Warbirds Over Wanaka Wows

Yes, we braved the school holiday/Easter rush and went down to Wanaka for the Warbirds air show. The first obstacle to get over was the flight itself. Fog struck Auckland and we sat in our plane on the tarmac for 2 and 3/4 hours. So it took us 5 hours to get to Queenstown, instead of 1 3/4. We rushed over the hill to Wanaka, gobbled down some lunch and headed to the airport. No sooner had we parked and trekked through to the viewing area, than a plane swooshed past us like thunder. The aircraft were having their practice day, and we would learn that the plane in question was the F1-11, the fastest aircraft currently in military operation. Austrlia has dozens of them, and was lending this one to show off.

Anyway, I won't give a play-by-play of the whole weekend. Suffice to say the weather was mostly fine, if a little chilly sometimes. The entertainments were well organised and varied. There was non-stop action in the air. Hubby was in his element. On the ground, there was a market and various other stalls selling associated wares, hot food and a bouncy castle. And of course, all the vintage aircraft lined up next to each other at the end of the day. My only complaint would be the amount of dust and standing involved. And the queues to get there on the Saturday morning were horrendous. And the PA system was a bit rickety. But overall, a fun experience. Hubby is dying to go back for 2008. We'll see.