35 Queenstown - Christchurch
13. March 2007
I arrived in style at the hotel in a police car Sunday night.
I had handed over my passport, and the keys to the plane, to the New Zealand customs person - who did not identify herself. I asked her for a card, but she only wrote her name down on the back of a police officer's card.
I got no receipt for the keys - or my passport.
Yesterday morning I went to the police station, and I was told that the plane would be disinsected in the afternoon. I was asked by a senior officer to come to a meeting in 2 days, Wednesday. I said I had not planned to stay that long, but the meeting was not possible at an earlier time.
The only reason I came to Queenstown was to fly to Milford Sound. But I could not do it Monday. I mailed the Customs in Auckland to check if they had received the mail, I sent 24 hours before my arrival, with details about the plane and me. I had a mail back informing me, that they had indeed received the mail - and that it had been forwarded to Queenstown.
So I was really wondering, what the fuss was all about?
I called the airport Monday and asked, why they did not notify anyone on the ground, that I was inbound Sunday evening for landing, and was told, that it was not the controller’s job. The pilot himself had to arrange for that?
Yesterday evening I had a phone call telling me, that I could come to the police station to pick up the clearance, and was told, that I had to pay 160 dollars for it. When I turned up and paid the 160 dollars, I could not get a receipt for the money - and I did not get the clearance. I was only handed the keys to plane back. I did not get my passport either. (I had a spare key, so I could have taken off anyway, if I had wanted to!)
But I was told I was free to go, so late this morning, as the weather seemed to clear up a bit, I went to the airport.
I asked for VFR departure over the lake, and took off. I had talked to the friendly guys doing the sightseeing flights to Milford Sound, and they were very helpful with information. They also called the tower in Milford Sound, so I had the latest weather. It did not look good, and it was getting worse.
But I wanted to get out of Queenstown. The reward was a most spectacular flight. First through the valleys to the open sea, and then inbound at 1500 feet through the Milford Sound, with high cliffs on either side.
Got radio contact with the tower a few miles from the airport, and came in for a left downwind for runway 29. With high cliffs around me, I had to extend the downwind leg to make sure I had room to turn base and final. The final was quite turbulent, but I got down alright. But the runway is bumpy!
I wanted to spend the night there, but the local pilots advised me, that very strong’s winds were predicted for the next day, so I probably would be grounded.
I decided to go to Christchurch. I departed back out through the fiord, and turned south to go to Doubtful Sound to have a look. 8 fiords to the south was Doubtful sound, and I went into the fiord - again with high cliffs on either side. I went as far into the fiord as I thought was safe, and I used my topographic on the MDF to decide, when it was time to turn outbound.
Very exiting.
Out to sea again, I turned north, and called an old friend of a fellow member of my flying club, the Danish Royal Consul, Dr. Schousboe, who would meet me at the local Canterbury Flying Club in Christchurch.
I flew north along the coastline until just before to Mount Cook, then turned inland, while climbing to get over the clouds. I had to climb to 12.500 to keep clear of the clouds - and Mount Cook.
I made a visual approach into Wigram airport - but could not see Schousboe - or the flying club anywhere? Called Schousboe, and asked him if he had seen me, and to get directions. Only then did it dawn on me, that I was in the wrong airport!
The club was located at the international airport i Christchurch. Oops.
I called the Tower in Christchurch airport from the ground, and asked for permission to enter the control zone, took off again - and 5 minuttes later I landed in the right airport.
Schousboe was waiting. He had a good laugh. He was kind enough to invite me to stay in his house, he shares with his wife Mona. Both are pilots themselves.
He also suggested, that he got in contact with the customs, to solve whatever problem there might be. And to get my passport.
