34 Hobart - Queenstown
11. March
Hobart showed itself from the best side –sun from a clear blue sky the 2 days I spend there. The temperature was noticeable lower than in Sydney, its back to a more temperate climate.
On Saturday the weekly market near the harbour was on, and there were many interresting things for sale. It was difficult to find a hotel - and a hire car was impossible to get. Apparently there was some APEC meeting taking place – and it was a long weekend in Tasmania.
So I had to make do with a walk around in this pleasant city.
At 8.30 Sunday I was off in a taxi to the airport. The day before, I had made arrangement with the local customs, to meet them there at 9 am. When I arrived, the customs were there, and the departure clearance was prepared in a friendly way.
Before departing, I taxied to the fuel bowser to take on 394 litres of Avgas for the flight to New Zealand. By now I had figured out how to file an IFR flight plan in Australia, and the night before I had done it for a departure at 2300 Zulu.
25 minutes late I was ready to take off, and taxied to runway 30 for departure. I requested permission to circle around Hobart before resuming the route, and it was granted.
After the sight seeing, I started a climb to the flight level 110, and passed overhead the airport again en route direct to Queenstown in New Zealand. The weather was beautiful with almost clear skies, and initially a had a strong wind at about 35 knots coming in from the left, giving me a ground speed of more than 150 knots. Later the wind became weaker and turned more direct from North, so in average I cruised at about 140 knots.
After talking on the tower frequency for Hobart, I talked to Melbourne Center, and later I was shifted to Brisbane radio on the HF frequency 13261. I could call Brisbane, and I could hear the transmissions of other planes, but I could not hear Brisbane, so I ended up calling by satellite phone.
Every 30 minutes I called up, and gave my present position in coordinates, and the estimated position 30 minutes later. Passing the FIR boundary to Auckland FIR I called Auckland.
200 miles from Queenstown, I was only 20 minutes behind my planned arrival according to the flight plan. Ahead a wall of clouds that soon engulfed me. But after all – New Zealand is also known as “the Long White Cloud”.
Auckland informed me, that the control tower staff in Queenstown finished work about 20 minutes before I was to arrive – so I was on my own. But they were very helpful getting the latest weather etc. I was in for an exiting approach to an airport surrounded by mountains with peeks up to a 6000 feet! Although I have topography on my MDF it is slightly unsettling to start the approach at 7500 feet - and have no radar coverage. I looked for openings in the cloud layer and zigzagged in, until I had Lake Wakatipu in sight.
I made a visual landing coming in on right downwind to runway to runway 23.
On the ground- in what looked like a deserted airport - my good mood was soon spoiled. Looking for the customs, that was supposed to meet me, I came across a security guard, who seemed to think, that he had a major problem on hand with me. And right he was. After waiting for a couple of hours, a custom agent turned up – and if I thought I had overcome the worst with the Australian customs, I was in for surprise.
A more rude and unfriendly attitude, than shown from this officer, is hard to imagine.
I had off course filed a flight plan 24 hour before arrival, I had mailed the New Zealand Customs to advice of my arrival, and tried to ring a telephone number given to me by the Australian customs – a number that did not function, and I had tried to call the customs office in Christchurch – as there is no telephone number for customs in Queenstown. And I had tried to call Queenstown Airport.
But this lady officer announced, that I could be terrorist! Among other checks, she went ahead to ring the hotel where I had made a booking – to check if I was telling the truth about it. Truly amazing!! She searched all my luggage including my valet – took out a business card of mine, and asked if she could have it. Unbelievable!
When I presented her with the clearance I had from the customs in Hobart, she suggested, that it was a piece of paper, I could have made up myself!
Also asked if I had smoked marihuana - and if I used stimulation substances while flying.
What a representative for New Zealand!
She searched the plane as well. After more than 3 hours, I was allowed to go to the hotel. But she insisted to keep the keys for the plane. And told me, that I should not expect to use the plane tomorrow – and that I should meet up in the police station – and to appear in court for turning up in the airport without notice!
