Trip planning - NZ both ways
 

Looking for some trip advice for a 'quick' trip away. I've always wanted to fly the Tasman both ways so want to do:

Melbourne-Hobart-Queenstown-.....?-Auckland-Norfolk-Lord Howe?-Port Macquarie-Melbourne

Plane is a capable twin that can do the long leg nil-wind. Will try and do in as little as 5-6 days

Some advice on issues such as:
- fuel (avgas) in NZ? Australian carnets, credit card, cash?
- PPR/notice for airport parking (not NZAA - Ardmore)
- arrival immigration to Queenstown - is notice required?
- departure immigration from NZ - where is it possible?
- the spray cans of insecticide - I've read that NZ quarrantine will hand them in the window - is that a problem if you need to open the door to achieve this?
- if a diversion to Invercargil is required, will that be an immigration problem?
- where to stop-off in NZ whilst heading north?
- fuel in Norfolk and Lord Howe - any issues?
- where to hire a life raft for a week?
- where to find wind forecasts for the mid-flight levels for the southen route?

would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance

UTR

A great place to stop travelling north would be Omaka - NZOM. Friendly bunch of people, wineries and accommodation near at hand and it's right there for the hop across Cook Strait.

AFAIK Kerikeri - NZKK can do departure, but one of our Kiwi mates would be best for that advice.

Would also recommend some flying up the West Coast of the South Island, weather permitting. Very remote in certain areas, and some of the most relaxing and scenic flying I've done, particularly up towards Karamea.

- fuel (avgas) in NZ? Australian carnets, credit card, cash? No. Prob going to have to buy off someone locally, which could be tricky
- PPR/notice for airport parking (not NZAA - Ardmore) Ardmore you shoudl find somewhere. Recommend leaving AA
- arrival immigration to Queenstown - is notice required? Yes
- departure immigration from NZ - where is it possible? Several places with notice and $ but best to stick to with main ports to avoid hassle.
- the spray cans of insecticide - I've read that NZ quarrantine will hand them in the window - is that a problem if you need to open the door to achieve this? Won't be a problem but you could just get your own can of TOD and spray it before you arrive and give them the empty can
- if a diversion to Invercargil is required, will that be an immigration problem? Most likely
- where to stop-off in NZ whilst heading north? As others above said, definitely go up the west coast, over to Nelson, over to Omaka on your way up. Scenery becomes less interesting the further north you head...
- fuel in Norfolk and Lord Howe - any issues? Assuming avgas, phone ahead make sure there is some for you
- where to find wind forecasts for the mid-flight levels for the southen route? Handler would sort you out

I would highly recommend a handler like Rob Leach - Air Center One in Auckland (they will also look after you in Queenstown) that will cover all your customs immigration maf, planning, weather, fuel, parking, random questions and advice. Well worth it. Rob is a great guy and the service is probably not as expensive as you might think.

Enjoy your trip !

Does anyone know where to buy individual cans of TOD spray? Getting boxes of cans seems easy, but loose cans??

Bankstown, next door to the big meat-bombing outfit, the flying school there sells individual cans

Dunedin is a better alternate for Queenstown, and has full Customs facilities. It is the same distance from NZQN as NZNV.

Probably shouldn't be an issue, but have you checked on the minimum flight altitudes coming into NZQN from the west, assuming you're IFR? I think it's 11,000.

While some of the NZQN GNSS approaches don't require it, the GNSS STARS require RNP1 capability.

I would recommend not flying YMHB-NZQN if you expect the conditions to be IFR when you get there.

Id be wanting VMC over the southern alps - at least to enjoy the view.

To depart NZ I've used Whangarie in the past - customs is nearby to the airfield so it doesn't cost that much to get them out.

Phone the two islands to make sure they have fuel. When I was coming back from NZ Norfolk island were going to drain the avgas tanks for maintenance. That would have been a long wait for fuel (days) if they didn't know I was coming.

Believe it or not they get people at Norfolk dropping in unannounced.

I used to live in Kerikeri (Bay of Islands, NZ Far North) and fly from NZKK. It was occasionally used as a point of entry and departure by arrangement with the authorities. There is a small terminal building which is only open for Air NZ flights. The flying club was practically in active. There is Avgas on field, no resident LAME.

The flight down from Cape Reinga to Kerikeri is beautiful. You'll see some of the whitest sand in the world.

The airport is close to town and rental cars are on hand. Kerikeri is a cute little town with a good choice of hotels/motels. Down the road are tourist towns of Pahia and Russell (both beside the Bay of Islands). Plenty to do here for a couple of days.

NZ Oceanic ATC don't seem to like Satphones as a substitute for HF. I have heard them getting quite short with aircraft that don't have HF or have HF but not the ability to tune the required frequencies.

What ever happened to the idea of a common market type arrangement where NZ/Aus had a common external border and travel was unrestricted between the two countries, a Schengen agreement of sorts. The polies were talking about it 10 years ago and on one radio interview on an Auckland station an Australian minister said it was not far away............still waiting.

I suspect that both countries issuing passports, for their citizens to travel across the Tasman, is lucrative to their Treasuries.

gerry111: not to mention the A$55 departure tax!

track down the chap that relocates all the airvans to NZQN from melbourne ways. phone call to him will be a goldmine for flying over to there.