Air Chats
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Kia ora tātou
Welcome to the summer 2024 edition of Airchats!
Kiwis everywhere are dreaming of BBQs and beach cricket, so grab your surf-shorts, dust off the suitcases and plan your escape.
Coming into the warmer season Air Chathams increases its service capacity as customer demand peaks for both South Pacific adventures and holiday catchups with whānau and friends across Aotearoa.
As we head into 2025 it’s also good to take a minute to savour 40 Years of Air Chathams serving the South Pacific, a monumental milestone that we celebrated as an airline family on the Chatham Islands in October.
Air Chathams has quite a remarkable story, born from a vision to provide a remote island community with reliable, safe and frequent air connections with the mainland, to facilitate whakawhanaungatanga and island growth. So ‘Cheers to 40 years’, and a massive thank you to all our customers old and new around New Zealand - we couldn’t do it without you! We’re truly proud of everything we’ve accomplished as a team over the past four decades, and here’s to many more years ahead.
Summer is also the season that Air Chathams’ iconic DC-3 takes to the skies. We are currently working on an exciting schedule for both charters and group events as we soar in this classic warbird.
If you are thinking about soaring to South Pacific destinations and creating unique memories, don’t forget about the most special island group in the South Pacific, the Chatham Islands; seascapes, wildlife, culture, people and a lively history make this destination and its people an absolute one-of-a-kind for your summer adventures.
So, have a safe and festive summer break and we look forward to sharing time and conversation with you all when flying Air Chathams, your family in the sky!
Ka kite anō and safe travels!
Duane
Emeny, Chief Commercial Officer
Each year Air Chathams carries more than 100,000 passengers around New Zealand, and in each edition of our inflight magazine
Air Chats we celebrate the very best of the regions we cover: from art and culture, to business, history and lifestyle, Air Chats tells the stories of the people who make those places great. If you’d like to be a part of Air Chats, get in touch - the team would love to hear from you.
marketing@airchathams.co.nz airchathams.co.nz fb.com/airchathams @airchathams linkedin.com/company/ air-chathams-limited
Publisher
Plenty Limited - airchats@plenty.co.nz
Editor/KaiwhakatikaTuhinga
Andy Taylor - info@plenty.co.nz
Design & Production/Kaiwhakatauira
Sarah Lane - design@plenty.co.nz
Advertising Enquiries airchats@plenty.co.nz +64 (0)27 932 5515
Cover image
The Ted Ashby with Auckland Harbour Bridge in background.
Air Chats is published by Plenty Limited on behalf of Air Chathams Limited. Copyright 2024 by Plenty Limited. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the prior consent of the publisher. Advertising statements and editorial opinions expressed in Air Chats do not necessarily reflect the views of Plenty Limited or Air Chathams Limited. ISSN 2624-4179 (print), ISSN 2624-4861 (digital).
04 EVENTS/NEWS
The airline that brings New Zealand together.
08 A LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVES
The whaling and sealing boom of the early 1800s brought the world to our door, and helped shape the Chathams forever.
12
THE SKIES ABOVE
Just what was the astronomical phenomenon that lured the United States to the Chatham Islands 150 years ago?
16
50 NOT OUT
For half a century Ngā Maru Reserve has been preserving our native flora and faunahere’s to another 50!
19 WHANGANUI SPIRIT
Two very special Whanganui distillers are making names for themselves and putting their fair city on the global spirits map.
26 WINGS OVER THE WATER
Air Chathams Ground
Operations Standards Manager Cameron Bell got bitten by the aviation bug early. And he got bitten hard.
30 GO WILD!
The Whakatāne Local Wild Food Festival is a celebration of kai and sustainability - and a great day out in the Bay!
34
FIVE THINGS
You didn’t know about Norfolk Island. And - Watawieh! - four things you really, really should know.
38
REVIVING THE TĪTĪ
An awesome Chathams initiative is bringing one of our native birds back from the brink.
42 OUR SEAFARING HISTORY
Our maritime past was essential to shaping New Zealand, and the Ted Ashby is the perfect way to experience it.
46 OUR FLEET
From single engine light aircraft to our turbo-prop planes, we’ve something for every occasion.
48 DESTINATIONS
Air Chathams is New Zealand’s largest privately owned airline, flying to some of New Zealand’s best regional destinations.
Events
Whanganui Opera Week
Sunday, 5th – 19th January 2025
Tickets available from www.whanganuivenues.co.nz
Each January, Whanganui Opera Week is proud to present the students of the New Zealand Opera School at various public events in the city, culminating in a gala concert at the Royal Whanganui Opera House. This festival of Opera is recognised as one of the region’s most popular events and attracts visitors both nationally and internationally.
We are looking forward to a wonderful festival in 2025 as we celebrate 31 years of the New Zealand Opera School.
New Zealand Masters Games 2025
Friday, 31st January – Sunday, 9th February, Whanganui www.nzmg.com
Join thousands of Kiwis and keep playing at the 2025 NZMG in Whanganui.
Experience ten action-packed days featuring over 60 sports and nightly live entertainment at the Games Village, located in the heart of our beautiful city. Check out our confirmed sports list, round up your teammates, and book your accommodation today. We invite you to keep playing and get to the heart of Whanganui –discover things to do, see and experience as well as places to eat and stay while you’re here.
NORFOLK ISLAND
NOC (Norfolk Ocean Challenge) 2025
Monday, 13th – 17th January www.facebook.com/NorfolkIslandOceanChallenge
A great week of paddling, competition and socialising. In the third week of January a very different kind of tourist arrives armed not with guidebooks and sunscreen - but with wooden paddles! These are competitors in the Norfolk Ocean Challenge, and they come from Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, the United States and further afield for what is becoming known as one of the best outrigger regattas around, with three action-packed races spread over a week.
Whanganui Vintage Weekend
Friday, 17th – 20th January 2025 www.whanganuivintageweekend.nz
Get ready to step back in time and celebrate the elegance of yesteryear at the Whanganui Vintage Weekend 2025! Join us for a spectacular four-day extravaganza over the Wellington Anniversary Weekend that will transport you to a bygone era filled with vintage charm, classic cars, retro fashion, and nostalgic entertainment.
Over the course of this long weekend, visitors will be spoilt for choice with over 30 vintage themed events and attractions taking place in and around beautiful Whanganui.
Chatham Islands Jockey Club 150-year anniversary
Sunday, 31st December 2024
The Chatham Islands Jockey Club is the oldest horse racing club in New Zealand, established in 1874. There is a rich history of racing on the Island and this story is told in the Chatham Islands Museum with photos and old trophies. The Club will be celebrating 150 years of racing in 2024 and there are several events coming up to mark the occasion - check them out on Facebook and start planning your trip now!
Concert in the Garden 2025
Sunday, 26th January from 3pm
Tickets available from www.moshtix.co.nz
Join us at the stunning Admiral Gardens on the Chatham Islands for an exclusive live performance by some of New Zealand’s most iconic artists: Hello Sailor, the legendary rock band; Tiki Taane, renowned for his powerful fusion of dub, reggae, and electronica; and the soulful sounds of Black Robin.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Chatham Islands’ natural beauty, this concert will be an incredible mix of high-energy music, stunning scenery, and an intimate atmosphere. Imagine dancing the afternoon away, surrounded by gardens and incredible views, as these world-class performers take the stage. It’s the ultimate fusion of nature and entertainment!
Chatham Island Summer Seafood Extravaganza
Thursday, 20th February 2025
www.hotelchathamstours.co.nz/tc-events/2025summer-seafood-extravaganza
Embark on a culinary adventure with us at the annual Chatham Island Summer Seafood Extravaganza. Over the course of seven unforgettable nights, you’ll immerse yourself in the raw beauty of Chatham Island while savouring the freshest and most delectable seafood it has to offer – think paua, crayfish, blue cod, hāpuku! Pack your bags and join us for an unforgettable seafood adventure. We look forward to welcoming you!
Auckland Gin Festival
Friday, 31 January – Sunday, 2 February 2025
For more information and tickets visit www.ginevents.com.au/auckland-gin-festival-2025
An amazing mix of 44 Aussie and Kiwi distillers will be showcasing hundreds of new and exciting boutique gins at the 2025 Auckland Gin Festival. Your ticket grants you unlimited gin samples (drink sensibly of course!), a tasting glass, tonic, soda water, and a cool tote bag, along with the opportunity to chat with Kiwi and Aussie craft distillers and purchase their unique products. Food trucks will be on hand to complement your G&T experience, while Long Rays mixers are proud sponsors of the event, ensuring all your drinks are top-notch.
Auckland Rainbow Parade 2025
Saturday, 15th February from 7:30pm to 9:30pm at Ponsonby Road, Auckland www.rainbowparade.nz/event/auckland-rainbow-parade
Join the vibrant celebration of Auckland’s Rainbow communities at the annual Rainbow Parade! This dazzling event showcases the diversity and spirit of Auckland’s LGBTQIA+ communities and allies, with colourful floats, vibrant costumes, lively music, and infectious energy. Come together to celebrate inclusivity, love, and acceptance in a fun-filled atmosphere for all ages.
Surtees 20th Annual Fishing Competition
Thursday, 27th February – Saturday, 1st March 2025 at Whakatāne Sportfishing Club www.surteesboats.com/fishing-comp
Air Chathams alongside Norfolk Island Rental Cars and Trade Winds Country Cottages are proud to be sponsoring the Surtees 20th annual Fishing Competition, in Whakatāne for 2025!
One of the largest profile and exciting sports fishing tournaments nationally, the event brings both expert and social anglers alike to the Whakatāne Sports Fishing Club for this fantastic fishing festival. Giant fish, even more giant tales and plenty of action to be had! Air Chathams loves investing in local sports and community events.
News
Te Ara Tukutuku project regenerating the northern end of Wynyard Point, Auckland
The Te Ara Tukutuku project is regenerating the northern end of Wynyard Point to create a beautiful new waterfront destination for the people of Tāmaki Makaurau. Through co-design and applying Mātauranga Māori (traditional Māori knowledge) and science, the 5 hectares public space is being transformed from its petro-chemical past into a healthy and thriving coastal environment. The project will deliver the largest new open space in the city centre in 100 years. However, it will be a shift away from a regular public space as we know it – including a ngahere (forest), outdoor classrooms, whare waka, tidal stairs and waka ramp, with marine restoration in action, education opportunities, an elevated headland, and places to pause and take a breath. This will be a space for everyone.
Private Caroline Paulsen from Whakatāne ‘digging deep!’
Few sporting events push the human body like an Ironman triathlon.
But digging deep is something all too familiar for New Zealand Army medic and ironman athlete Private Caroline Paulsen from Whakatāne.
She has now completed three Ironman 70.3 races which comprise a 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and a 21.1km run.
“I finished my last one in five hours and 43 minutes which was about half an hour better than I had planned,” Paulsen says. Her efforts secured her a spot in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, which is being held in Taupō this year.
Whanganui 12-year-old to compete in England’s Crufts dog show!
Junior dog handler Georgia Calman will represent New Zealand at next year’s Crufts dog show in England.
Georgia will compete with her grandmother’s dog Cindersthe only Boston terrier grand champion in New Zealandafter an unexpected national win means she will represent New Zealand next March.
Held in Birmingham, England with an estimated 28,000 dogs involved in the four-day event, Crufts is the world’s greatest dog show.
Georgia’s grandmother, Elizabeth Ward, first began showing dogs at New Zealand competitions in 1984. “Once you get hooked on it you tend to stick around,” Ward said.
Horowhenua-Kāpiti food and beverage sector shines at Parliament event
Horowhenua and Kāpiti’s food and beverage sector has been celebrated in style in Parliament’s banquet hall. Air Chathams was proud to be part of the event to showcase this special part of the world, it’s natural cuisine and fresh produce and of course the local airline connecting the Kāpiti Coast to the rest of the world… Us!
The event, called A Taste of Horowhenua-Kāpiti, took place on Tuesday evening and saw 45 food and beverage businesses showcase their fare.
Guests sampled various foods and beverages, chatted with people behind the businesses, were entertained by Ōtaki College’s The Pretty Boys Band, and listened to speeches by Ōtaki MP Tim Costley, who hosted the event, and Hospitality and Tourism Minister Matt Doocey.
Win a trip Chatham Islands
Chatham Island Tour Raffle to support Ngā Manu Nature Reserve
Raffle tickets go on sale this October for a bucket-list trip to the Chatham Islands, famous for plentiful fresh sea-food and fascinating marine and wildlife. $25 buys your chance to win an all inclusive 8-day trip for two people, flights included, valued at over $10,000. The raffle is centered on raising funds and awareness around the importance of becoming Predator Free in New Zealand. All proceeds will directly support the conservation and pest management efforts at Ngā Manu Nature Reserve in Waikanae.
The week-long tour will be packed with an exciting itinerary including a world-class deep-sea fishing trip, along with visits to Awatotora, Nikau, and Tuku Reserve where the native parea can be spotted. See the Basalt Columns at Ohira Bay, go for a bushwalk on Kopi Farm, and visit the shipwrecks at Port Hutt. Additional highlights include Moriori Kopinga Marae and exploring its history as well as the Te Whanga lagoon and Blind Jim’s Creek where fossilised shark teeth can be found. This exclusive trip created by Chatham Island Tours departs from Wellington and has capacity for another 22 people to join.
This raffle is made possible by the generous support of Air Chathams, Chatham Island Tours, and Hotel Chathams.
Tickets can be purchased from the Ngā Manu Nature Reserve website or Visitor Centre.
1984 - 2024
Air Chathams turned
Yes, in October Air Chathams celebrated 40 years of serving the South Pacific and Kiwis all over Aotearoa New Zealand. The airline has quite a remarkable history, born from overcoming the hardships of remote island life and ensuring the continuity of business and family connections of the people and communities of the Chatham Islands.
From one Cessna in 1984 on the Chatham Islands to New Zealand’s largest privately owned National Airlineoperating small piston engine aircraft to large 68 seat, twin-engine turbo-prop aircraft!
Family run and friendly, Air Chathams is a cleverly managed airline with a sense of adventure.
What makes our airline unique?
Our People – Some of our staff have been with us for over 30 years.
Our Service – We have grown to be a dynamic multi-service national airline that connects rural and urban communities throughout New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Our Family – Being family-owned puts us in a unique space operationally. We’re able to make decisions quickly, and once made, execute with pace.
A life on the ocean waves
On 21 December 1964, a grisly milestone of sorts was marked: the last commercially hunted whale was harpooned off the Kaikōura Coast, drawing to a close 170 years of whaling that - like it or not - had been pivotal in the development of colonial New Zealand.
The whaling and sealing industries had a massive impact, they brought ships and seafarers from around the world to our
shores, and the stations those seafarers built connected the remotest parts of the country to trade routes that from 1830 made whaling our biggest employer and largest commercial industry. Whaling and sealing directly influenced the Musket Wars and the Treaty of Waitangi, and were the key drivers of early colonisation. Simply put, without whaling and sealing, Aotearoa New Zealand would be a very different place today.
Illustrations Brent Condon
One of the remote places that soon became a part of the global whaling web were the Chatham Islands. Whaling stations were established on the Island, ship-based whalers visited regularly, and many locals were soon working side by side with the hardy whalers and sealers who set up shop. Hardy is an understatement however; they hailed from virtually all over the world (though many of the Chatham whalers were Americans) and their lives consisted of weeks, sometimes months, of grinding, freezing monotony as they searched for their prey, and short, brutal and deadly spasms of violence when they found it.
Whaling and sealing directly influenced the Musket Wars and the Treaty of Waitangi, and were the key drivers of early colonisation.
Butchering the whales was filthy work that involved climbing down into the carcasses to harvest whale bone (also known as baleen) to make corset stays and umbrella ribs, and the blubber was stripped off and boiled down in stinking vats to make lamp oil to light homes and lubricants to grease the wheels of the industrial revolution. Sealing was an equally brutal and messy business, the animals killed for their precious skins, which were used to make shoes and clothing. But hunting them on jagged coastlines - often at night while the seals slept - was perilous, the male ‘bull’ seals could fight back, and drownings were common.
On the ocean the ships reeked constantly of the oil, the holds were cramped and unventilated and the southern ocean could be
cruel to anyone who ventured out on it. Things weren’t much better ashore: men slept in caves or under boats that they shared with the rats that feasted on the broken bodies of whales; their clothes were ragged, their faces sunburned and dirty, they subsisted on hard tack biscuit and seal meat; and their mates were their dentist and doctor. Many were former convicts, very few were educated, and for most Māori and Moriori this motley crew - not the red-coated marines of the Royal Navy - were their first contact with the wider world. One contemporary source called them ‘the greatest ruffians unhung in their time’, which is surely an overstatement but speaks volumes of how they were perceived. It’s hard to imagine a greater clash of cultures, but it is also important to remember just how resourceful, energetic and ambitious they were.
Māori and Moriori gained introductions to western culture and technologies and facilitated trade, and in return they provided food, labour and essential local knowledge.
Remarkably, many of these first contacts grew into relationships, with some of the sealers and whalers marrying Māori and being incorporated into hapū as ‘Pākehā Māori’. Māori and Moriori gained introductions to western culture and technologies and facilitated trade, and in return they provided food, labour and essential local knowledge. The sealers and whalers also brought diseases like measles and influenza however, and the decimation of the seal colonies deprived Māori and Moriori of an important food source. In addition, a popular item of trade was the musket, and the greater availability of firearms in the fledgling country was never going to end well.
The industrial scale of sealing and whaling could never last however. By 1850 whales had been nearly hunted to extinction, and the invention of gas and later electric lighting and synthetic oils had also made whale products obsolete. The seal skin trade had collapsed several decades earlier, again because numbers had been so dramatically depleted.
So while whales and seals would no longer be hunted in Kiwi waters, it was not because of conservation concerns, but because we had virtually killed them all; ironic given that New Zealand now stands at the forefront of the anti-whaling movement.
Between 1835 and 1888 an incredible 311 whaling ships - 244 of them American - were recorded as working in the seas around the
Remnants of Chathams whaling history remain today.
Chathams. They killed hundreds of thousands of whales, but they also helped establish trade and communications routes that founded the nation - and perhaps introduced the classic Kiwi can-do attitude that lives on in the Chathams and the mainland. Today, little remains of their physical presence except sun-bleached bones and tools, but regardless, their legacy lives on.
The Skies Above
Many things have brought people to the Chatham Islands; escape, adventure, sanctuary, and fortune have all played their part, but 150 years ago something very different drew the U.S. navy ship Swatara to the Chathams.
MILLIONS OF KILOMETRES AWAY
a planet nearly as small as ours was about to slide across the massive face of our sun, in a rare astronomical occurrence known as the Transit of Venus. First observed in 1639, there had been only two further transits prior to the Swatara’s arrival in October 1874, and for those onboard that year’s Transit was not to be missed for the world.
For astronomers, the importance of the Transit is hard to overstate. The planet’s travels through our skies have been watched for hundreds of years; but it is only when it transits precisely across the sun in a rare alignment that it can be used to help us to refine the astronomical unit, a measurement used primarily for measuring distances within the solar system or around other stars.
Whangaroa Harbour (Port Hutt).
So important is this unit that scientists travelled huge distances in the hopes of clear skies to observe the Transit and further our understanding of where we are in the grand scheme of things; in 1769, James Cook had sailed to Tahiti to see one (and this ultimately led to his visits to Aotearoa), while other scientists went to California and Norway.
The team that weighed anchor in 1874 in the Chatham’s Whangaroa Harbour (Port Hutt) was the first bilateral science collaboration between the United States and New Zealand. It was also part of a much wider collaborative effort involving seven nations and their colonies observing the Transit around the globe. In New Zealand, the French watched from the Campbell Islands, the Germans from the Auckland Islands and another American expedition set up camp in Queenstown.
It was a remarkable piece of scientific cooperation, all organised in the days before reaching out to the other side of the world involved a lot more time and effort than just pressing send on an email!
The Swatara was ultra-modern - she had only been launched the previous year - and was captained by Commander Ralph Chandler of the U.S. Navy. The nine-strong observation team was led by chief astronomer Edwin Smith, and included a 19-year-old photographer named William H Rau, as this was to be the first time photography was employed in a Transit observation. A ‘kiosk’ was constructed for the observation and the various pieces of technical apparatus set up in readiness for the big day, and a big day it was to be, as a type of Transit feeder was gripping the country! The booklet The Transit of Venus and How to Observe It had been penned by Arthur Stock of the Colonial Observatory in Wellington and Kiwi skywatchers were getting in on the action.
Aboard the Swatara, Rau had photographed some of the world’s most remote places, but was far less successful in capturing the Transit itself; first his tent caught fire, and then cloudy skies and his primitive equipment meant that none of Rau’s photographs were sharp enough to be of true scientific use. (Rau had much better luck back home in the U.S., where he went on to become a very successful and widely recognised photographer.)
A still image of Venus passing the face of the Sun. Credit: New Zealand Geographic
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Those observing with the human eye had more success, and the expedition meant New Zealand was able to make quite a dramatic entry into international astronomy. But perhaps the best outcome from Whangaroa Harbour all those years ago was the cooperation between the United States and New Zealand, a partnership that has led to a long and still fruitful working relationship that endures to this day.
Leases, Easements & Covenants Taura hono tangata, taura here whenua When land connects us
Chatham Islands and makes regular visits home to assist the community.
We value your unique connection to the land and use local knowledge to enrich it for future generations. You can count on us to realise your project and help you get the most from your land. Thinking of a project? Get
Transit house and instruments, used on the Chatham Islands during the United States expedition to observe the transit of Venus in 1874. Photograph taken by William H Rau. PAColl-0058-03 Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand
50 not out
It often seems that caring for our environment is a fairly recent thing, and that ‘back in the day’ we just logged kauri and dammed rivers as we saw fit. And yet many Kiwis have been greenies for decades - and in the case of the Ngā Manu Nature Reserve, for half a century.
Now a cornerstone of conservation and Kāpiti tourism, Ngā Manu has been committed to preserving and enhancing native forests since 1974.
“We recently reviewed our strategic plan,” says Anna McKenzie Hawea, General Manager of Ngā Manu, “and it was astonishing to me that the original kaupapa developed 50 years ago was still relevant today. The trustees, staff, volunteers, and supporters all play a key role as kaitiaki/ caretakers of this kaupapa, and I know every one of us is proud and passionate to be a part of what makes this place special. It is testament to Peter McKenzie and the founding trustees that the vision was so ahead of its time.”
Peter McKenzie was just 20 years old and working as a keeper at Wellington Zoo when the idea for the reserve first formed in the early 1970s. A series of discussions with a number of his colleagues evolved into the concept of creating a ‘zoo’ of indigenous - rather than exotic - species, but it soon became clear that the group did not have access to the kind of capital required to turn the concept into reality. Then, a few weeks before his 21st birthday, Peter was told that he was to receive an inheritance from his grandfather Sir John McKenzie, founder of the McKenzie’s chain stores and one of New Zealand’s early philanthropists. Peter made the (very un-twenty-something!) decision to gift part of it to the establishment of Ngā Manu, and suddenly the dream had become a possibility.
Peter McKenzie, the founder, holding a kiwi.
A trust was established in 1974, named Ngā Manu, te reo Māori for ‘the birds’, and in late 1977 a block of land in Waikanae was leased and the mammoth job got under way. Ponds were excavated, fencing went up, indigenous trees and shrubs were planted, and aviaries and animal enclosures to house numerous native birds and lizards, including the ancient tuatara, were built. It was, one of the founding trustees noted, a ‘bloody mess’! And the battle against an army of introduced pests, including starlings, rabbits, rats and possums, had only just begun.
It did not remain a mess for too long however. By 1981 an information centre had been added and Ngā Manu Sanctuary was officially opened in late 1981. The same year the leased land was purchased outright, and by 1984 there were over 17,000 visitors per annum, a number which grew significantly in the 1990s and resulted in a new education centre being built - which also provided a unique venue for weddings and celebrations!
Today, to enter the Ngā Manu Nature Reserve is to step into paradise. At 14-hectares it is one of the largest remnants of coastal lowland swamp forest on the Kāpiti Coast, where you can see puketea, rimu, swamp maire and kahikatea, some of which are 400 years old.
The Ngā Manu Nature Reserve is to step into paradise.
Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau
Kāpiti Coast
Credit David Mudge
Take a self-guided tour - or the free guided forest walk available on weekends - and it is like stepping back in time and seeing just how stunningly beautiful the New Zealand bush can be. But the reserve is also about education: on the Native Bird tour, you can get up close and personal with kākā, kakariki, kea, and whio; the Native Icons tour covers kiwi, tuatara, and tuna (eels); and the Kiwi Night Encounter covers our native kiwi and Ngā Manu’s involvement in the captive programme. Ngā Manu has also partnered with the Department of Conservation breed-for-release programmes, and has helped re-establish at-risk species of birds and reptiles in the wild, participating in breeding programmes for kiwi, whio, pateke/brown teal, kāka, and tuatara. And the great thing about the Reserve is just how family friendly it is - you don’t have to pack your hiking boots, you can just stroll on and take it all in at your leisure.
Sadly, Peter McKenzie passed away in 2012, but his legacy lives on in the plants and animals of the Reserve. For five decades Ngā Manu has consistently strived to strengthen the connection between people and the natural world, and Kāpiti Coast District Mayor Janet Holborow says the reserve is an important taonga in Kāpiti.
“The crucial conservation work, the enormous educational benefits, the community connections, the ability to access nature for people of all abilities - it all adds up to something extremely special. Heartfelt thanks to the many, many people who’ve contributed over the years to create this beautiful haven in our district.”
Here’s to another 50 years - and if you want to help make that a reality, head on over to our news page to learn about an awesome fundraising raffle Ngā Manu is holding and Air Chathams is proud to be involved in!
It is like stepping back in time and seeing just how stunningly beautiful the New Zealand bush can be.
Whanganui Spirit
Once the preserve of hippies and people who wore walk shorts and socks with sandals, craft beer has now been firmly established as mainstream, and let’s face it, Kiwis are bloody good at it. But a few adventurous souls just had to take it to the next level and embrace distilling - as in making spiritswhich is a whole other art form with a whole lot more complexities. And just to make it interesting, these two Whanganui distilleries have added some pretty unique twists!
Papaiti Gin
When life gives you lemons, so the saying goes, you make lemonade. But what do you do when life gives you 400 pear trees? That’s the question that Nikki Oesterle and her partner Adrian faced having just moved from the capital to Whanganui in 2021. And for them the answer was clear: you make gin.
The couple had fallen in love with an old house while visiting family, and before they knew it had sold up in Wellington and moved in, in just four weeks. While they knew the house came with land, everything had been such a whirlwind that they had not fully comprehended what that really meant. “About a week before we moved in,” Nikki says, “we saw what the land actually consisted of. There was a massive orchard on each side - plus eighteen sheep and a pig! The orchard had kind of reached the end of its economic life, but it still produced a lot of pears! We just didn’t want them to go to waste, and gin seemed like a great idea.”
Around the same time, Nikki completed an entrepreneurial bootcamp, and suddenly the couple - who had always hankered after being their own bosses - saw that the stars were aligning. “It was like there was a sudden sparkwe just felt it was time to do something, not wait another year for everything to be perfect. We had absolutely no experience in distilling - so, yes, we went to YouTube! We bought a small copper still, rented an old village store for super cheap and registered the business - and a year later we were making gin!”
Nikki Oesterle and Adrian of Papaiti Gin
And they still are. For their signature Orchard Gin, the pears are dried and botanicals like kawakawa, grapefruit and mandarin or lime peel add subtle flavours over the traditional juniper base. Papaiti Gin also produces the Whanganui Dry, which is a contemporary London Dry gin but uses botanicals such as pink peppercorn, mint and - for added smoothness - almonds. And newbies they may be, but across their four core range gins they’ve picked up 24 medals at international and national competitions, among them one gold and one double gold.
“It’s been a pretty wild journey! And we couldn’t have done it without Whanganui - the people have been so supportive - there is so much happening here and we wanted to be a part of that dynamic.”
“We just didn’t want (the pears) to go to waste, and gin seemed like a great idea.”
What do you get when you mix an Interior Designer and a Real Estate salesperson?
Rachel Gray
As an expert in both industries, I have a wealth of knowledge that will be invaluable when buying or selling your home. If you are thinking of making a move, talk to me today!
Rachel Gray Residential/Lifestyle Sales Consultant M 027 323 3636 E rachel.gray@pb.co.nz rachelgray.pb.co.nz
Good Bones Distilling
Not seeing something go to waste was also the focus of Whanganui local Vaughan Campbell. Vaughan became interested in distilling quite early - he had his first still at the tender age of 18 - and has been perfecting his skills ever since. “It turned into a hobby,” Vaughan says, “and then it became an obsession. It’s the love of the process, perfecting the process, that attracts me I guess.”
Vaughan’s love of the process nearly had a very fortuitous turn in his other job of building performance engines at Pulse Performance. “We ship our engines all over the world, but some run on ethanol and during COVID all the ethanol was being turned into hand sanitiser!
My boss knew I could home brew and asked me if I could make ethanol - and I said yeah, I’ll look into it! Unfortunately, it just wasn’t viable in the quantities needed, but it was fun trying!”
Something else was viable. “I came across a news article about how much food goes to waste, and started thinking about how I could use unused food to make alcohol, and started trialling the process. Then one night I was phone scrolling and came across Innovate Whanganui (a Dragon’s Den style, Whanganui and Partners initiative to support local entrepreneurs) and it was an absolute lightbulb moment. I actually woke my partner up to tell her - and got told not to wake her up again!”
Vaughan went on to win Innovate Whanganui and the $10,000 prize kickstarted Good Bones Vodka. “We source all the unused food locally, for example offcuts from a local cake maker that would otherwise end up in the bin. And the yeast for the fermentation of the food is a wild New Zealand yeast from the Rangitikei region that our yeast supplier found.
Vaughan Campbell of Good Bones Vodka.
It’s not the normal kind of yeast you’d use for vodka, it has a subtle spice from phenols, fruity banana, pear and apple esters, but the idea of it being wild - and 100% New Zealand - was too good to miss.”
The company now makes batch-based runs of vodka and liqueurs, each centred around a specific unused baked treat like bagels, bread or cake, as well as beer.
“We don’t use carbon filters,” says Vaughan. “Instead we make careful cuts during the distillation process. So what you are tasting is what has come out of the still.”
But for Vaughan, it’s about more than just taste. “Every bottle we produce highlights the unique character of locally sourced ingredients and the care we take in crafting each batch, but also represents our commitment to reducing food waste and creating something meaningful from what would otherwise be discarded.”
With a growing range of spirits and a dedication to sustainability, Good Bones Distilling is proving that with the right approach, even what’s leftover can become extraordinary.
And we can all drink to that.
“I came across a news article about how much food goes to waste, and started thinking about how I could use unused food to make alcohol, and started trialling the process.”
Wings Over the Water
Cameron Bell got bitten by the aviation bug early. And he got bitten hard.
THE AIR CHATHAMS GROUND OPERATIONS STANDARDS MANAGER doesn’t know what exactly it was that put flying in his blood from a young age, but the urge to be airborne remains as strong as ever. “I can’t put my finger on anything in particular,” Cameron says, “but during high school something just clicked and I knew I wanted to spend my life working in aviation. Initially I wanted to be in air traffic control, but after I’d done a few flights at the aviation club I thought, bugger, that I want to be up in the air not down on the ground in the tower!”
And he’s been up in the air ever since. A stint at a major hardware chain was the springboard to enter the industry and he joined the Air Chathams family in 2018, working first as a ground handler and then in the Flight Operations team for four years. He now oversees ground handling and check-in training, compliance and standards, team management, and dangerous goods acceptance and compliance. “What I love about the company is the family atmosphere and the sense that we’re all working together, working to connect people. Our regions rely heavily on aviation to keep them going, and it makes you kinda proud to be a part of that.”
Working with a team with a sense of purpose is also what attracts Cameron to his side gig - which is even more focused on connecting people - as a volunteer with Auckland Coastguard Air Patrol. You may immediately think of boats when you hear their name, but the Coastguard NZ charity also has two Air Patrol units which operate two Cessna 182 aircraft, one stationed in Kerikeri and the other at Ardmore in Auckland. These planes are operated by volunteers and patrol and train
“I got interested in it after hearing some of the ‘war stories‘ of some of the Coastguard air crew”
on busy summer weekends, and maintain readiness for active callouts during the week. The Coastguard’s marine craft safely brought home a staggering 7,196 people last year - and their eyes in the sky are a vital part of that.
“I got interested in it after hearing some of the ‘war stories‘ of some of the Coastguard air crew,” Cameron says. “It sounded great - a great way to do what I love but to be helping people at the same time. I started out as a rear observer and was trained in search and observation techniques. For example, we’re trained to scan the ocean from the wingtip to the window, as opposed to sweeping horizontally, because it keeps your eye focused. If you are not doing this your eye naturally goes out of focus but you won’t actually notice that it has, and when you are looking for a single person in a very big ocean that is not ideal!”
Cameron Bell
“We’re all working together, working to connect people”
Cameron then moved into the Inflight Coordinator role, which saw him managing communications between the observer, the pilot (who is concentrating on flying!) and the ground based control centre, who are coordinating the air and sea aspects of the search. Then two years ago, he moved into the hot seat as pilot.
“We usually fly at 500 feet, while the lowest level of flight generally followed by private aircraft is 1,000 feet. And we’ll be doing what is called ‘contour flying’, which is one of the four main search patterns we will do: coastline search (aka contour flying), parallel line search, expanding square from a point, and sector search from a point. In places like Piha near Auckland, contour flying puts us below the level of the cliff face - which is pretty interesting! And there have been times when we’ve had to turn back because of weather conditions, which is disappointing, but we don’t want to become the subject of a search ourselves.”
The majority of searches carried out by the Coastguard’s Air Patrol units are for boats overdue or in distress, with the planes helping to locate the vessels and relay coordinates for Coastguard rescue vessels. But the aircraft are also called on to locate missing divers, rock fishers or swimmers. In these cases the aircraft - once they have located those in the waterwill circle as long as possible before on-water volunteers arrive, but if they are low on fuel they can drop flares and dye packs to make those in the water easier to see.
“What I like about it is that once we are deployed we are very mission focused,” Cameron says. “The whole crew in the air and volunteers on the ground or on the sea and water are working together to try and get someone home to their loved ones.”
And over 2023/2024, the Air Patrol units responded to 53 incidents and helped to bring 96 people home to their loved ones. That took a total of 4,304 volunteer hours - but for all those involved it was clearly worth it.
To help support Coastguard or to become a volunteer yourself, go to www.coastguard.nz
Go Wild!
FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS
Whakatāne’s Local Wild Food Festival has been serving up the downright delicious, all while helping to educate young and old about the glorious kai that is all around us. It’s back in 2025 with a renewed focus on sustainability and appreciating the resources of our natural environment - and it’s also the perfect excuse to hit the Bay for a weekend you’ll never want to end!
The Local Wild Food Festival was the brainchild of founder Bill Mason and kicked off in Eastbourne, Wellington, in 2008. The basic premise was to celebrate abundant wild food by creating dishes based on natural ingredients: kai moana from the seas, produce from the land, whatever a hunter could harvest - it could all be used to create a signature dish to wow a panel of local and specialist judges and get us all thinking differently about what we eat and where we source our food.
It was a winning recipe indeed and the Festival grew to include multiple locations around Aotearoa New Zealand and an incredible nine countries across the globe. COVID put a dampener on the Festival, as it did to so many events, but there really is no keeping a good thing down and the Whakatāne event - first held in 2013 - continues to inspire and promote understanding, appreciation and sustainability of the resources in our natural environment.
“Whakatāne has plentiful native bush, rivers, lakes, ocean and harbour inlets – all teeming with wild food,” says Kim Fort, Senior Events Development Advisor at Whakatāne District Council. “Fishing, diving, hunting, and growing is part of our DNA, and with a 50% Māori population there is a strong interest in kai Māori - harvesting, foraging and traditional Rongoā practices, which provide really great learning opportunities for the wider community.”
“The event centres around cooking challenges where participants gather local wild food to craft dishes for judging. Categories include best wild ingredient, best pest, best of the sea, best Kai Māori and more. The judging panel marks dishes on flavour, use of wild ingredients, the story of the dish/wild food and effort. In the past the panel has included media personalities and kai experts like chefs Joe McLeod and Anne Thorp, Tūī Keenan from the Hunting with Tūī show, Owen Boynton, Toa Hunter Gatherer and Mawera Karetai, a local wild kai personality.”
Accompanying the challenge is a wider festival featuring wild food-themed menus from food trucks, demonstrations, crafts, weaving, and environmental groups. More than 70 unique demonstrations on culinary topics such as beast breakdowns, hāngī, food preservation, and permaculture have been delivered since the Festival’s inception, educating festival crowds of over 2600 people.
“Fishing, diving, hunting, and growing is part of our DNA, and with a 50% Māori population there is a strong interest in kai Māori”
A relatively recent addition to the Festival has been The Mystery Box Challenge, which sees competitors given a box of wild ingredients - they have no idea what is included till they open the box - and have 45 minutes to create a culinary masterpiece. “The Mystery Box Challenge has proven really popular with groups of three to four signing up on the day!” says Kim.
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“In the past the boxes have included everything from venison, to seafoods, mussels and oysters, and piko piko and other wild herbs, so it’s a really fun challenge for corporate groups, families or friends! Sessions roll out throughout the day, every hour on the hour, so you can get into the vibe of the Festival, get your courage up and get stuck in using our on-site kitchens - and hopefully you can win something exciting from the prize table!”
But you don’t have to get your game on to have fun at the Local Wild Food Festival. There are kai demonstrations and guided samplings of native plants so you can start to explore your own wild food journey, and demonstrations on the weaving of food baskets. Cooking demonstrations have included traditional Māori Rongoa medicine, permaculture, rēwena bread, composting, kūmara growing, venison/pork beast butchering, and fish filleting. And perhaps the best part is that there are wild food samples including goat, peacock, wild pork, kahawai and even crickets - all cooked over open fires.
And around all this swirls live music, sea breezes and good vibes, under ancient Pōhutukawa trees at Ōhope - voted New Zealand’s best-loved beach - just over the hill from Whakatāne. The Festival gets underway at midday on Saturday, 22 February, tickets are $15 (including booking fee) for early birds, $20 on the day with children under sixteen getting in for free. We’ll see you there!
There are kai demonstrations and guided samplings of native plants so you can start to explore your own wild food journey
whakatane.com
Five things
you probably didn’t know about Norfolk Island (and four things you really should know!)
Norfolk Island is famed for its stunning scenery, its colourful past, and it’s get-away-from-itall location. But there is a lot more to Norfolk Island than convicts and sunsets, so here’s five things you probably didn’t know about Norfolk - and four things you really should know!
Five things you probably didn’t know about Norfolk Island
1) Waving is mandatory
If you are out and about on Norfolk Island it won’t be long before you notice that drivers acknowledge each other with a friendly hand gesture. Known as The Norfolk Wave, it’s a long-established part of Island etiquette - there was even a poem written about it - and comes in several forms: single hand wave, two-hand wave (probably ill-advised if you are behind the wheel) and our favourite, the whole-arm-out-the-window wave.
2) Cows have the right-of-wayand must be registered
If you find yourself behind the wheel on Norfolk Island be sure to give the many cows that wander the roads there the right of way - it’s the law and it’s to protect the big beasts who are allowed to roam free. Also, if you find yourself in possession of a cow while on Norfolk you must register it - just like you would a car or dog here in Kiwiland - so bear that in mind when making impulse purchases.
3) Norfolk has its own language
Norfolk has two official languages: English and Norf’k. The latter of these is a blend of 18th Century English and Tahitian that was developed by the original Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian partners. A common greeting you will hear is “Watawieh” - which is “Hello” - or “Watawieh yorlye?” - which is “Hello, how are you all?” And you will also hear “Yorlye kum baek sun” - which is the traditional farewell and means “You all come back soon”!
4) Norfolk Island celebrates Thanksgiving
Norfolk Island is one of very few territories outside of the United States to celebrate Thanksgiving, the traditional American federal holiday. It is marked on the last Wednesday of each November and honours the American whalers who came to the Island and in particular an American trader named Isaac Robinson, who was also the American consul. Robinson introduced the celebration of Thanksgiving by decorating churches with produce, and the tradition lives, albeit with roast pork taking the place of the traditional turkey!
5) The Island has a very special phonebook
In addition to the more traditional telephone directory based on surname entries, the Norfolk Island phone book has a section entitled Faasfain; here you can look up numbers of the locals by their nicknameswhich is how many people are more popularly known!
Cows - they have the right of way on Norfolk!
No one does public holidays like Norfolk Island
And four things you really should know!
1) Bounty Day is a holiday on the island
Every June 8 is the public holiday of Anniversary Bounty Day, when Norfolk Islanders celebrate the arrival in 1856 of the Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and Tahitian women, and the Island’s transition from a penal colony to a residential island. There is a feast and a ball, a re-enactment of the arrival, and a general carnival atmosphere that is a fantastic introduction to Island life.
2) It’s just a hop, skip, and a jump away
At only 805 kilometres from the northern tip of New Zealand, Norfolk Island is virtually on our doorstep - and Air Chathams can get you there in less than three hours! It’s the perfect getaway and just a little bit special.
3) Norfolk Island produce is world class
Fresh fish is a feature of this Pacific island paradise - think kingfish, red emperor and yellowtail tuna - but there is also a great ‘paddock to plate’ tradition of fresh beef and pork, fruits and vegetables that make for fantastic eating - and a virtually zero carbon footprint for the eco-minded foodie!
4) There are no snakes on Norfolk Island
And if you’ve ever been to mainland Australia, you’ll know that this is a very good thing.
Reviving the Tītī:
A Conservation Success Story
The Chatham Islands have always been a haven for seabirds, and among the many species that call the Islands home is the Tītī, or Sooty Shearwater. Once found in their millions but at risk due to introduced predators, the future of the Tītī is now looking brighter thanks to the dedicated work of the Chatham Island Taiko Trust.
Historically, seabirds like the Tītī have played a vital role in the lives of the Moriori and Māori, providing an important food source. But predators such as cats, rats, feral pigs, and weka, drastically reduced populations leaving just a few isolated and struggling groups.
Tītī - or Sooty Shearwater
Seabirds like the Tītī have played a vital role in the lives of the Moriori and Māori.
The Taiko Trust’s mission to restore the Tītī population began in earnest in 2016 with the creation of Gap Sanctuary, a predator-free zone on the cliffs of Tuku Farm. Owned by Bruce and Liz Tuanui, it was designed to protect not only seabirds but also a variety of other Chatham Island species.
Two bird transfers from Rangatira (South East Island) were carried out prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a third transfer from Mangere Island in April this year. To ensure the birds were well-prepared for their new environment, they were fed a nutritious sardine “milkshake” and regularly monitored for weight and wing growth. The fledgling birds are expected to return to the sanctuary within three to four years, with breeding typically beginning four to five years after translocation.
At least five Tītī burrows at Gap Sanctuary have shown activity, and, to everyone’s surprise, one of the burrows successfully produced a chick. This chick was not from the translocated birds, but from an unbanded Tītī that had made Gap Sanctuary its home. This discovery was particularly significant because it suggests that the efforts to attract mature birds back to the area have been successful.
Encouragingly, a number of chicks from the initial translocation have been spotted returning to the sanctuary in late 2023 and early 2024. If everything continues to go well, these birds should start breeding at the end of this year, marking another critical milestone in the restoration project.
The return of Tītī to Gap Sanctuary represents a significant victory for the Chatham Island Taiko Trust and seabird conservation. This project, part of a broader effort to restore biodiversity across the Chatham Islands, showcases what can be achieved with persistence, community support, and a deep respect for the environment.
This project, part of a broader effort to restore biodiversity across the Chatham Islands, showcases what can be achieved with persistence, community support, and a deep respect for the environment.
Looking ahead, the Trust plans further bird transfers in 2025 and 2026, with the goal of establishing a thriving, self-sustaining Tītī colony at Gap Sanctuary. By restoring these critical seabird populations, the Trust is helping to heal the island’s ecosystems and secure the future of one of its most iconic species.
Translocating Tītī birds is a precision operation
None of this would be possible without the help of the local community and the Trust’s generous sponsors. Special thanks go to NZRed, the project’s primary sponsor, and Air Chathams, whose support has been crucial across all the Trust’s initiatives. Additionally, the Rata Foundation has been a major sponsor in the restoration efforts at Gap Sanctuary, playing a key role in enabling this vital conservation work.
For more updates on the Trust’s work and future projects, find them on Facebook and join in the effort to protect the incredible wildlife of the Chatham Islands.
Help keep our islands unique by Checking your belongings for any contaminants BEFORE arriving in the Chatham Islands
arriving on The Chathams... CHECK, CLEAN AND DRY
Footwear
Outdoor clothing
Dive gear
Camping and sports equipment
Contamination might include seeds in your socks and clothing, marine pests on dive gear, mud on boots or ants in your backpack. Please don’t bring animals, plant material, bees or raw comb honey, unless you have contacted a Chatham Islands Biosecurity O cer for advice first.
For more information or advice please scan the QR code or contact a Chatham Islands Biosecurity O cer: Phone. 03 305 0013 info@chathamislands.govt.nz
w.cic.govt.nz
Our
IT’S HARD TO OVERESTIMATE just how much of a maritime nation we are. From the Great Pacific Migration of a thousand years ago, to the six months in a leaky boat that colonists endured to get here and the vital role ships large and small have played in coastal and international trade, seafaring has made us what we are. And yet when most Kiwis’ main mode of getting around these days is an imported car, we often forget the incredible importance of marine transport in our history - and there is no better way to explore that than at the New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa.
The Museum was first proposed in 1980 and opened in 1993. It is now an Auckland Council controlled organisation and houses one of the nation’s most important heritage collections, covering everything from the aforementioned Great Pacific Migration, coastal trade and later migrations, and tours of the Auckland waterfront, to seabirds and exhibits of the cutting edge of modern technology and design used in America’s Cup yachting. There is always something on, and it’s usually something for all the family.
This is not, definitely not a cold musty old school museum though. It’s modern, interactive and features what can only be called ‘working exhibits’. There is the 110-year-old motor launch Nautilus, the Breeze, a traditional wooden brigantine similar to vessels used for New Zealand coastal and inter-Dominion trades in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the oldest operating steam-powered tug in Aotearoa aka the SS Puke, and - in our opinion at least - the star of the show, the amazing Ted Ashby.
Seafaring History
“The scows were the only means of linking the country before there was a rail network and a road system.”
Typical of the fleet of ships that once operated in northern New Zealand waters, the Ted Ashby is not a resurrected classic but a lovingly recreated modern replica. Built by Museum staff and volunteers according to traditional methods out of blackbutt, an Australian hardwood grown in Northland instead of the traditional kauri, she was launched in August 1993. And yes that’s right, they built a classic replica ship; not a motorbike, not a car - a ship. Or to be precise, a scow.
Scows were flat-bottomed, centreboard vessels, most of which stowed their cargo up on deck. They were perfect for the estuaries and shallow harbours of New Zealand and carried essentials like timber, sand and shingle, machinery and stock; they were the work horses of their day and were instrumental in building Auckland and Aotearoa.
“Shipping was incredibly important to New Zealand in the early days,” says the Museum Sailing Manager Chris Ingham. “Just looking to my own family, my great grandfather died leaving my great grandmother with five children to raise on a coastal farm in rural Northland. Their principal contact with the outside world was to flag down a passing scow. They would literally run up a flag as a signal and a scow would come in to collect their produce and bring it to market in Auckland. That’s why the markets were close to the harbour because everything came in by sea. The scows were the only means of linking the country before there was a rail network and a road system.”
One of the nation’s most important heritage collections.
The scows ranged from 45 to 130 feet in length and most were two-masted. Around 130 were built in the north of New Zealand between 1873 and 1925, but today only half a dozen survive, and the Ted Ashby is a great way to experience one.
Galvanised steel bolts and spikes are a nod to modernity on the Ted Ashby, but the hull is framed with fore-and-aft bulkheads, the bottom is cross-planked, and beneath the waterline the hull is sheathed in worm-resistant native totara over tarred felt and schenam (that’s
a mixture of lime and oil, landlubber). So she may be relatively new, but she’s an old soul at heart. And what’s in a name? The Museum named the ship after the original Ted Ashby, a man whose whole life was intimately involved with scows and who is the author of the book ‘Phantom Fleet’.
The work horses of their day and were instrumental in building
Auckland and Aotearoa.
Weekday mornings sees the ship acting as a classroom on the water, educating school groups about our maritime past, but you can get in on the action weekday afternoons and weekends when she does regular cruises of the Auckland Harbour.
“The whole reason that Auckland is here is because of the harbour,” Chris says. “The Ted Ashby is a great way to see just how beautiful it is, but also to see it through a whole different lens, to realise that the ocean is at the heart of the city, and go back in time a little to when most journeys were made under sail. You really have to see the city from the sea to understand it!”
Our fleet
Air Chathams has a fleet of 10 aircraft, ranging from single-engine light planes to turboprop passenger aircraft capable of speeds of over 500km/h. With this diverse fleet we can offer everything from scenic flights to charters, passenger services and freight.
ATR 72
Our newest regional airliner
Speed
500 kilometres per hour
Max Altitude 25,000 feet
Pressurised Cabin Yes
No. of Pilots 2
No. of Flight Attendants 2
No. of Seats 68
Inflight Catering Available Toilet Yes
Saab 340
Our Swedish princess
Speed
470 kilometres per hour
Max Altitude 25,000 feet
Pressurised Cabin Yes
No. of Pilots 2
No. of Flight Attendants 1
No. of Seats 34
Inflight Catering Available
Toilet Yes
Douglas DC-3
Our pride and joy. This remarkable aircraft has certainly ‘been there and done that’.
Speed
240 kilometres per hour
Max Altitude 10,000 feet
Pressurised Cabin No
No. of Pilots 2
No. of Flight Attendants 1
No. of Seats 28
Inflight Catering Available Yes
Cessna 206
The Chatham Islands workhorse
Speed
230 kilometres per hour
Max Altitude 10,000 feet
Pressurised Cabin No
No. of Pilots 1
No. of Flight Attendants 0
No. of Seats 5
Inflight Catering No
Toilet No
The airline that brings New Zealand together
Air Chathams is family owned and operated and is New Zealand’s largest privately owned airline, flying to some of the country’s best regional destinations. For more than 35 years we’ve been bringing New Zealand together.
Auckland
Whakatāne
Kāpiti Coast
Chatham Islands
Christchurch
Wellington
Whanganui
Norfolk Island
