World In A Day

From snow-covered peaks and crystal clear mountains to dramatic gorges and glaciers, there’s only one way to fully experience the beauty of New Zealand’s South Island – our “World in a Day” helicopter tour.

Take off from Christchurch and fly over the Canterbury Plains to the spectacular Rangitata Gorge by the Southern Alps. From here we will fly up Forest Creek, crossing the Two Thumb Range. This will lead us into the Mackenzie Basin, the largest basin in New Zealand. We will then fly down to Lake Tekapo, where we will briefly stop to enjoy the spectacular views from land.

The next stage of your tour will take you to the head of Lake Pukaki and up towards the famous Mount Cook. After this we will carry on with our journey, flying to the head of the Tasman Glacier. The scenery here is absolutely spectacular, and your highly-experienced pilot will also share their unique local knowledge.

After this you’ll cross over into the Murchison Glacier and carry on north into the Godley Valley, flying past Mount D’Archiac and to the head of the Rangitata River Valley. We will fly past Mount Arrowsmith, to the top of the Rakaia River where we will stop for a picnic and refreshments, over looking the Lyell and Ramsay Glaciers. This location is only accessible by helicopter and is one not to be missed.

Once finished there, we will fly down the Rakaia River past Lake Coleridge and into the Waimakariri Basin, taking in the stunning “Lord of the Rings” locations. To finish the trip, we will head through the Waimakariri Gorge, a steep-sided river canyon, and back to Christchurch.

Flying time is approximately 3 hours, but allow the whole day for this once in a lifetime tour. The tour is dependent on weather conditions.

* There is the opportunity to land on the Tasman Glacier aboard a local ski plane from Mount Cook airfield. This is an additional cost.

Please note we are unable to guarantee snow at any time particularly during Summer months (November – February)