Quake service returns to skies

An embattled aero club’s dreams of landing their planes on the empty quake-hit highway have been cancelled.

Air Kaikoura Aero Club, who had been flying hundreds of passengers over the highway slips, had entertained the thought of landing on the road after two cyclonic weather events left them with a soggy airstrip.

But the rural runway has finally dried out, meaning no temporary tarmac on State Highway 1 is needed.

Club office manager Catherine Wallace said public traffic to the highway had fallen considerably since the November earthquake, but the fact it remained open to Clarence made it a difficult option to green-light.

‘‘We completely understand why we couldn’t have, it would have been a safety thing,’’ she said.

The aero club was forced to wait more than a month for the private air strip at Parikawa, near Clarence, to dry out from the heaviest rains the region had experienced in years.

‘‘We wanted to help but couldn’t, it was an awful position to be in,’’ Wallace said.

The 15-minute flight between Kaikoura and Clarence, cutting out an eight-hour road detour, had proved popular with workers and families, with the club flying 175 times into Parikawa since December.

The low-lying air field dried up two weeks ago and the aero club were soon back in the skies to provide the vital service, Wallace said.

‘‘We’ve had a look at other options, and we’re choosing to stay with Parikawa because it meets so many of our requirements.’’

An engineer would explore options to weather-proof the air strip and ensure the service could continue for as long as possible into winter, Wallace said.

‘‘It’s just very lovely for us to see some of our regulars coming back.’’

The club, which was a not-forprofit society, had been offering the service at a discounted rate in an effort to assist those who were stranded by the earthquake.

A replacement service had been provided by Kaikoura Helicopter Services while the flight was out of action, and Wallace said it was heartening to see the community come together during difficult times.

‘‘They really stepped up. We’re all in this together and making do,’’ she said.