Did my NZ PPL training there and lived in Kiwi Rd not far from the end of Rwy34 and under the flight path. When the weather was really bad in Wellington, the ANZ F27's would divert to Paraparam. First time it happened was late one night with low cloud, and the strobes lit up the interior of the house as the F27 went over at a couple of hundred feet. My son was 1 year old and used to watch me do circuits from the living room window, now he has his ATPL. And we had doubts about buying the place because of a proposed freeway to the east!!! Happy days. My first solo nav was across Cook Strait to Blenheim up the Wairoa Valley, turn right, over the col and into Nelson, then back to Paraparam. Got bounced around real bad, real head banging stuff, fought ferocious winds across the Strait coming home, down to 500ft. Asked for a vector to Paraparam from Wellington Radar. When the sun was low enough to be under the clouds I could see the red roof of the Homemakers store and thanked radar. Did a low level circuit and got in. When I left Paraparm that arvo it was, and forecast to be CAVOK. I always had an out, in that I could see the Sth Island the whole time and could have diverted if it got real grim. If you missed the turn to Nelson you ended up in a box canyon with 8/8 schist.
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