I'd already got the boarding card for the flight, and you seem to be okay just turning up with 10 mins to go, indeed it's only a 15 minute turn around for the aircraft in any case.
When I got there, there was already a Beech 1900 being loaded for Auckland (ZK-EAP), and our aircraft, ZK-EAB, was just landing from Wellington.
First the Auckland flight was loaded, and then ours. Again, pax are checked off against a list, and the Captain was outside the plane doing a walk around as we were boarding. This seemed to catch the co-pilot out, who was still sat on his seat in the flight deck, and had to quickly come down the steps to welcome us aboard. It looks like it's hard work on these small regional props.
With everyone aboard in just a few moments, we finished refuelling, shut the door and started up. As soon as the Auckland flight had departed, we entered the runway and back-tracked to the end, so we could take off to the East.
The weather had taken a change for the worse during the course of the day, and while it was still warm and pleasant, though cloudy, in Blenheim, there were clouds and rain in Wellington, so about half the flight was spent in clouds, and bumping around in some fairly light but regular turbulence.
The approach into Wellington seemed to take forever, positioning for an arrival from the North, and most of the approach was done in instrument conditions, only breaking cloud at about 1200ft, before a smooth landing into Wellington.
This was a good way of experiencing something of the South Island in a day, as the other main way of getting to the South Island is via a Ferry which takes 3.5 hours!
Cheers,
Mike
