NZ scenic heli/seaplane flight experiences

Hi All

We are fortunate to be off to New Zealand on Saturday for 6 weeks. Exploring both islands.

We are keen to do a scenic flight, originally thought a helicopter, because helicopters! But seaplane options come up too.

Current thought is a flight to see doubtful sound.

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions of flights worth doing?

Sea plane vs heli? Seaplane trips are cheaper / you can go further and see more for the same money which makes it tempting. Is it a similar experience of small flying machine in the mountains?!

Thanks

Jealous…I’m lucky if I get 6 hours down Saltcoats 😆

Hope you have a very nice time 🙂

We did a shit scary lovely helicopter ride into the Hokitika River on south island. Door held shut by a bungy cord, deeply windy and a pilot who was only 60% sure he’d be able to fly the rest of the group in that day.

Very nervous 45 minute wait ensued.

However, only relevant if you fancy going whitewater kayaking

Not in NZ but I’ve been in both helicopters and sea planes in British Columbia.  Both are going to be considerably more noisy, uncomfortable and bumpy than a passenger airline…

Personally I’d go sea plane for the advantages you outline.  I’d only use a helicopter if you needed to land somewhere that’s tricky or you need to hover – using it to take off, fly around and fly back just doesn’t seem efficient.

Not sure what bungy cords are good for, but definitely not for holding helicopter doors closed!

Interesting summary sweaman. Reallt helpful & makes sense

I refused to do in a helicopter trip in NZ in 2009 as there had been a good few accidents around then.  However we had to get one to jump across a huge avalanche area blocking the Routeburn Trail. It was an exhilarating and scary 50 seconds that’s for sure.

I’m not up to date but they didn’t have the best safety record.

If you are travelling through Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island, the heli trip these guys do is amazing.  They fly you up to a glacier in a very remote part of the South Island which is way off the beaten track

https://www.precisionhelitours.com/

We flew into Dusky Sound and then walked to Doubtful sound. For us the plane was interesting but not mega amazing. The raft trip we did was way better as was the sea kayaking . We did a scary helicopter transfer in Nepal . Again interesting but not a high light

This is our plane leaving us in Dusky sound

I misread the thread title as hellplane. I’m sure that if you hang out at a small aero club and buy a few rounds of drinks, someone will be happy to oblige you.

We went sperm whale watching from a plane in Kaikoura, was a great experience, somewhat odd being in a holding pattern above the whales with 2 helicopters also flying round, the pilot who appeared to be 17 or so didn’t seem fazed though!

We also tried to do a helicopter ride on the west coast but the rain/wind put a stop to that.

Not sure what bungy cords are good for, but definitely not for holding helicopter doors closed!

You’d like to think so….

Google Robinson helicopter tail rotor accidents……

I did a load of Heli biking out of Wanaka, Queenstown about 2000. Random guys with helicopters in their back garden,

Strap the bike there, jump in ,don’t go near the back, let’s go!

Helicopters are great. Shorter rides but great fun.

Took a flight from Queenstown to one of the Sounds a few years ago.  But we only got to go after two days of postponements due to the weather – worth bearing in mind if you are working to a schedule.

We did Doubtful Sound on a boat – I’d imagine the views would be great in a helicopter but I think the speed and noise would somewhat detract from the beautiful tranquillity of the place. We were meant to do a helicopter to the top of Franz Joseph Glacier (so we could hike back down) but unfortunately, bad weather meant it was cancelled which seems to be a recurring theme in this thread so be prepared to be disappointed 🙁

My Mam and I went with Anderson Helicopters in Hokitika in 2015, as her 75th birthday treat. Proper NZ experience – rock up to a big shed at Hoki airport, wait around drinking tea with Mrs Anderson while the pilot got back from blowing frost off the vineyards, then set off with a detailed itinerary of “It looks a bit blowy, let’s see where we can get”.  Wonderful. Flew over the Alps, stopped at a high glacier and a deserted hut, got to places the two of us would never have reached otherwise. Improvised, but good and safe and (as I recall) a fair price.

• Book flight, oh no can’t go, great lots of cash to spend on other fantastic things on our holiday.
• Solved that problem for you.

Thanks all, we are on a pretty tight itinerary to fit everything or as much as possible in so it will be a book and fingers crossed! (plus check cancellation policy!)

Lots to think about.

Done both. I think seaplanes are better for sightseeing and floating death traps (helicopters) are better for being dropped off somewhere inaccessible (biking, hiking, skiing, etc.).

I did a bus tour from Queenstown along to Milford Sound and then a boat trip along there. It’s *stunning* but the bus was 6 hours each way and the guide said if anyone wanted there’s a 30 minute scenic flight over the Remarkables mountain range back to Queenstown for ~$200.

Sold.

It was magnificent. Would do the same again tomorrow if the chance came up.

You’ll be there in winter- if you can ski to even a basic level, get a plane onto Tasman Glacier, stunning scenery and the opportunity for a couple of 10k runs down the glacier.