The early part of October heralded the annual World Airline Road Race, where for the 41st annual event was hosted for the first time by Air New Zealand, in Auckland.
Both a 5K and 10K race were conducted, and it was my 38th time participating.
I left AKL to visit the south part of the north island in a Air New Zealand routing, AKL-WLG-BHE, returning via Air New Zealand BHE-AKL-SYD on a DH-8, then a 7777-300ER in biz.
Nice flights. Then a QF 737-800 up to BNE (Brisbane) to enjoy a couple of days on the Sunshine Coast, again seeing friends, returning to the Gold Coast by car, to head out to NLK, or Norfolk Island (via SYD).
Here are a few photos:
Hearty breakfast before landing at AKL on Fiji Airways.The official 2024 t-shirt.It is Spring down under.Air New Zealand hosted 2024 historic foot race.Arriving AKL on Fiji Airways A350The Alaska Air Group team, soon to include Hawaiian.Our A320 to Wellington.Sailing with my dear mates, John MacLeod and Matthew Croft.Getting our ramp selfie just before the staff intervention. DH-8 to BHE.Great day to sail.John and Jaco have a lovely vineyard.ANZ 6 am to Wellington and onto BNE, Brisbane, AustraliaRandom shots on WLG ramp.The white tail is on lease from Cathay Pacific. That aircraft took us to SYD..Across the Tasman Sea.Connecting to QF SYD-BNEOpera house and Sydney Harbor Bridge on climb out of our 737-800 “Sunshine Coast”Another Qantas special liveryBreakfast treat. ANZQantas snack heading north on the short flight to BNE. Nice job.Our trip north took us to our friends’ Glass Mountain hotel. Thanks Grant and Daryl!Brisbane, the River City in the northeast is wonderful. So why stay, my patient traveling companion was lured to another flying adventure, out to remote NLK, Norfolk Island.An early departure to SYD by 737-800 to connect to NLK. Flight Centre, Australia really screwed up our travel plans, but we got to NLK.717 are becoming a rare breed as QF replace them with A220-300.A lucky break to be in the QF special livery 737-800 to NLK. 2:30 outbound. Aka, Retro Roo!Jet photo from the web. I love this special aboriginal design, by Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa, the first A220-300 to join the Qantaslink fleet. It was our aircraft BNE-MEL.On the ground at tiny NLK, Retro Roo.Famous for its heart Pines…Air New Zealand is the only other official scheduled airline to NLK, operated by a Chatham ATR from AKL.And we’re off again, this time nonstop to BNE by QF 737-800.A lovely meal, after a few days on the Gold Coast we are on the QF special livery A220-300 first delivery to Melbourne
Several views of the first A220-300 Qantas is replacing the 717s with. This one is a special eco aboriginal design.
