Cabin crew dress the part- two-piece suits, pillbox hats and white gloves. Photo / Supplied
Elisabeth Easther takes a trip back to a time when flight was an adventure.
When Air New Zealand stopped flying to Whakatane in April, the small but perfectly formed Air Chathams took up the mantle, providing an essential service to this Bay of Plenty paradise.
Last month, Air Chathams took that service one step further. Rather than just send people back and forth in the Metroliner — a vessel that resembles a winged pencil and boarding it is much like trying to climb inside a very long hatchback — on selected flights, lucky punters can fly aboard an immaculate DC-3. These special summer flights will run until mid-March, departing Auckland on Saturday afternoons and returning on Sundays.
Such a pretty plane, she has enjoyed an illustrious career since her maiden voyage in 1945 when she flew from Oklahoma to Hamilton in the Waikato. During her life, she has flown military missions, been a passenger carrier, a freighter, a top dresser, a parcel courier and a touring plane. She's been upgraded and overhauled many times over the years and had a handful of name changes too, although today she goes by her original title, Powhaitere, Maori for red-crowned parakeet.
She has a wingspan of 95ft (29m), an overall length of 64.5ft (20m) and a height of almost 15ft (4.6m). Walking up the aisle of her unfussy interior, the steep rake is a thing to be reckoned with — rather like being subjected to gentle G-forces.
As for the elegant curve of her ceiling and copious leg room, her generous dimensions hark back to an era that wasn't just about profit, when flying was an enchanting adventure, a far cry from the airborne cattle trucks of today.
With the cabin crew dressed as 1950s stewardesses — two-piece suits, pillbox hats and white gloves — jaunty tunes played over the sound system, it was like being flown into a scene from Mad Men. The engines rumbled into life, the propellers spun and it was chocks away, into a cloudless sky we flew.
As Ian Athfield's eccentric airport reduced to a speck behind us, the beach beneath stretched out for miles, the sea a vision in aquamarine, the sand a ribbon of gold — flying aboard a DC-3 will have you waxing lyrical too.
A flight between Whakatane and Auckland usually takes about 40 minutes but a DC-3 prefers to linger, taking the long way over coast and forest, the generous Skyliner windows designed to make the most of the views.
The refreshment service started soon after take-off — a savoury scroll, beer from popular Bay of Plenty brewery Mata and sparkling feijoa wine from White Goose — of course, if you'd rather straighten up and fly right, orange juice and water were also on tap.
Sharing the air with us, Whakatane's Mayor, Tony Bonne, said his favourite thing about the DC-3 was the sense of nostalgia while another passenger reckoned that, of all the airlines she's flown with, Air Chathams was the most friendly and customer focused. Aviation writer Peter Layne was also on board — he first became acquainted with this plane in the 1950s — and he thought it was wonderful that passengers who'd simply chosen to fly this route, to get from A to B, were able to enjoy such a superb heritage plane, simply by chance.
Descending over the rugged Hunua Ranges and the Clevedon coast, we approached the built-up sprawl of Auckland. Swaying and swooping our way towards Mangere, the pilot executed a perfect landing, our return to earth announced by the briefest squeak of rubber as the brakes bit down.
Taxiing to the terminal, nearby ground staff and passengers all stopped in their tracks to admire us — this aircraft really does turn heads.
Fly, Stay, Play, Packages
It's not just about the journey, the destination is also a winner and DC3 packages can include one or two nights' accommodation at popular White Island Rendezvous, airport transfers and a White Island Volcano tour.
White Island, aka "Te Puia o Whakaari", Maori for "The Dramatic Volcano", is a unique outing. A boat trip to this active volcano is like going to the moon, all swirling steam and whistling wind, and the lessons in geology and history are enthralling. One tale that stood out was that of a cat. In 1914, 10 sulphur factory workers lost their lives after a lahar tore through their camp. The sole survivor, a cat called Peter, was repatriated to Opotiki and renamed Peter the Great — and the kittens he subsequently sired were given away as good luck charms.
Visit this dormant volcano turned nature reserve — only 9km from shore, you'll be there in 30 minutes. Formerly occupied by miners, sealers, whalers and farmers, it's now home to seals, skinks, geckos, kingfishers, grey-faced petrels, little blue penguins, New Zealand falcons, kaka and kiwi, as well as tens of thousands of pairs of muttonbirds.
Ohope is not only famous for being New Zealand's most-loved beach (as voted by AA NZ), it is also home to a flourishing kiwi population, thanks to the hard work of the Whakatane Kiwi Trust and their dedicated volunteers. With guided walks available in May and June, visitors to the area can do self-guided walks any time of year. A map can be found on the Kiwi Trust website. The Fairbrother Loop Walk takes one hour, start to finish: be sure to take a torch if you're going at night and look out for the information panels along the way.
Te Uru Taumatua — The Living Building
The Living Building in Taneatua serves as headquarters for the Tuhoe people and is a jewel in the crown of their achievements. A 15-minute drive (or hitch-hike), the impressive building reflects Tuhoe values, being New Zealand's most advanced sustainable building, one of only 200 in the world. With regular events to watch out for, the amphitheatre alone can hold several thousand, the cafe is open seven days a week and the food is phenomenal. And be sure to visit Taneatua Gallery while you're there, the home and workspace of Tame Iti. If you're really lucky, the affable artist will show you around.
Roquette is acknowledged as Whakatane's finest dining establishment. Right opposite the river, the atmosphere is comfortably contemporary. The seafood risotto rocked, ditto the pork and venison meatballs, and for dessert, you'll want to try it all.
This welcoming establishment by the water, not far from picturesque Whakatane Heads, provides the most popular accommodation. There's a choice of studio rooms or new micro cabins. The newer options have been planted with platoons of fruit trees — citrus and feijoa — so in years to come visitors will have more than enough to share. The on-site cafe, PeeJays Coffee House, is open for breakfast and lunch and the food and coffee are truly amazing.
CHECKLIST
Getting there: See airchathams.co.nz for details on the Douglas DC-3 flights between Auckland and Whakatane.
The trendy spot is just six minutes from the Waikiki beach.