Transporting a corny to Dunedin

[Steve Baker]

I'm faced with getting a corny full of homebrew from Wellington to Dunedin (and an empty one back again). Does anyone have a suggestion for the best/cheapest way of transporting it? I'm assuming I'll have access to co2 when I get there. Options that occur to me are:
- check it in as domestic luggage (has anyone ever done this?)
- taking a spot on a palette of empty Emersons kegs (how much would this cost?)
- some other freight option

cheers

[Barry]

Empty one shouldn't be too hard to get back, but I don't envy you the freight on a full corny of beer! They're not exactly light.
I don't have any advice on what would be the best/cheapest way, but I do know that unless you filter you'll need at the very least a week to let the beer settle once it arrives. I took 2 kegs on the road earlier this year, they were no where near crystal clear by the time they got to the destination. Still drinkable but not presented at their best.

[Stu McKinlay]

Pretty much agree with Barry.

A couple of other thoughts:
You could carbonate in one keg and then transfer to another just before heading off. I moved 4 kegs 500m about 15 months ago and wished, later, that I'd done this. They tasted ok but didn't present all that well.
Take a car? Or ferry to Picton and hire a car from there.
Courier - probably $20 or so - maybe a bit more.
I imagine getting it on a pallet with commercial kegs being more of a hassle than the courier fee you might save.

[Steve Baker]

I think my best bet is to find a friend of the bridegroom who is driving down.

I was thinking of conditioning in the carboy in the fridge before kegging to prep it for travel.