Omaka and the Airshow...
An early start today, 8am for a bus to Omaka and the Classic Fighters Airshow. Well, that's a pretty good reason to visit the South Island during the Easter weekend. About a 5 minute stomp from Fat Cods to the bus stand on Wellington Street, for a bus I had pre-booked a few days ago. 15 UK Pounds return, pricey for the 30 minute ride from Picton but unless visitors have a car then they're pretty well stuffed for getting there and around.
Another scenic drive towards the town of Blenheim. Mountainous terrain gives way to vast flat lands containing vineyards, corn and Picton airport, very rural indeed. Weaving through Blenheim Town Centre, not an attractive town by any means but substantially bigger than Picton. Omaka, a few miles from the town, is where the airfield should be, but Blenheim also has an airport according to the signs! Turns out Omaka airfield and the airport are separated by a few vast fields of grapes, corn and cows.
25 UK Pounds via the Internet, but first I need to join the queue for a wrist band to get past security and on to the airfield. It's quite busy already at 8.30, better stake a claim at the crowd line now. Another panoramic scene as mountains and hills provide an excellent backdrop that should make for some interesting photos. The show starts at 10, should be over by 4 - hope so because the bus go's at 4!
The Kiwis are making a pretty good job of this. Although given the theme of classic fighters, there seems to be some modern elements to the show. New helicopters, an airforce transport plane and the Kiwi airforce aerobatic team among others, according to the programme.
All I can say after 927 photos and 5 hours of looking skywards - "it's been an awesome show" .
An early start today, 8am for a bus to Omaka and the Classic Fighters Airshow. Well, that's a pretty good reason to visit the South Island during the Easter weekend. About a 5 minute stomp from Fat Cods to the bus stand on Wellington Street, for a bus I had pre-booked a few days ago. 15 UK Pounds return, pricey for the 30 minute ride from Picton but unless visitors have a car then they're pretty well stuffed for getting there and around.
Another scenic drive towards the town of Blenheim. Mountainous terrain gives way to vast flat lands containing vineyards, corn and Picton airport, very rural indeed. Weaving through Blenheim Town Centre, not an attractive town by any means but substantially bigger than Picton. Omaka, a few miles from the town, is where the airfield should be, but Blenheim also has an airport according to the signs! Turns out Omaka airfield and the airport are separated by a few vast fields of grapes, corn and cows.
25 UK Pounds via the Internet, but first I need to join the queue for a wrist band to get past security and on to the airfield. It's quite busy already at 8.30, better stake a claim at the crowd line now. Another panoramic scene as mountains and hills provide an excellent backdrop that should make for some interesting photos. The show starts at 10, should be over by 4 - hope so because the bus go's at 4!
The Kiwis are making a pretty good job of this. Although given the theme of classic fighters, there seems to be some modern elements to the show. New helicopters, an airforce transport plane and the Kiwi airforce aerobatic team among others, according to the programme.
All I can say after 927 photos and 5 hours of looking skywards - "it's been an awesome show" .
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