I’m always in two minds about posting about Great Barrier Island, as I’m worried too many people might start holidaying there, making it harder for me to holiday there. But it really is an iconic part of New Zealand that provide world class beauty, just 30 minutes flying from Auckland.

Myself and three friends stayed at Blind Bay, and you can see the view from the balcony. The weather was so nice, that we were able to drink and play cards out on the balcony until close to midnight. One can never get sick of views like that.

A couple of the locals very kindly took us out fishing over the weekend. This is their dog Max who just loves being out on the water.

Even I managed to catch a couple of fish, including this parrotfish. We also caught lots of snapper, which we had for dinner.

I loved this sight of the dog being towed along in his own boat.

After the fishing, we went to this very remote bay (basically only accessible by boat or a two hour walk) and it really was a piece of paradise. The water was wonderful.

Yum. I can never get enough crayfish. It was a perfect end to a great day out.

Also love the sunset over Blind Bay.

I love living in Wellington, and don’t think I would ever live in Auckland. But if I did, a big plus would be being able to spend more time on the Barrier. The locals are so absolutely friendly, and the scenery so wonderful.

This is the view from the house Squatter Girl and I stayed at in Whangaparapara. The sunrises and sunsets are amazing.

On the Saturday decided to do the trek to the Hot Springs. It’s only a couple of kms in and the DOC track is really well maintained. It had been raining the day before but this track isn’t much affected by the rain.

This is one of the two natural hot pools. The overall water is very pleasant and warm, and at some parts very very hot. Well worth doing, if you are ever on Barrier.

This is by the lower hot pool. Do you see that path on the right heading up? That’s where we diverted from plans, and things went wrong.

It said it was 15 minutes up to the Tramline Track and we thought it would be nice to go up just to see the view from up there. So we carried on. The problem was that the track was fucking steep. And fucking muddy. So steep and muddy that you had to use tree roots to pull yourself up and even then at one stage I started sliding down on my knees. Eventually we got to the top, having concluded it is called the tramline track as you need a bloody tram to get up it.

Looking back down the near vertical muddy track from the top, it looked a good way to commit suicide by heading back down it. The chances of doing a 30 metre slide into the river was non-trivial.

Having studied the maps of GBI many times, I knew that the track would join up with another track which would take us back to Whangaparapara, so we decided it was the safer option to do basically a loop, rather than reverse out. So we headed down the other side of the hill (which was also fairly steep and muddy but not as lethally).

At the bottom of the hill was another stream. Unlike the previous ones which you could do without getting wet, this one required wet feet. Being a boy, I just decided to get my shoes and socks wet and went straight through.

SG though didn’t want wet shoes. So she carefully removed her shoes and socks and waded over to the other side. After drying her feet, she put the socks and shoes back on. Then we went 10 metres along the track to look at the sign post. The route to Whangaparapara was sign-posted as being 45 degrees from the route we came in on, which meant re-crossing the river 10 metres up-stream to get back onto the side we started on.

I couldn’t hold my laughter in, and just started pissing myself. The more I laughed, the more icy the stares got, with the ominous “I’m glad you think this is funny” retort. That of course just made me laugh louder, and be glad SG did not have a gun with her.

Anyway we carried along the Tramway Track, and found out the hard way there were two more hills and valley to go through, before finally one big ascent to the summit of the road. We were both very glad when we finally hit the road. Of course we came out around three kms away from where we left the car, so in total I reckon we did around 12 kms or so, including four hill climbs. It is fair to say I was pretty sore the next day!

We recovered that night with a mixture of champagne, red wine and whiskey. The following day explored a bit more around the island – but by car. Above is a photo of Blind Bay I took.

It’s been a fair while since I had been to the GBI. There is now a proper airport terminal, and they even have an office now for the GBI Local Board. Definitely going to go back during summer, and maybe even before then.

GBI is one of my favourite spots in New Zealand, and while it is not entirely a crime free paradise, such violence leaves a horrible stain on the community. Made even worse by the fact that in such a small community, the victim is known personally to almost everyone.

Sunday News reported:

Nortessa’s alleged abductor was yesterday taken to Auckland for questioning. He had not been charged last night.

Tait said police did well to surround him as the locals were “very angry” and she didn’t know how they would have reacted if they’d found him first.

Heh. Almost a pity they didn’t.

Peter praised his fellow islanders who came out in droves to assist police and the armed offender squad in finding Nortessa.

“There’s so much love on this island, you must have seen that. You don’t get that in too many places in the world,” he said.

“There’s been two dozen Barrier boys out there the whole time. Searching non-stop.

“All night they’ve been looking, they’ve covered hundreds of acres.”

Detective Inspector Scott Beard, who led the investigation, added: “She’s a local girl, she was part of their community, they felt a duty to come out. The whole investigation team, the locals, everyone’s happy.”

One of the many things I love about Great Barrier Island – that sense of community. If I lived in Auckland and was able to travel there more frequently, I’d seriously look at buying a home there.

Decisions on whether to allow mining on conservation land require careful consideration of the potential economic benefit from such mining, and balanced up against any environmental impact, including impact on biodiversity, and tourism to iconic areas.

Mining creates jobs (often higher than average paying jobs), increases exports, grows the economy, and through both taxation and royalties provides income to the Government, which allows the Government to reduce debt, or spend more on social services, or both.

This balancing act is highly complex and subjects to the Resource Management Act. It is not something one can assign a blanket rule to. Decisions are best made, on the science and the facts, on individual mining applications. Not all conservation land is of equal value, and not all areas have equal mineral wealth. New Zealand has a robust process for deciding on individual applications, and I believe largely gets it right.

Land under Schedule 4 is removed from the normal process of deciding on a case by case basis whether mining can be permitted. It is a blanket ban on mining of any sort.

I believe only a relatively small amount of land should be in Section 4 – the truly iconic areas such as Milford Sound for example. The normal weighing up of economic benefits vs environmental impact should apply to the vast majority of land. Not being in Schedule 4 does not mean a mining license would automatically be granted – it just means it can be considered.

A huge 3.48 million hectares of land is currently in Section 4. I believe that this amount of land is probably a magnitude too large. Only the most iconic areas should be in Schedule 4, as this rules out even considering mining, regardless of the economic benefits or value.

So generally I support the Government dramatically reducing the quantity of land in Schedule 4. Not as a signal that such land will automatically be mined, but to allow any applications to be considered on their merits on a case by case basis.

In the discussion document, the Government has proposed just five specific removals from Section 4. I support four of those areas being removed, but do not support the removal of the Te Ahumata Plateau on Great Barrier Island for two major reasons, being:

1. The island would be very significantly impacted by any commercial mining, due to its unique characteristics.
2. Even with removal of Section 4 classification, mining would still be prohibited on the island, so removal of the classification would not produce any possible benefits.

Turning to the first issue concerning the impact on Great Barrier Island, I write with some first hand knowledge having been a semi-regular visitor in recent years.

While one could certainly have a mine in a remote area of a national or forest park with minimal impact, the same does not apply on a small island with less than a dozen main roads.

GBI is unique in having no central electricity supply. Every home and business is powered by solar power and/or generators. In the Te Ahumata Plateau area, there is only one small road that goes past it, and a commercial mining operation would need massive infrastructure investment to operate.

GBI is mainly accessed by air, and most flights fly over the Te Ahumata Plateau. Mining on the Plateau would significant detract from the island’s tourism potential, which is the major source of employment on the island. Commercial mining, along with whaling, should remain activities of the past on the island.

Great Barrier Island is in fact one of those few iconic areas that should be in Schedule 4.Is is that rare exception to considering on a case by case basis.

Regardless of one’s views on whether commercial mining would ever be viable on the island, I also wish to point out that mining would remain prohibited even if Schedule 4 protection is removed, so there are no benefits from removing it.

The Auckland City Council District Plan states:

The following are prohibited activities throughout the islands:
(2) Mining of any mineral irrespective of whether the activity is authorised under the Crown Minerals Act 1991, other than any quarrying, prospecting, or exploration activity (as defined in part 14 – Definitions) authorised in accordance with the Plan.

Not only does the Auckland City District Plan prohibit mining on Great Barrier Island, so the does the Auckland Regional Plan:

13.2.1 In the Hauraki Gulf Islands and in particular on Great Barrier Island, mining, other than quarrying, is not considered to be an appropriate activity in terms of the wider environmental outcomes sought through this policy statement.

Both the District and Regional plans prohibit mining on Great Barrier Island. Some might suggest that a future Auckland Council could change these. This is highly unlikely for two reasons. First I note that both leading Mayoral candidates have said they are strongly opposed to mining on Great Barrier Island.

Just as significantly, any change to these plans would face a legislative hurdle with the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000:

The Act says that:

(9) Relationship of Act with Resource Management Act 1991
(2) A regional council must ensure that any part of a regional policy statement or a regional plan that applies to the Hauraki Gulf, its islands, and catchments, does not conflict with sections 7 and 8.
(3) A territorial authority must ensure that any part of a district plan that applies to the Hauraki Gulf, its islands, and catchments, does not conflict with sections 7 and 8.

Section 7 and 8 say

(7) Recognition of national significance of Hauraki Gulf
• (1) The interrelationship between the Hauraki Gulf, its islands, and catchments and the ability of that interrelationship to sustain the life-supporting capacity of the environment of the Hauraki Gulf and its islands are matters of national significance.
(2)(c) to maintain the soil, air, water, and ecosystems of the Gulf.

(8) Management of Hauraki Gulf
• To recognise the national significance of the Hauraki Gulf, its islands, and catchments, the objectives of the management of the Hauraki Gulf, its islands, and catchments are—
(a) the protection and, where appropriate, the enhancement of the life-supporting capacity of the environment of the Hauraki Gulf, its islands, and catchments:

It seems quite clear that even of a future Auckland Council wanted to amend their regional and district plan to allow mining, it would almost certainly be found by the Environment Court to be incompatible with the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000.

Further, even if the incredibly implausible scenario came to pass that a future Auckland Council did decide to and manage to change the local plans to allow for mining, any individual applications would meet Section 9(4):

(4) A consent authority must, when considering an application for a resource consent for the Hauraki Gulf, its islands, and catchments, have regard to sections 7 and 8 in addition to the matters contained in the Resource Management Act 1991.

This effectively would force any consent authority to decline any mining application.

So bearing in mind the current Auckland City District Plan, Auckland Region Regional Plan and the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000, I conclude mining will never be permitted on Great Barrier Island under the current laws, even if it was removed from Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act.

Hence there are no benefits from removing it, so it should remain in Schedule 4.

David Farrar
26 May 2010

This is a great event. You can run it or mountain bike it, but either way to to experience some amazing scenery.

It’s not a normal marathon. You don’t run or cycle around the island, you run or bike over it. There are two bloody big hills and quite a few smaller ones. And half is on road, but around half on bush tracks and trails.

I’ll be going across for it – as support crew of course! It’s a great excuse to spend a weekend on Great Barrier Island, and enjoy the hospitality on the island. The after match parties are a good way to recover. I blogged about the 2009 event.

If you are interested in participating, you can register your interest here. You can also run it as a team, splitting up the three legs.

Also earmarked for mining are several parts of the Coromandel Peninsula and part of the Paparoa National Park in Westland.

A total of 2500ha, or 1.5 per cent of the Coromandel, is affected, including land around Thames and the Otahu ecological and Parakawai geological area in the Coromandel Forest Park.

A mining discussion document issued yesterday said the whole peninsula had gold, silver and peat deposits worth up to $54 billion.

The Government said the total area mined in the 7058ha of land it wants to open to mining could be as little as 500ha.

It is also proposing adding 12,400ha of land and marine reserves to the “protected” list, resulting in more protected land overall.

The area the Government proposes taking out of Section 4 is 0.2% of the total section 4, and will be replaced by an even larger amount, which is sensible. Of course not all conservation land, or even schedule 4 land, is of equal value.

My view has always been that decisions should be taken on a case by case basis, weighing up the potential economic benefits vs the environmental impact in that area.

“In fact 500 hectares is smaller than what the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry describes as an average New Zealand sheep and beef farm (550 ha).

500 hectares is basically 2.2 kms by 2.2 kms.. That is not a lot of land nationwide.

There is a segment of the population (and associated lobby groups) that is opposed to all mining, everywhere. You could apply to mine in the middle of a gorse laden field, and they’ll be against it, regardless of how much mineral wealth may be there.

That is a legitimate view to hold, but there is a cost – NZ has less money for schools, less money for hospitals, and lower incomes overall.

Quoting Ministers:

“It’s also worth noting that in productivity terms, workers in the mining sector return an average of $360,000 of GDP per worker, nearly six times the national average.”

Mining creates jobs, investment, export income and tax revenue.

Ms Wilkinson said the Government is also proposing to create a dedicated Conservation Fund based on a portion of future royalties it receives from mining in public conservation areas.  The budget for the fund would be 50 per cent of royalty revenue from minerals (other than petroleum) from public conservation areas, with a minimum of $2 million per annum for the first four years and a maximum of $10 million per annum.

And more money for conservation!

As I say, my view is to consider mining on a case by case basis. So let’s look through the discussion document:

A non-contiguous part of Paparoa National Park is proposed to be removed – the area has been mined in the past and still has current mining permits for it. Land affected is 3,315 hectares out of 39,000 hectares.

Also 2,574 hectares out of 69,290 hectares of mainly Coromandel Forest Park Total Coromandel value is estimated to be $54 billion of mainly gold, silver and peat.

Great Barrier Island – 705 hectares out of 15,250. Gold and silver estimated at $4.3 billion.

The Barrier inclusion is the one attracting the most attention, with the Herald reporting:

The National MP for Auckland Central, Nikki Kaye, has criticised Government plans to open Great Barrier Island to mining.

Ms Kaye – whose electorate includes the island – said mining did not stack up “when environmental and economic factors are taken into account, and given the island’s status in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park”. …

Adding to the potential embarrassment for the Government, former National Party Cabinet minister and Auckland City Mayor John Banks is also opposing the move.

Mining is banned on Great Barrier under the Auckland City district plan, and can go ahead only if a mining company convinces the local council, or the Environment Court on appeal, to change the rules.

Mr Banks said Te Ahumata plateau was in the direct sight of tourists flying to New Zealand from the United States.

“Can you imagine flying in to ’100 per cent pure’ New Zealand and witnessing below you the moonscape of international companies degrading the most beautiful island on Earth?” he said.

John Banks’s press release was unequivocal:

“I am the Mayor for Great Barrier Island and I am completely opposed to any mining on this island. It is the untouched jewel in the crown of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.

Mayor Banks says mining would have a severe impact on the local tourism and fishing industries.

“This would be an ecological disaster, a serious blow for the established economy that depends on the Barrier’s untarnished image.

“Tens of thousands of people visit this magnificent destination every year to enjoy its beauty. This has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth at the doorstep of our Super City.”

“The infrastructure needed for mining would be devastating to the local environment. It could mean an enlarged airport, a large scale industrial port and wharf system that would be both expensive and destructive to the pristine environment.

Now Banks is not some foaming environmentalist, opposed to all mining. In his usual subtle way he points out Great Barrier has some unique qualities to it.

I’ve been to Barrier many times, and it is an  island with basically half a dozen roads and 800 residents. One can have a couple of extra mines in the Coromandel, and once they are going, most people won’t even realise they are operating. But even one mine on Barrier would change the island considerably, as Banks points out.

I’m somewhat torn on this one. If there really is $4 billion of gold and silver on the island, I’d want to mine it. Hell, I’d mine my own mother’s grave if there was $4 billion of gold underneath it (Note my mother is alive and well!). At this stage the $4 billion is of course a rough estimate of potential – it may be less than that.

But on an emotional level, I’d hate to see Great Barrier industrialised. One of the things i love about the Barrier is that there is no central power supply on the island – it is almost all solar powered, with generator backups.

And as Banks says, it is the jewel in the crown of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. The island survives on tourism. I’ve yet to be convinced that mining there is a good idea. Possibly I’m a bit biased, as I stay there often, but if I had to list the last places in NZ I want mined, GBI would be high up on that list (Palmerston North however would be first up to be turned into a giant mine )

I don’t think it is just NIMBY syndrome. The Barrier is pretty unique with its lack of industrialisation.

To some degree the debate may be academic. The two main contenders for Mayor of Auckland have made it quite clear the District Plan, which bans mining, is not going to be amended – regardless of Section 4 status.

So I do wonder why you would change the law around Section 4, when mining will still be banned under the District Plan.

I think it is good that the Government has put up the consultation paper, and people should have their say. Hopefully it can be a debate that is more intelligent than just saying mining is bad. It is about getting a balance between economic opportunities and environmental protection, and should be on a case by case basis.

Fran O’Sullivan writes on the mining proposals, and says they are a timid toe in the water, not some sort of Naaru type exploration.

Members of Auckland’s singles scene who are becoming frustrated with the so-called “man drought” may have an option on the horizon – there’s a shortage of women on Great Barrier Island. …

Although local builder Haz Got has already been snapped up, he said he had always noticed the shortage of women during his 20 or so years on the island.

“Particularly in winter – winter’s a real sad state of affairs for some of our red-blooded gentlemen residents.”

Mr Got admitted island men might be a bit fussy.

“We are picky about our women folk. There’s only certain women folk that will fit the bill,” he explained.

“You get your fancy ladies with their lipstick and their high heels and they come in here and wave their arses around and they think they’re in,” he joked, “But the boys aren’t interested.”

I’m a regular visitor to the Barrier and the locals are very down to earth. You have to be to live on an island with no central electricity supply!

Not sure I made the best impression on her kids though as she introduces me to her daughter who is 13, and I proclaimed “Fuck I feel old”. When I first met Elaine she was at school herself, so suddenly realising she has a daughter who is only a couple of years younger than Elaine was when I met her, really makes you realise how much time has gone by.

The weather wasn’t great but their dog still enjoys chasing sticks into the ocean. It really is nice having the beach five metres away from the house.

It got me thinking about where my ideal holiday home would be, if my finances get to the stage where I could afford one. I have a mental shortlist along these lines:

1. Marlborough Sounds. I’d love a place down there, preferably as remote as possible so we have no road access and no neighbours. It would mean I need enough money to buy a boat and a house there, and sadly that is more a pipe dream for now. Ongoing costs of a boat also a factor.
2. Kapiti Coast. My family had a small batch at Waikanae and then a farmlet (15 acres) at Reikorangi so I know Kapiti very well. It is logistically the easiest option as just 45 minutes from Wellington. The beach is nice, and the prices not too unreasonable. The downside is it isn’t really remote enough.
3. Great Barrier Island. I absolutely live the Barrier, and if I lived in Auckland that would be where I want my holiday home. I’d probably spend half the year there if I could. The downside is I do not live in Auckland, flights over there cost quite a bit if regular, and pretty expensive to buy. I’d be more tempted to build something custom.
4. Wairarapa. I don’t mean Greytown or Martinborough but rural Wairarapa. Three friends of mine have places north of Masterton, and they are wonderful remote. No neighbours, superb bush and views and the prices are actually quite affordable. The downside is having to drive there and back regularly, and the distance to the beach.

Not sure how I will ever decide. If there is ever a Mrs Farrar, I guess she’ll decide for me

This is a photo of my current office, taken yesterday. To get mobile reception you have to go outside, so I set up the laptop on the balcony. As offices go I could get used to this one!

For a while it looked like I might have to get used to being outside, as yesterday when we returned from the race, the house was locked, with the key inside the door on the other side. After some investigating I found a window that would open, but it was a bit too high up for easy access, so I ended up having to offer my back as a human foot stool. I think it still has imprints of footprints on it!

This is one of the balconies, and view from it. I wish I was here for longer.

I’ve mentioned before there is no mains power on GBI. Pretty much every house has solar power, but a few also have wind power. That little turbine helps power the house – it complements the solar power as it can build up power overnight.

And this is a solar powered water heating cylinder on the roof.

And the main solar panels. If I move from my apartment into a house, I’m definitely going to look at solar power panels. I love the idea of generating your own power for free. Of course you do have significant one off costs, and I’m not quite ready to throw away mains power totally, buf if every house was partially solar powered, we’d have a far smaller national energy bill.

You get very little sounds from cars or machinery here, so really notice the bird life. Certainly don’t get these in the back yard at Wellington.

Now the race is basically a marathon – just 1 km short at 41 kms. But it is not a marathon around the island. It is a marathon over the island! The first 23 kms are over and up muddy mountain tracks, and as it had poured the night before, I mean muddy. The final sections are on the road, but that’s a road with half a dozen hills on it, including two which would be difficult at the best of times, let alone at the end of a marathon.

This is the briefing at the start of the race at the Port Fitzroy Wharf. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago how the local police officer, Kylie, was also the firefighter, the ambulance office and the coastguard skipper. Well she is also the race marshall!

This was taken at the second checkpoint. People come out of the forest behind, cross the road and head up the steep track opposite. Tragically the very first competitor, a mountain biker, was going so fast he shot out before those helpful cones were in place. And before anyone could yell out to him he had turned left and shot down the road. He went 5 kms downhill until he realized his mistake. He had been leading by around 20 minutes.

This is where they came out of at the second checkpoint. There were around 100 competitors all up.

A bumpy ride down the stairs to checkpoint 3. That was the end of the muddy tracks.

Nikki exiting at checkpoint 3.

And again heading down the final stretch to the Shoal Bay Wharf past Tryphena.

The organizers did a superb job of managing the event, especially with a 7am start (meant waking up at 5 am if you are staying in Tryphena to get to Port Fitzroy in time). No competitors got lost, despite the challenges of having half of it through bush, and they even have a 4WD that picks up anyone who couldn’t finish it within nine hours. The sponsor was Great Barrier Airlines, who of course flew many of the competitors in. Was a very smooth flight in on Friday night. My connecting flight from Auckland was delayed, but a nice thing about GBA is they wait for you if they know you are late!

Nikki was the 5th fastest woman runner, which was a pretty good effort considering she is used to flat roads, not hilly, muddy tracks through bush. Of course there were only less than 100 competitors (includign biking) all up, so that makes a top 100 finish easier

The organizers are thinking of seeing if they can add an extra 1.2 kms on, and make it into an official marathon, with the title “New Zealand’s hardest marathon”. Could become an iconic event!

Then a few hours later, I see on the TV news that GBA had one of its planes crash after takeoff, and I get a degree of nervousness – especially just a few months after a propeller fell off another GBA plane. Now this may just be “bad luck” as I understand these are the first incidents for many many years – maybe even decades.

The Herald reports:

The 50-year-old was one of four passengers in the Piper Cherokee, which plunged into a swamp at the end of the Claris Airport runaway on Great Barrier Island about 1pm.

That swamp may have saved lives!

Great Barrier police officer Kylie Robbins – who is also an ambulance driver, volunteer firefighter and rescue-boat skipper – said she and a doctor and nurse from the Aotea Health medical centre waded through the waist-deep waters of the swamp to reach the trapped and injured passenger.

Heh that is very Barrier. The police officer quadruples as the ambulance driver, firefighter and rescue skipper!

She was taken to the island’s medical centre in Ms Robbins’ four-wheel-drive police car, which doubles as an ambulance.

And also leads the Christmas Parade every year!

The damage to the plane could be seen from the air, he said.

“It looked like a wing was buried or broken off. The other wing was sticking up.”

The craft seemed “fairly intact”.

“They are very lucky to have walked away from that. When I called up the hospital, they said [the patients] seemed only moderately injured.

The planes used are tiny. There is no centre aisle – you get in over the wings and even short arses like myself have our heads almost touching the roof when seated. Stuff which makes a crash more likely to be fatal.

Apart from the swamp, what may have saved them is they were taking off, so fell from a relatively low level.

Great Barrier Airlines deputy operation manager Mike Maguire said the plane “failed to sustain a climb after take-off due to unknown causes and descended into a swamp”.

There is speculation that a very strong wind gust tipped the plane onto its side. If that is correct (and there will be a full TAIC) investigation that concerns me even more than a mechanical failure. You can fix mechanical failures but you can’t fix the wind!

Passengers on a Great Barrier Airlines flight watched in horror as a propeller came off in mid-air, smashing a window on their aircraft and ripping a door off.

“It was like an explosion going off inside the plane,” one told the Herald yesterday.

“The propeller came off and hit the side of the plane …

“Both propeller blades came off – the whole thing just destroyed itself. It just completely self-destructed.

“A door got ripped off and the side of the plane got smashed in – we all got covered in glass.

“There was a huge amount of debris that we were just covered in. There were chunks the size of golfballs that came back and hit you.”

I can imagine. The planes are tiny. No centre aisle. The roof is just above your head when seated – even for me. To have something hit the plane and rip a door off would be far more terrifying than on a larger plane.

I actually met the owner of the airline a few weeks ago – at the Great Barrier Island Black Tie Ball. I remember him telling me how they have never had a crash – a good achievement. This incident however, while not a crash, if disturbing. The internal and TAIC reports will be of great interest. Hopefully they will be public before I next travel there, and have to decide my mode of transport!

A commuter airliner was forced to turn back after a propeller blade spun off the engine, sending aluminium shards into the cabin.

The three-engine Britten-Norman Trilander, with 11 passengers and pilot Sean Deeney, had just taken off from Claris Airport on Great Barrier Island on Sunday afternoon, bound for Auckland.

The blade struck the fuselage, then fell out of the fuselage and to the ground.

Regardless of how many propellers a plane has, I don’t like planes that lose any of them.

Mr Deeney shut the engine down and returned to Claris immediately. He told Mr Maguire it was a “normal approach and landing” on two of the three engines and the plane taxied back to the terminal.

Mr Maguire said the passengers had been concerned. “Any time you are in flight and something goes wrong there is reason to be concerned,” he said.

“The passengers were a little bit alarmed but were grateful to the pilot. He did an exceptional job getting the plane on to the ground. Everybody shook his hand and told him what an exceptional job he did.”

I’ve always flown Great Barrier Airlines and the pilots are good. However I will be very interested in the outcome of the official TIAC investigation.

After the plunge we were given hot pumpkin soup to thaw out.

This is the view from the house at Whangaparapara. Imagine waking up to that every morning?

On the Saturday it rained all day, and this leads to flooding towards the North of the Island. We were lucky that by pure chance the rental car was a four wheel drive as the road just ahead of here was under a good two feet of water. I’ve not driven a four wheel drive before so was a bit nervous going through the water as it was crashing over the bonnet and if we did get stuck, there was no cellphone coverage. The flooding lasted for 100 metres or so. Managed to get through to Motairehe which I had not seen before. Next time I want to see Kawa where there are graves for the SS Wairarapa.

This is down at Tryphena. Sunday was a warm sunny day. But the nice thing about the island is that even when pouring, it is a great place to be. At home in Wellington having the rain pour down is depressing. But over there, you could happily just spend a day watching the rain come down, as the views are so great.

This is the view from the South-East of GBI, on Cape Barrier Road, It is 4WD access only so had not been there before. Just magnificent views.

Part of Cape Barrier Road before it become 4WD only. Most of the roads are unsealed.

I’ve yet to go there in summer. I want to avoid peak time when lots are there, but would be nice to go when the climate is at its best. Will probably organise a group to go.

There is one small 20 square metre area where you can get a mobile signal so possible I may do a post or two, but more likely no posts under late Sunday or Monday after 4 pm today.

Even though it may take a while for me to collect them, I’d appreciate it if someone can text me whom ACT selects for Mt Albert on Saturday and whom Labour selects on Sunday.

Have a fun weekend all.

As I sit down at a table in the Koru Club, the guy opposite me informs me I haven’t posted since 6.45 am this morning, and he has been hitting the refresh key!

Incidentally there will be a posting drought from late Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, as will be on Great Barrier Island again. I have to say I love that place – it is a great location to get away from it all.

Adam Smith at The Inquiring Mind links to an article in The Times on the huge number of subtitling mashups done of the bunker scene from Downfall. Over 150 mashups have been done, including three by Whale Oil. They are Winston’s Downfall, Helen’s Downfall and Judith’s Downfall.

Aaron Bhatnagar blogs on how Waiheke Island and Great Barrier Island residents will be polled on whetehr they want to remain part of Auckland City, or transfer to the Thames-Coromandel District Council. I don’t think many do want to change but as 10% o residents signed a petition, the Local Government Commission is obliged to run a poll.

Paul Walker retires from blogging. A real pity – I enjoy all the economist blogs, even though they are not high traffic. Maybe if they all combined together?

Bryce Edwards has done a series of posts on the party that shall not be named. They are a fascinating background read. One day he should publish them as children’s horror stories

Finally Adam Smith scans in and blogs every day a good Letter to the Editor. Have a look at this one from the Co-vice-president of the Maori Party responding to Chris Trotter.

This is Kaitoke Beach – was two minutes from the bungalow, and as you can see almost deserted. The whole island has beaches like this.

This is one of the spots we went fishing. It is Whangaparapara Harbour on the west of the island.

And this is Tryphena Harbour in the south. Tryphena is the only place where you can get voice and data cellphone coverage – and only for around 100 metres or so!

This is the north end of Medlands Beach on the East. Quite popular in summer I am told.