24 | Air Chathams T T Richard Loader Bountiful Chathams’ won’t disappoint Duane Emeny: “It’s all about the customer and the community, and that has always been the priority for our team.” “When you step off the plane, in some ways you step back in time. It’s very much that old-school rural community of years gone by.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Air Chathams’ chief commercial officer Duane Emeny is understandably passionate about the island, its history, its way of life, the bountiful beauty and arguably some of the best seafood in the world. “For me its home,” says Duane. “I grew up there and had an awesome childhood just being a Chatham Islander. I think for a lot of people, the Chatham Islands is one of those places they have always wanted to go, and everyone who goes with that motivation doesn’t leave disappointed. “When you step off the plane, in some ways you step back in time. It’s very much that oldschool rural community of years gone by.” The island’s history proudly embraces its first inhabitants – the Moriori people, followed by iwi Ngati Mutunga and Ngati Tama, and of course the seafaring whalers and courageous European settlers. “The island is split into four corners on the compass rose, with something unique about each corner in terms of history and activities,” Duane explains. “There are well-developed bush walks around the island, and the opportunity to go on fishing charters – though it’s more catching than fishing because of the abundance of blue cod and hapuka. The island has more endangered birds than many other parts of New Zealand, and in such a small space.” Well-developed culinary expertise offered at a number of restaurants and the local hotel means visitors can enjoy mouth-watering cuisine with a local flavour, celebrating the island’s produce. No trip to the Chathams would be complete without taking the short flight to Pitt Island on the south-east side of the main Chatham Island. With a population of 35 people and totally off the grid, Pitt Island also boasts what may well be the world’s most remote lodge. When to visit the Chathams? Duane points out that the island is in the Roaring Forties — those strong westerly winds that occur in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40° and 50° south. “There’s a reason why the trees don’t grow straight. If you visit in the winter the chances are you will see some of the real Chatham Islands weather; so November to March is the peak tourism period. But, Air Chathams is encouraging hardy people to go throughout the year and experience the winter and we’re doing that through some really low fares.” Air Chathams is wholly owned by Craig and Marian Emeny, who founded the business 40 years ago. The Chatham Islands continues to be the company’s homeland, with its head office based there. A hangar on the eastern side of Auckland Airport is the company’s largest operational base and home to its engineers, operations, management and customer services teams. “We operate the services to and from the Chatham Islands, connecting with Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. From Auckland, we also connect to Whakatane, Whanganui and the Kapiti Coast. “Our only scheduled international service is to Norfolk Island. A quarter of annual revenue comes from charter flights covering the entire country. Recently we’ve also flown charters to the Pacific Islands,” says Duane. With turboprop aircraft ranging from 68 seats down to 34 seats, Air Chathams is frequently chartered to fly sports groups, bands, government groups, conference groups, and large families, as well as freight. “We will be launching our new charter services website before Christmas to raise awareness of our charter capability. The feedback we get from clients is that the charter service is really great, so that’s something we need to celebrate more to raise that awareness.” Reflecting on the success of the family business, Duane says it is ensuring you don’t forget who you serve. “It’s all about the customer and the community, and that has always been the priority for our team.” Contact Proud to be part of the team strengthening the infrastructure on Chatham Islands 03 305 0682 | info@fultonhogan.com www.fultonhogan.com Road Maintenance | Waste Management Water and Wastewater Management
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