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281 | 365 Travel

Back from Wellington before dark for a change and took this photo of a Beech 1900D on the tarmac at Hamilton Airport.

274 |365 Christchurch Airport

Flew Air NZ, Hamilton to Christchurch return today. I love flexible flights and Koru club.

258 |365 Success fades

Went in search for the Addington Coffee Co-op, took a wrong turn and ended up driving past the old abandoned Wood Bros flour mill. A quick google search reveals “The mill opened in 1891 and was powered by steam, lit by electricity and serviced by the railway line next door. The storage buildings pictured here were built in 1924. By 1936 it had the largest output of flour in the South Island. In 1970 Wood Bros Limited sold the mill complex”.
 
Wood bros no longer exists as a company.
 
It’s a reminder that even the most successful companies of their era, like the people who run them, will eventually fade away.

239 |365 One great reason to fly Jetstar.

The old adage “you get what you pay” is true. I fly with Jetstar because they are really really cheap. There is simply no other good reason.
 
Case in point. I arrived at the airport 40 minutes before the flight to see it was delayed by 50 mins. The next time I look it’s a 1:20 delay. Then 20 mins later it’s a 1:50 delay.
 
Fearing I wouldn’t get to Christchurch in time for my flight home, I went to Air NZ website booked a flight that left in 40 mins and landed on-time in Christchurch 90 minutes after my planned time.
 
I looked later and the Jetstar flight I was booked on arrived 3 ½ hours late.
 
Service – Nil
Communication – Nil
Reliability – Nil
 
The lesson, if you are looking for one. When flying on Jetstar always book on the first flight of the day. They generally manage to get their planes back to the right places over night.
 
Will I fly Jetstar again? YES
 
My next flight to Christchurch is in two weeks. I booked a few months ago for $4 each way. We just booked Jim on the same flights for $35 dollars one way. The same flight to Christchurch on Air NZ, at the same time, $399 one way.

168 | 365 - Almost home

To have a home, a real home, a safe home, a loving home, is there any sweeter thing?
 
Home is a place, but not the building. Home is the people, the laughter, the sadness, the exciting and the mundane.
 
At home you are best known and best cared for.
 
And yet for many many people in New Zealand don’t have a home. They have a place they call home, a roof over their heads. But it is not a home, certainly not in the sweetest sense of the word.
 
I flew to Christchurch yesterday morning for meetings, was scheduled to get home at 8:30pm last night. By lunch time our meetings were done, and Tere graciously dropped me at the airport and I caught the last direct afternoon flight.
 
I was home for dinner, home to chat with my kids. I was tired as it has been a very busy last 7 days. But I was home.
 
There is no sweeter thing.
 
 
168 | 365 – This is a shot of the Q300 as we turn onto finals over the Waikato River to land home in Hamilton.

In Welly...

I stayed at the Wellington Airport Motor Lodge last night in Lyall Bay. Something about waking up, seeing and hearing waves, even on a wet and windy day, makes the small basic room worth it.

Will stay here again....

Royal Albatross Centre

While down south Karina & I visited the Royal Albatross Centre.

I was blown away by two things.

1) The distance and speed these birds fly. One Bird calked Toroa (with GPS tracking) flew from Dunedin to South America. Top speed 109 km per hour, and did 1020km in one day.

2) The rubbish that is in our oceans. Picture one is taken of a dead Albatross chick that was found, and the rubbish in its gut. Picture 2 is the rubbish arranged in a mural. (click to enlarge images)

Thanks to Kate at the Royal Albatross Centre for the picture of the Albatross Chick.

Excess baggage here I come - Melbourne Day 2

Went exploring this fine city, caught a wrong train, missed a bus and walked for about an hour. Oh well. The buses trains and trams are an amazing network. I suspect if you know where you are going rather than just following your nose they would work a heap better as well.

Late yesterday afternoon I went to the Melbourne Observation Deck (tallest building in Australia). Stunning views and a beautiful day. And I finally worked out which way North is so I will do heaps better today.

Oh and I brought some books. 22 of them in fact (15 for me). I was worried at one point that they might have to physically remove me at closing time.

I know 15 books sounds excessive, but they are books you simply don’t find in NZ and I am not here often.

Today I have a rental car and am going to the freight expo. I ran out of time to get to an automated sorting depot yesterday.

Melbourne Day 1

Got into Melbourne around 6pm on Sunday night. Immediately I noticed the infrastructure. They actually have a motorway that goes from the airport to the city without have to drive through the suburbs, unlike Auckland!

Secondly I noticed the architecture, both old and modern. It is astounding and visually cool.

Yesterday I caught the train to Caulfield and spent the whole day at the careers day at Freight week so haven’t really explored yet.   

Then last night went and found some dinner and a Music shop that was open late. I couldn’t help myself I brought some old music that I have been missing for years I am a CD and MP3 boy now and have no mechanism for playing tapes and dear I say it records that I own. Dire Straights (I think I originally brought this album in the form of a record), Howard Jones, Crowded House and Lighthouse family.

I listen to Dire Straights as I type. It’s been a while.

Today is a day off so I am off to explore this fine city in day light. I am hopefully going to con my way into a transport business with automated sorting (geeky logistics thing). I will I am sure buy some books and drink much coffee.