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Posted By:
Hal Brown
Date Posted:
Apr 16, 2011
Description:
Dark and dreary was beginning to seem routine for New Zealand weather. At the airport no one was flying.
The helicopter pilot, Steve, and I sat considering how to get our passengers to their scheduled golf game far to the south.
Driving was not an option. Even if we could find a limousine it would take hours on the twisting, winding roads.
We checked with the charter guys and they weren’t flying either. They did set into motion preparations for launching as soon as the fog lifted a bit.
We got calls from the passengers. They were waiting.
“If the fog lifts, I’m flying,” Steve announced. “It’s starting to thin out now.”
I watched the fog roll up and down in a teasing undulation. One minute you could see the runway, next not.
Steve called the resort where the passengers were staying. “It’s open there,” he reported. “I’m going to get them. Maybe the coast is clear.”
Morosely I concluded, “Maybe for helicopters. Not for SeaRey pilots.”
Steve launched into a vague opening. Seconds later it closed.
I waited anxiously by the phone. Fifteen minutes drug by like an hour. The phone rang. “I’m here but the boss is in the sauna. I’ll let you know when we leave.”
The charter pilots and I wandered around looking over our airplanes and waiting. It gave me time for a detailed inspection of how the splashing had affected the hull repair: not at all. Whew!
Periodically Steve would call. “It’s closed in solid here now,” he admitted. Finally a regional Air New Zealand flight landed. The pilots assured us it was clear 30 miles to the south. It was barely legal where we were. “If the helicopter can get here, we can launch,” the charter guys told me.
I called Steve. “I can’t see the tips of the rotor blades,” he said with resignation.
What seemed like hours later the gray helicopter materialized out of the mist. “We need fuel and food,” Steve announced as he jumped out and ran to the pumps.
I headed for the little snack bar in the terminal building. They had nothing but some cookies, candy bars and “caramel oatmeal crisps.” I got some of everything. I managed to toss them into the helicopter as the rotors spun up. “See you in Taupo,” he said. “Or not.”
Now I had to go tell the charter pilots that their passengers had flown away. They were not even fazed. “That’s the charter biz,” they shrugged. Steve had authorized a nice little sum of Christmas cash for them. They were pleasantly surprised.
The weather was still way too iffy for a little SeaRey. I consoled myself by going back to the snack counter. Those caramel oatmeal crisps were looking pretty good. I bought every one they had left.
Date Taken:
Apr 16, 2011
Place Taken:
Kerikeri, NZ
Owner:
Dan Nickens
File Name:
Looking_for_Space.jpg - Photo HTML
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Category:
446, Yacht Tending NZ
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Read what others had to say:
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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The gauntlet had been laid down. The pressure was on. The SeaRey was sitting while the helicopter was taking its passengers to their destination. Still, the ceiling was not legal for SeaReys. I had to sit and watch the helicopters and regional props come and go.<br /><br />When local sightseeing flights began to depart, that was encouragement enough to give it a go. With no hope of catching the helicopter I decided just to take the scenic route (at least that was my excuse this time).<br /><br />After flying over nothing but forests and volcanoes, it was a relief to find water again. The coast was wide open and offered a great route south. The submerged valley at the convergence of the Arapaoa and Otamatea Rivers was a perfect release from overly tense inland flying. I decided to give up on worrying about scheduled SeaRey service and focus on what we’re good at: flying for fun.<br />
| | Attachments:
Coastal River
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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Summertime is a strange time for Christmas blossoms. It happens Downunder on the Oruawharo River.<br /><br />By this late time I had completely forgotten my obligations with the SeaRey. There was too much splashing to be done.<br />
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Christmas Tree
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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The hills were nicely sculpted and pleasing to view. Then suddenly sculptures appeared on the hills. “Sculptures on the sculpted hills?” There aren’t too many sights of man’s handiwork on the landscape that one can call nice. This was a definite exception. It beaconed to be investigated.
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Sculpted Hills
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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A close up view revealed a giant trumpet squashed on one end. And that wasn’t the only strange thing. The cleared pastures were full of strange and colorful shapes.<br /><br />“What is this place? Art for space aliens?”<br />
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Squashed Trumpet
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Don Maxwell - Apr 16,2011
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Bizarre! Does form follow function? Or does function follow form? It looks like you could stand in the road bell and hear the ocean sounds collected by the other one. Or stand in the center and hear the ocean and the road at the same time. Or... if a cow stands at the other end, it could be art for fart's sake.
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Eric Batterman - Apr 16,2011
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Alan Gibbs (wealthy nz inventor, investor, etc) owns this sculpture farm. He also likes amphibious vehicles
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Aquada
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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Scattered all about a rather large parcel of property were brightly colored geometric constructions. Somehow I can’t imagine a DOT guy here in the U.S. approving this for commuters. I could imagine this kind of thing in a Disney fantasyland. I guess it would be a bit routine in at Disney World.
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Funky Bridge
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Frank A. Carr - Apr 30,2011
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Looks like a 'Jungle Jim' with consequences.
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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“The tower either collapsed or it’s a giant game of pickup sticks? What purpose could it serve? It’s not even visually appealing.” Well, wait a minute. I had now spent five minutes circling it. “Could be a trap for SeaRey pilots,” I concluded.
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Poorly Built Tower
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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If it’s giant squares you like, any color you want was available. “Some kind of massive Rubik cube? Some old kid gone wild?” Surely no government would build something like this! Who would?
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Paint Palettes
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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In New Zealand cows are patrons of art. After seeing such giant lawn (pasture?) art, I was too.
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Cow Cover
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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Art for snake’s sake?<br /><br />There was something really strange about this place. “Where are all the people?” I expected crowds on a beautiful holiday to be engulfing the place.<br /><br />“Wait a minute,” I mumbled, “What would the ground-bound see? How could they take it all in?” There was only one conclusion: this had to be art for pilots’ sake.<br />
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Snakey Art
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Don Maxwell - Apr 16,2011
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That one looks like a human nose in profile. Whoever own that land has a wonderful sense of humor--and of art.
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Dennis Vogan - Apr 16,2011
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Dan, what ever happened to good 'ol simple crop circles?
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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After leaving the open air art gallery I headed straight for an airport on the outskirts of Auckland: North Shore (NZNE). Before I could launch again I was accosted by a SeaRey admirer.<br /><br />His interest in seaplanes had a rational basis. It turned out Roger was part of a group operating a PBY out of the other general aviation airport in Auckland (Ardmore). If I hadn’t been chasing the helicopter (sorta), I would have offered to trade rides. (The New Zealand PBY, aptly registered as “NZ-PBY”, does sightseeing rides (see <a href="http://www.catalina.org.nz/">http://www.catalina.org.nz/</a> ).<br /><br />Roger was so friendly I decided to ask about the pilot art. “Oh, that! I fly over it all the time. I have no idea what it is all about.” Well, that’s art for you.<br /><br />My seaplane friend briefed me on the local airspace and recommended some routing. “No worries if you want to fly downtown in the capital city…just keep over the water.” That’s what I did, around Mechanics Bay, past the Sky Tower, and right up to the Harbour Bridge.<br />
| | Attachments:
Going Right Downtown
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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This volcano doesn’t look like it has been active in the last few years. Good thing, because it is just outside Auckland’s pacific harbor.<br /><br />What are the odds it will blow again? If not this one, another for certain. That’s what happens when you live on the boundary of world class continental plates. The “ring of fire” runs right through New Zealand. It’s just a matter of time.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the sheep were enjoying the scenery. For the people of Auckland, the odds of a volcanic eruption in their lifetime were predicted to be 1 in 100. For sheep, it’s even better I surmised: 1 in 253? Maybe a shorter life span isn’t all bad.<br />
| | Attachments:
Quiet Cone
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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Instead of taking the direct route south, I detoured around the coast. Contours, waves and limbs sketched lines all across the windscreen.
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Textured Scene
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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This mighty volcanic cone had been reduced to a hole in the ground. A boiling cauldron of useful building material, special delivery from the earth’s interior, had been dutifully extracted by someone’s hand.<br /><br />An old ore boat lay derelict to the side. It is fascinating to me that such labors of industry as required to build such a craft can be abandoned. Maybe its fate is to be a form of dynamically decaying art?<br />
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Mined Cone
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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Not abandoned. The old ship doesn’t sail anymore, but it is hard at work protecting the port. I thought about splashing down along side to explore it. Unfortunately my progress was such that I might just be able to catch up with the helicopter before dark. There would be some redemption for SeaRey service if I could at least make the scheduled destination on the scheduled date.<br /><br />Sigh. I flew on.<br />
| | Attachments:
Proudly Breaking Water
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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To get to Taupo before sunset, I had to take an inland path. The Waihou River made a great, flat valley to fly over. Agriculture spread out between the hills bounding both sides. I was flying a straight line now and was getting a little bit bored.<br /><br />Not really bored. Just not as stimulated as SeaRey flying can be. There was not any interesting water. There weren’t any rugged hills. There wasn’t even any roiling winds to give the flight an edge.<br /><br />Checking the map, I saw an opportunity: a wide river. Diverting over to the Waikato River, New Zealand’s longest, offered a nice fresh break from land-bound cross country flying. And it wasn’t even a major zag in my sometimes responsible routing!<br />
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Lake Break
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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Lake Taupo is a large lake. Its sky was even larger.<br /><br />Actually Lake Taupo is the caldera of a massive volcano. The 20 to 25 mile wide, 600’ deep lake was formed after a massive eruption 25,000 years ago (the largest known eruption on earth during the last 70,000 years).<br /><br />Another eruption in 186 A.D. dwarfed later day blowhard wannabes like Krakatoa (the last Taupo blow up was 100 times bigger than Mt. St. Helens). The whole area, known as the Taupo Volcanic Zone, is still alive with volcanoes and geothermal activities. Taupo has exploded 28 times in the last 25,000 years.<br /><br />That should certainly give one pause to think about the dangers of SeaRey flying….at least in volcanic zones. “What the heck! One in 360,000 is probably the best odds I’ve had all day!”<br />
| | Attachments:
Lake Taupo Skies
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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The white cliffs were brilliant in the late afternoon sun. It was the late sun that made me think about Steve. He had texted me to say he was waiting at the airport. What a guy! Obviously he doesn’t know my flying habits very well or he would be back at the hotel in the bar. Feeling a little bit guilty at my wayward ways, I turned direct to the town.
| | Attachments:
White Cliffs of Taupo
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2011
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Normally I avoid McDonalds for Christmas Eve lunch, but with a dining room inside its own DC3 made this one was attractive.<br /><br />I had time. Despite having arrived on my scheduled day, I was grounded anyway. Wild gales of wind kept the SeaRey out of the sky.<br /><br />Not the helicopter! A 5000 pound turbine helicopter has to fly when the boss wants to buy a couple of touring motorcycles. I hitched a ride with them to Tauranga, happy to be in the air even in the back seat.<br /><br />Dinner was with Steve in the hotel restaurant. Other than being on the other side of the world from our families, we had fine company and dining.<br />
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Happy Meals
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