We got up and had leisurely brekkie and then got ready to go and catch a plane. We left Christchurch on time in a tiny turbo-prop and the plane was rocking and bumping along – and we had not even taken off the runway yet. We faced the nor-west runway (Mamabear saying it was her first ever take off in THAT direction) and we were away! Predictably the flight for the first few minutes was very bumpy! Kept wanting to say "buckle up – its gonna be a bumpy ride" quoting from Harry Potter. Anyhow – after we got to the flight ceiling it smoothed out and we had a pleasant flight. (oddly enough the journey back and using same plane took 15 minutes longer - turns out the flight path is more easterly coming down - thus using more km's)
Landed ok and collected the car and decided first order of business was lunch, so headed towards Palmerston North center and found the “Rumor has it” Café – very nice and had tv in corner that quoted corny sayings – like ‘Facebook-anonymous meeting on Facebook at 4 pm’. Car a Toyota Corolla wagon - nuthing flash and sadly an automatic - BUT - it had a USB port - and even better - it plays my 32 Gig pen-drive after two seconds loading the data!! My car takes about one minute plus, before it loads and plays - so yeah very nice going - I shall miss it when I have to give it back!
Then headed of via Feilding – showed Mamabear where we camped (in the big wet Scout Jamboree 2005) and then drove north-ish to Taihape! Very nice scenery – lots of rolling hills.
And we came across an international airport café in the middle of nowhere! Found a motel in Taihape ok and dumped suitcase and went for a stroll in town – looking at café’s and shops and info center. Sadly no cloth souvenir badge (will have to make one myself). Found the local Gumboot on other town entrance and snapped the obligatory picture – discovered a section of native bush with a 10 minute hill walk which we may do next day (assuming it will stop raining). A small section of New Zealand native bush left - complete with some young (300 years) Kauri and some Kakikatea which is New Zealand s tallest tree at 60 m's height – then stopped in New World for some vital supplies and back home, sorting out mamabear's e-reader and working out TV channels for Rugby later. 
May eat out and have to be back for 7 pm!! Dinner at the Gumboot manor, very nice rustic place with very young waitresses. Had decent food then back to Motel where we watched the All Blacks thrashing the Irish team by 60 - 0! A good night all round!!
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