AUCKLAND TO ROTORUA
Although Rotorua is one of the most touristy destinations on North Island, there's not a lot of air service. That's probably because it's only a 2 1/2- to 3-hour drive, and most travelers rent cars to explore the country. (It's a fantastic country to drive, but they do use the wrong side of the road.) When I learned Air New Zealand flies only a Beechcraft 1900 (a 19-passenger plane resembling a flying tube of tooth paste) to Rotorua, I wondered why we didn't drive. The plane was so small there was no flight attendant, and when the captain walked down the aisle before takeoff to check if seat belts were fastened, he asked a passenger sitting near me if he would mind moving to one of the empty seats in the front because the plane was "taily." I asked the woman next to me what that meant. She said, "The plane is too heavy in the back." Makes sense, I said. Then she made the sign of the cross. She saw me staring at her with frightful eyes (I hate small planes) and said, "It's always rough flying into Rotorua." I quickly made the sign of the cross too, but I really wanted to jump out and hire Darshan to drive me. It was too late, though. The pilot had shut the door, and within seconds we were taxiing down the runway. The 40-minute flight turned out be very smooth and scenic. When we landed I turned to my seatmate and said, "You scared the daylights out of me" She said, "I know. I figured if you thought it was going to be rough it would lower your expectations." She was right! For more click HERE.