One final campaign sprint for Key

National leader John Key exits his chartered campaign plane at the airport in Napier today. Photo...
National leader John Key exits his chartered campaign plane at the airport in Napier today. Photo by Grant Fleming/NZPA.
National leader John Key has embarked on a whistle-stop tour of the country that will see him blitz eight towns and cities in two final days of furious campaigning.

National is ahead in the polls, but Mr Key is leaving nothing to chance - chartering a Beech 1900 aircraft to fly him to Napier, Taupo, Christchurch and Nelson today and Wellington, Palmerston North, New Plymouth and Auckland tomorrow.

Mr Key flew into Napier at 7.30 this morning for a street-corner breakfast BBQ that saw him spend about 45 minutes chatting and shaking hands with about 100 local supporters.

He gave a short speech which hammered National's campaign themes of quicker economic growth, safer communities, higher education standards and fixing the health system.

Dogs and children were rolled out for photo opportunities with one six-year-old local Sam Devine giving Mr Key a self-made card which said: "I hope the blue team wins".

A short time later Mr Key flew into Taupo where he did a walkabout of the central area.

He will do the same at Cathedral Square and Northlands Mall in Christchurch and then visit the Sealords factory in Nelson before overnighting in Wellington where he will begin his campaigning tomorrow.

Mr Key told reporters he believed it was important to hit as many places as possible in the last two days.

"It's just an opportunity to do a final sweep through New Zealand to get out as much of the party vote as possible and demonstrate we're taking nothing for granted." All campaigning is banned from midnight tomorrow, along with any media coverage.

Labour leader Helen Clark is spending the final campaign sprint in Auckland, where a high turnout in the city's southern seats was credited with swinging the election Labour's way in 2005.