Flight check: Auckland to Taupo flying Air New Zealand

An Air NZ Bombardier Q300. Photo / Stuart Munro

Shandelle Battersby flies NZ8095 to the Central North Island.

The plane: A Bombardier Q300, with room for 50 passengers.

Class: There can be only one.

Price: $129 which I didn't think was too bad. I opted to fly (for the first time) because I was going after work and I have driven up and down the North Island so much that I just couldn't face it. As it turned out the flight was delayed an hour (no explanation given) so by the time I got to the airport and waited, I arrived at nearly the same time as if I'd driven.

Flight time: 30 minutes in the air, 50 minutes all together. This was the week of Tropical Cyclone Debbie's aftermath hitting New Zealand and there was a bit of weather about - we had a few bumps and drops.

My seat: 9A. I was sat next a chatty man wearing pink nail polish who continued to speak to me when I had headphones in, but that's okay.

Fellow passengers: Mostly leisure travellers, a few who'd obviously spent the flight delay in the bar at the airport.

How full: Almost completely.

Entertainment: The drunk people at the back.

The service: Great as always. Just one cabin crew member.
Food and drink: Water and a biscuit.

The toilets: One at the front of the plane.

Luggage: 7kg carry-on, but there were many people who were obviously flaunting the limit weight and size.

The airport experience: I like the shuttle that meets every plane that lands at Taupo, but $20 for a five-minute journey down the road is a bit steep.

Would I fly this again? No. I'll take the car. Sigh.