To Queenstown by Private Transport - or How Not to Spend Money!

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TO QUEENSTOWN BY PRIVATE TRANSPORT - OR HOW NOT TO SPEND MONEY ! It started very casually when a bloke too unfavourable for a small plane! I know said he could fly me to Queens- Our pilot was nonchalantly undistown for a weekend for f5 return, if I mayed, and announced that he intended could find two other starters. Very to go down to 500 feet and fly on under casually I mentioned it at Club. Dick all the cloud. Equally nonchalant, we Simmons and Dan Lowe expressed im- began whistling "Those Magnificent Men mediate but dubious interest-f5 seemed and Their Flying Machines" and "The very low. More investigation followed. High and the Mighty", and talked about "It can be done," the bloke said. "Tll shoes and ships and sealing wax. Then fly you anywhere in New Zealand at we were out of it, and the blood started half N.A.C. rates." More discussion fol- to flow back into our previously white lowed. Finally we decided-we would knuckles. go. We flew down the South Island coast, Motel bookings were made. By this past Cape Campbell and Kaikoura, in time John McKay and Tony Warr had beautiful weather and landed at Christexpressed interest, and frantic searching church for a very quick refuelling stop, produced our sixth starter, Warren Ire- and were soon airborne again. An unson-enabling us to use two planes. eventful trip followed, with beautiful On Friday, 17 September we all met views of the plains and alps. We climbed at Paraparaumu Airport, to find it closed. into the Mackenzie Country and had a Cloud level down to 500 ft. and a light look at Benmore, then continued south mist was falling. We waited with blind past Lauder to Alexandra. impatience, pointing repeatedly to small Knowing we would not make Queensholes in the cloud and asking the ignor- town with the daylight left, we elected ant pilots why they couldn't go up to turn back 10 miles and land at a through them. Finally it cleared, and at sheep station run by some friends of 2p p.m. the first plane-an "Horizon" our pilot, Bryce Nairn. After a tense with Warren, John, and Tony on board 10 minutes locating the strip in the fail- -took off and headed south. The rest of ing light, we eventually landed (on the us took off-in a Cessna-about 10 second attempt) uphill on to a ridge. minutes later. When we got level with The owners had seen us land and had Mana Island we heard, and saw, the driven up from the homestead to meet others turning back to Paraparaumu as us. After tying the plane down, we retheir pilot decided that conditions were turn.d to the homestead and were sub- jected (very willingly) to the much talked call from our pilot who had returned to about "southern hospitality". After a Armstrong's farm for the night. He said very large meal, we were invited to go he had had one attempt to get in to us with the owners (Mr and Mrs Arm- and had gone up to 9000 feet in an effort strong) to a local country dance or- to get over the turbulence, but had been ganised to. farewell a couple from the forced back. However, he was going to local area who were leaving to start try again and would three of us please their own farm farther south. This even- be waiting at the airstrip. Lots were ing was much appreciated and we finally drawn and Tony, John, and myself duly got to bed at 3 a.m. took a taxi out to the strip. Bryce A half-hour saw us in Queenstown, and eventually arrived, having climbed to air by seven. We had learned that the 11,000 feet (which is nearly ceiling for other three had talked another pilot into a Cessna) and dropping down suddenly flying them as far as Christchurch where through a hole in the cloud. he had left them and returned to Wel- Getting out was not so easy. With a lington. full load the highest we could get was A half-hour saw us in Queenstown, and 9000 ft. and we spent a very tense -hour Bryce refuelled and left for Christchurch circling north, south, east, and west, to pick up the others, returning to following breaks in the cloud, until I Queenstown at about 12 noon. was completely lost and hoping the pilot Dan, Dick, and myself checked into knew where he was, but not daring to our motel, changed, and caught the first ask in case he didn't! However, we didn't bus up to Coronet Peak. At this stage we hit Mt. Aspiring, but came out of the found that our poles and my boots were clag over Alexandra, much to my disin the other plane! However, we hired belief-I thought we were heading for gear and started to ski. Or at least, Milford-and then enjoyed a very fast Dick and Dan did, while I went mad with run up to Christchurch. my camera. When I duly put on my skis, Bryce then left us and returned to I found that the hired boots did not fit Queenstown for the others, arriving there my bindings, and that the hire skis-it at dusk to find they had moved out of being near the end of the season-were the motel. They had shifted to a hotel such that you would have to pole your- and returned to Wellington on Monday self downhill! I decided, wrongly as it by bus and Viscount from Christchurch. turned out, to content myself with rid- Bryce returned alone on Monday, and ing the chairlift, and sightseeing until John, Tony, and myself had flown back the others turned up with my boots-or on N.A.C. on Sunday night. perhaps I would ski on Sunday. The best laid plans of mice and Neither eventuated. The others had men. - - ! duly arrived to find that the last bus had The empty flights by Bryce, and the run and that taxis or private cars were other pilot who turned back, plus our not allowed up the road due to deep N.A.C. costs, had upped our initial mud. We returned at about 4 p.m. and planned cost of £14 each total, for the drowned our sorrows at Eichart's. About weekend, to about £34, which Dan workfive we returned to the motel where we ed out to £3/10/0 a run at Coronet were greeted, not very enthusiastically, Peak. This, we all agreed, was too much by John, Tony, and Warren. After a for a weekends skiing, especially as half shower and another change of clothes, of us didnt get any, but as an experience we went back to the Queenstown Hotel in flying in a small plane, the fun we where we stayed until 6p p.m., when we had in Queenstown, and the people we went to O'Connell's Hotel where we had met, it was well worth it. booked in for the evening meal. We ran Clive Bickerton. through the full menu from soup to P.S.: Memo to all keen skiers: Please nuts and finished on 28-year-old brandy, go to Coronet Peak. "SKI-HI offer eight coffee, and cigars. days, all costs including tow charges, for By this time we had nearly restored £39/10/0. If you work this out, it is our sense of humour and completed the fantastically cheap and well worth it. process by staying in the house bar until The new double chairlift has a maximum 11 p.m. This was a very carefree (but queue at the height of the season of only very expensive) session and we thorough- 10 minutes, and the skiing is so totally ly enjoyed it. different from Ruapehu. But remember Next morning, after breakfast in bed -dont go by private plane! by courtesy of the motel, we had a phone -C.B. -