Are night-rider flights worth it?

Have you tried one of those night-rider flights? My lovely wife Rebecca saw tickets from Auckland to Christchurch for $29 and booked us in for a quick trip to see my parents – we just got back last night. And look, we had a GREAT long weekend, and the flights (on Air New Zealand) were lovely. But taking our two daughters (the eldest a feisty 2 years and 8 months, the other a toothy, dribbling 8-month-old) on a plane at 10.30pm? Hmmm… I’m not sure I’ll do that again….

I’ll leave the details to your imagination – though I should add that if you happen to see Birdie’s aeroplane anywhere (it’s an Airbus A320, about 40 tonnes, big tail…) she left it parked somewhere at the airport, and would like it back NOW please.

Anyway, Christchurch was lovely. We caught up with the Murphy family, who we profiled in issue 1 as they started building their first home  – the place is now complete and looking stunning. Granddad took the kids paddling in a Maori waka-ama (outrigger canoe) at Corsair Bay. And we browsed the shops at the very trendy Tannery, which is a sort of up-market shopping arcade on a re-developed industrial site. 

This was particularly cool for me – as a young boy I used to walk to school past the original buildings when they were full of welding workshops, and still remember the bulldog that would snarl at us as we passed. Back then the river behind the workshops was a toxic tip – now it’s been replanted and restored, and there’s a new sense of prosperity and positivity in the air. I particularly loved a modern herbalist called The Apothecary and a new Kiwi clothing and outdoors store called Alchemy Equipment which had very stylish clothing made from materials like merino wool.

The highlight of the trip for me though, was borrowing my dad’s electric mountain bike. I’ve been on an e-bike before, but this was my first long ride.

It used a ‘pedal assist’ system, which means it’s a normal bike, unless you want help from the motor – in which case you push a button, and hey presto, the motor starts doing the hard work, and you just give the pedals a gentle twirl. I powered up Mt Pleasant without breaking a sweat, and got it up to 43km/h on the flat coming home. So much fun!

My dad is in his 70s and uses the bike for his daily commute – a 30km round trip. Sure, he’s a fit old coot, but I’m particularly impressed with the way his e-bike is helping him stay active, by making a daunting ride a pleasure. If he’s a bit tired, or a head-wind springs up, he simply dials up the assistance and zips home on cheap, clean, green electricity!

On a low-note though – what the hell is going on with the rebuild? It seems to be taking WAAAAY too long. It was shocking to see roadworks that began well before my kids were born still not complete. We’re talking four years of diggers, road cones and gravel on the same major intersection! And houses are now being advertised for sale “as is, where is” - which is how you sell a clapped-out car, right?

So, yes it’s sad to see the city of my childhood still in such disrepair. Yet I reckon Christchurch still has heaps to offer - and cheap airfares are hard to resist. Next time, though, I’ll remember to take a snack box on the plane for our fidgety kids. And (top tip for parents) remember my earplugs too.

Greg