New Zealand Trade & Enterprise invited Rocket Lab to participate in a Trade Mission to Canada, and we were on the November 2nd inaugural Air New Zealand direct flight from Auckland to Vancouver. Instead of having to change planes in the US, it was a relatively easy 14 hour overnighter flight. Have dinner, watch a film, catch some zzz’s, watch another film with breakfast… and you’re there.

The trip was superb; we met with a number of related businesses and talked with university space researchers. I was very impressed with the friendliness of the locals and the beautiful landscapes, so I hope to get back there soon. As a result of the new direct flights between New Zealand and Canada, there’ll be a significant increase in visitor numbers from both countries. So far, there are three flights going each way every week, which Air New Zealand hopes to increase in short time.

Check out the The Canada Tourism Council of New Zealand to plan your trip!

Image from Flickr Crank 2: High Voltage dvdrip .