Passengers cheered as Air New Zealand flight NZ1005, better known as‘the pink flight of fabulousity' touched down in Sydney yesterday. Air New Zealand had scheduled a large 747 plane to cope with the demand for the party flight, a new initiative from our national airline – which many hoped would be repeated next year. The departure lounge for the flight featured pink balloons, complimentary 42BELOW cocktails and drag shows – as well as a special dancing show from the flight's pilot amongst many more staff of Air New Zealand. Drag icon Buckwheat had handpicked her in-flight team of entertainers. Miss Ribena, Venus Mantrap and Bambi Slut kept the laughs coming, with a drag queen colouring competition, prizes for best-dressed, and non-stop comedic quips from staff and entertainers. Instant prizes included trips to Sydney and Wellington, Air New Zealand retro carrier bags, beauty lotions and a special prize to Sarah Lambourne for being the first to book onto the flight. Many passengers enjoyed an arrival party later in an upstairs bar on Oxford Street, where today's fliers caught up with gay kiwis now living in Sydney. A ‘Bent'magazine cover boy competition hosted by Sydney drag icon Courtney Act and a foam party at Arq nightclub were popular events for the New Zealand travelers later in the evening. The Sydney Mardi Gras parade, with the theme ‘Objects of Love', will take place tonight. The official Mardi Gras party follows, and is again predicted to be Sydney's biggest party of the year. Ref: GayNZ.com (m)