Prime Minister John Key ended up sitting in an aeroplane for an hour at Invercargill Airport on Sunday afternoon, after high winds forced the last minute diversion of his flight, scheduled to land in Queenstown.
Mr Key was heading to the resort for the closing ceremony of the Winter Games NZ at Coronet Peak, and to spend 45 minutes with Queenstown residents Paul, Mark and Erika Harris, who won an auction for "Prime Time with the Prime Minister", part of the annual Black on Track New Zealand Ski Team fundraiser.
The Otago Daily Times understands the plane was diverted as it approached Queenstown and directed to wait in Invercargill until the weather cleared.
The plane was just over an hour late arriving in the resort - just in time for Mr Key's appointment with the Harris family.
