What is Tokoroa like?
 

Awesome little airfield! real quiet and away from the feds - however becoming popular with the model jet scene, and those things tas out faster than yer average GA bus:eek:


god I miss the Plateau:(

I remember Waihi Beach had a good cafe. I also remember rattling every cup, saucer, latte, lamington and pie as we got airborne in a C185 at full tit... :E

Whakatane doesn't have much if any of a cafe, just a terminal nicknamed Disneyland. I'll let you find out why.

Kawerau, nothing there..

Optoiki, not much there either. Pretty much a deserted paddock.

Rotorua, Expensive Robert Harris. Mix it up with ATRs, Q300s and B1900s. And a controller that used to get grumpy as f$ck if you said "Say again.."
Scenery is good. The old scenic flight route used to go from the airport, beeline for Mt Tarawera, to cross it at minimum 4200 ft. Don't go low as the local Maoris will pot you for low flying. (Pot being the operative word in Rotorua) Used to be a strip there.. but you'd have to have big balls or an engine failure to try that one. From Mt Tarawera, the track used to go towards the Waimangu Rift valley, to view the Frying Pan Lake (biggest hotspring in the world) and the Inferno crater lake. Then from there towards the Blue and Green Lakes to enter the CTR back over the Green Lake, then flying over Whakawerawera and the Geysers there. If in a good mood, used to fly over Kawerau Park over the western side of the city. Then back to land at the airport.

Tokoroa, sealed strip. Yes heaps of jet powered R/C aircraft around there. Nothing else. Wind down the window and follow the stench from the paper mill and you'll find it.

Galatea, Bugger all there.. glorified paddock.

Taupo, apart from meatbombers x 3, Eagles' 1900s and the odd charter aircraft and the odd biz jet, not too bad of a place for a coffee. Taupo Tandem Skydive have a cafe there. Does a mean lasagna. Cafe at the terminal only open during Eagle flights.

Paunaui, been awhile since I've been there. Used to take a twin in there regularly. Cafes and shops located 5 minute walk at the western side of the field. Be careful where you park, local landowners getting pissed off at aircraft parking on their back lawns. Tad overpriced.. but what do you expect in a suburb of Auckland....
Strip drains well in rain as it's mostly sand. Though take care with braking action in the wet.

Whitanga, good long strip, may get boggy in the wet. A bit out of town but Mercury Bay Aeroclub is located there.

Matarangi. Bugger all there. Shortish strip at around 600-700 metres. Boggy in the wet. Been awhile since been there but bugger all there last time I was there.

Coromandel, tricky approach. One way strip really. Pretty limited facilities and strip. Wouldn't go there in the wet..

Great Barrier. Waikato Aeroclub have accommodation there for hire. Good place to spend the weekend. Stay at Tryphena, Irish pub there pretty good and has good accommodation to boot. Did the best seafood chowder I've had this side of the country.

Tokoroa is a really nice airstrip - I believe they resealed the runway quite recently, certainly the last time I was there it was in great condition. Unfortunately there isn't a great amount to see away from the airfield itself (and not a lot to see on the airfield either).