What seems the official government policy of contempt for the South has had considerable airing in these columns (including from myself) concerning the new hospital.
This policy may have seeped over into some other publicly-owned institutions, and an example I wish to expand upon is our national airline, 51% citizen-owned, to remind you.
Some years ago, in the 1990s to 2010s, we had a decent transtasman service, under the flag of Freedom Air, which was essentially Air NZ in drag, and sometimes actually using Air NZ aircraft. There was pretty much a daily service to one of the Australian east coast cities.
For me personally, living at the time in Melbourne and with family here, this was very useful: point-to-point travel, with no need to hang around for hours in some intermediate air terminal.
While I used to fly quite a bit work-related, now in retirement, it’s a case of "from Gold Elite to Grabaseat", and the usual reason to travel is a family visit.
I did need to return briefly to Australia recently, which required a connection through Wellington. Melbourne-Wellington certainly seems well patronised, as Air NZ and Qantas ran a tag team the day we flew, with our plane practically full.
Air NZ claims that "Our driving purpose is to enrich our country by connecting New Zealanders to each other and New Zealand to the world ... Embedded in our purpose, is a promise to our people, our customers and our community. That promise is Manaaki — taking care further than any other airline".
Hmmm. Maybe Tui should use this statement in their reactivated 'Yeah right' advertising campaign. Because which country’s airline is now bringing back transtasman travel to Dunedin? Clue: it’s not New Zealand’s. Our airline, the one we own, seems happy to let Dunedin down, and to see us as cabin fodder, to be funnelled through other airports. If Air NZ really wished to "take care further than any other airline", they could reinstate travel at least to Melbourne and Sydney.
In an act of public-spirited generosity, I have studied Air NZ’s schedules and, free gratis, I can present to them routes that could readily be rejigged to give Dunediners, if not always non-stop, at least a direct and much swifter service. And give Australians a better link into our part of Otago.
Trivial pursuit question: which NZ international airport lies closest to Australia? Answer: Queenstown. So, we could have a Dunedin-Queenstown-Melbourne/Sydney service, almost in a straight line, with just a brief stopover in Queenstown on the way.
The domestic Dunedin-Queenstown segment could bring back the service we used to have, way back in the day, when Mt Cook Airlines (more Air NZ in drag) flew to Central Otago. Qantas have much experience with mixed domestic/international passengers; presumably Air NZ could manage likewise.
These Sydney/Melbourne services to Queenstown run three times a week. Ideally, all three, but perhaps only two, or even (sigh) just one of these, could be extended.
An alternative, which would indeed give non-stop travel, would be to divert one or some of Christchurch flights NZ213, 215, 221 or 222 to Dunedin, leaving early morning or mid-afternoon, before continuing on to Sydney or Melbourne; and similarly on the return trip for the early morning departing flights (the later departing ones would be at too inconvenient times).
So there we have it. Dead simple. Extend these flights as I’ve outlined, Air NZ, and, as they say over there, give Dunediners a fair suck of the sav.
— Mac Gardner is a retired medical geneticist, former Melburnian, present Dunedinite.
