea-plane dock in down-town Auckland;

2. A flight in the Grumman Goose (Mt. Cook Airways) to Tonga, and

3. The final section to Rarotongs - details to be confirmed......

As usual, you gotta have a story - so, suspend belief (As usual! - Ed), sit back, and relax.....

Will Captain Williams please report to the Mount Cook Airways desk? Will Captain.... They'd called me back from leave early because there was some flap going on. Possibly the earthquakes on South Island, or some visiting dignitary needing their hand held - I wasn't too enthusiastic about finding out - I was just brassed off at having to return. But, it was a job, and in these times, you had to take the rough...

Hey - Doc! Enjoy your red-eye?!? Sam, my usual flying partner, and the only New Zealander I knew to have a sense of humour, slapped me on the back and took my flight bag.

Boy, have we got ourselves a job - you're going to love this one, mate!

Now, Sam was never one to exaggerate, so I turned to him to ask what, but he held his finger to his lips, and winked conspiratorially. C'mon - I got the Ranger warmed up and they're expecting the cavalry any time now!

We pushed through the 'No Entry' doors and headed out towards the cargo ramp. The company's only helicopter, a Bell 206 with floats, was parked with its turbine ticking over:

Behind it sat an old B738 in Freedomair livery, having its insides emptied of garbage after a tourist trip. I'd managed to get a last-minute seat on a NZA A320 - more leg room, but a noisy flight - I was looking forward to a real sleep, an unlikely luxury, seeing Sam's frantic activity.

Hey, careful with the bag... I yelled, as Sam stowed it under the passenger seats ... and for Pete's sake, spill the beans, won't you?

Oh - you'll see - you'll see!!Sam was already requesting clearance for take off from the tower - we could go after the NZA cleared the main runway:

O.K. - we'll keep clear of the Sky Tower, for you. That meant down-town Auckland - and the helicopter base next to the company's sea-plane dock.

So we're off somewhere in the Goose, right? Sam winked again - You got it, Doc - a nice spell over the briney... Again, I asked where to, but he wouldn't budge, just carried on with his pre-flight check-list, the whine of the turbine making further conversation impossible.

With the rotor rpm just under the red, Sam lifted off, and we gained height towards the south, passing over the main terminal:

Another Freedomair B738 was taking off - this was the holiday season, and Auckland was as busy as I'd ever seen it.

We were skirting the suburbs and heading towards Mount Eden and, beyond that, Herne Bay - not the one my folks took me on holiday, but like so many place-names, taken from the old country.

Looking down, I could see Ihumatao cricket club, last year's league champions, and where Sam and I would often retire to after a long flight. No chance of a cold one now, though...

Soon, we were over Manukau Harbour, with the city spreading out in front of us - Blackhouse Bay, Three Kings, One Tree Hill - stock-broker country - and, just visible to the right, the racecourse at Ellerslie.

Want to get personal with the Sky Tower?, asked Sam. Clearly, he wasn't interested in any no-fly zone as we neared the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere - "a hyperdermic needle giving a fix to the heavens", or so the locals had it.

It's your licence, mate... We were descending to around 1500 feet, with the city's high rise offices coming up to greet us. Just behind them, we could see a big cruise liner tied up at Princes Wharf, with the Bledisloe helicopter terminal in the distance:

Turning along the shoreline, just past the container ship wharves, was our sea-plane base - if you can call a portakabin office a base - up on top of Captain Cook Wharf:

Bell 206 - with you one mile west Sam reported our position to Bledisloe, and Control gave the approach instructions. Sam descended further:

You'll never believe who's meeting us, Doc - I do hope you're ready for this... I scanned the landing zone for familiar faces - just a couple of mechanics - no big deal. But, next to a people carrier parked by the hangar, was a the sillouette that struck a chord:

Sam cut the power after we'd touched down and we unstrapped:

Don't forget your bag... I picked it from the floor and turned to find myself looking back into the past - and listening to that husky voice again.

Well, Captain, long time no see!

... to be continued ...

Cheers - Dai.

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Tell us more! Please!!!!

[mutley 4,498]

Just when you had me hooked in to the story then bang! Don't leave us like this Dai!!

It's nice to see relevant AI and the scenery is pretty good too, I am guessing it's default as I couldn't find any freeware.

Good work with flying the DodoSim 206 I am very impressed.

Looking forward tothe next episode

[Aidan 1]

Nice Leg! Ive been on the skytower, funny to watch people jump off it!

[rob16584 42]

Great start Dai, real cliffhanger!

[mutley 4,498]

Nice Leg! Ive been on the skytower, funny to watch people jump off it!

With parachutes? or suicide jockeys?

[wisemanp 0]

Classic Dai post! Can't wait for the rest...

[Aidan 1]

Nice Leg! Ive been on the skytower, funny to watch people jump off it!

With parachutes? or suicide jockeys?

100% suicide. Jks, I think they went own on a cord and slowed down and landed on a target.

[SEATAC 400]

Part one was great!

Eagerly awaiting part 2.

[stu7708 244]

Great start Dai..

Can't wait for the next part...

[CSoul 182]

Brilliant! I have only one gripe...

...the suspense is killing me!