Might be time for an updated Wanaka...

[toprob]

Here's one of those things, I had hoped to make it to the Coromandel with any left-over funds from the March sale, but I was a couple of hundred bucks short (and there are always a few extras, which I don't allow for)Last weekend my son got married, so I hired a rental car to get me there and back, and decided at the last minute since I had transport, to visit a few of the closest airfields to me, in the hope of being able to repackage the Subscription Southern Lakes/Alps scenery as a 'Real NZ', complete with custom airports.

I had planned to visit Tekapo (for a quick update only, it hasn't changed much since I was last there over a decade ago), Glentanner, Pukaki and Mt Cook. However last week I was contacted by someone from Wanaka, asking if I could do an up-to-date scenery for their students to train with.

I managed to visit Tekapo, Pukaki and Mt Cook yesterday, unable to get to see the Glentanner runway, but can live with that. At the last minute, since the weather was so nice, I booked a cabin at Omarama, but this morning it was far too foggy to even see the buildings, so I went through to Wanaka. I popped into Wanaka Helicopters just to ask who I'd see about getting airside access, mentioned the name of the bloke who had contacted me, turns out he works for them, and he promptly turned up, we walked the length of the airport airside, then he put me in a R22 for a quick circuit. Couldn't have worked out better, I won't mention his name, but he went out of his way to get me all the access I needed. Great bunch at Wanaka Helis!

As it was a really full day at Wanaka, I didn't make it back to Omarama, but overall the couple of days were a real success. Can't wait to get a finished Mt Cook, that's one I've been hoping to get around to for a long time.

Saw the NASA balloon from Pukaki, amazing sight, it's a pity I didn't know it was being launched, otherwise I might have visited Wanaka yesterday. Got home around 6:30, absolutely stuffed tonight, I'm getting too old for this....

[Ian Warren]

WANAKA Still my starting spot for my FS warbirds and airshow option is a must, one thing you want to look at is changing your CT view were they park the caravan and have it a few feet above it for uncluttered down the runway screens