A few years ago my wife and I took our brood to see my wife’s relatives in New Zealand. While we were there, Hugh, my brother-in-law and I decided to do some tramping in the New Zealand volcanic region in the centre of the North Island. We were on the East coast so those who know Kiwiland will tell you that it is a long distance by road and a journey we didn’t really have the time to make. However, all was not lost as NZ is one of the few places where hiring a plane is so easy and relatively cheap.

So it was that a plane took us to the airport at Lake Taupo and on the third day we arranged to be picked up again. As it happens we arrived back at the airport early having finished our hiking trip in record time and the airport thronged with tourists waiting for flights. We had phoned ahead and the air-taxi firm said that they would fly out to pick us up but we still had an hour to wait.

During that time several plane loads of tourists boarded their flights and rather quickly the airport building emptied until no-one but Hugh and I were left. It was at this time our plane arrived and a very impressive chap in a smart pilot’s uniform strode into the terminus and said

“Mr Garrett, your plane is ready to board”

I will admit to thinking why he couldn’t have arrived 30 minutes earlier!

Earlier when the terminus was still packed with people and any number would have been in earshot when the smartly dressed pilot announced our plane was ready. That the plane was only a small four seat Cessna was of no consequence as it was parked out of sight of the terminus windows so it could have been an executive jet as far as anyone would know. It would have looked great!

So it was for this reason that I have some sympathy for Microsoft when I read a tiny paragraph filler saying that the deal between Yahoo and Microsoft could go ahead. No fanfare, no-one paying any notice despite it offering the only realistic competition against Google. After the huge media coverage when Microsoft first offered US€42bn and was turned down and then the smaller coverage when Yahoo finally decided to merge for a fraction of the price to now when the deal is confirmed and no-one is left to see.