Sit down with a cuppa for a chat with Richie Hunter and his easy, casual, and friendly manner wouldn’t have you thinking that he’s been at the frontline of major search and rescue operations in Fiordland. Richie wears multiple hats here at Southern Lakes Helicopters. One of his three roles is as Safety Manager, which sees him ensuring necessary equipment and procedures are up-to-date on a daily basis, and upholding a “positive safety culture” too,…... Read more
1. It’s even wetter than you thought. Everyone’s seen the photographs of tourists in dripping wet raincoats on a big boat in the middle of Milford Sound, gaping in awe at the beauty of the place despite the wind and cold. But how temperamental is Fiordland’s weather really? The answer is very! The summer months of January and February are the warmest across the country, but in Fiordland you can experience multiple seasons in one day. It’s also consistently ranked…... Read more
Talk to any traveller about their Kiwi holiday and they’ll say that exploring Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound was an absolute highlight. And little wonder; thanks to the diverse nature of the landscape, from tranquil lakes to thundering waterfalls, the whole area is beyond belief. The flawless backdrop for every photo. So if everything is so picture-perfect, how do you decide where to focus your camera while also soaking in every moment of the experience? To…... Read more
The South Island of New Zealand is a place of spectacular beauty. With countless tranquil lakes, towering mountains, wildlife, hotsprings, and dense forests, it can be difficult to decide where to go on a trip to the South Island. Helicopter pilots who fly Fiordland have arguably seen more scenic beauty than most, and so we asked our own pilots here at Southern Lakes Helicopters what they would recommend seeing in the South Island, whether that’s…... Read more
Our Milford Sound scenic flight takes you up close to vertigo-inducing fiords, hanging valleys, lakes and waterfalls, on an unbelievably large scale. An experience like this is always better if you know what you’re looking at (what is a hanging valley anyway?) – so we’ve come up with a few fun facts to make your Milford flight not only exhilarating but well-informed. Why does Milford Sound have such vertigo-inducing steep sides? From a helicopter, the…... Read more
The flora of Fiordland is a wonder. The dense rainforests are overflowing with diverse trees, shrubs, and herbs, not to mention some very weird and wonderful mosses and funguses. Whether it’s observing the plant life from above during a scenic helicopter flight or spotting them up close when walking from a landing site, we bring you 9 of the most interesting that you might find. 1. Beech, Tawhai Many Fiordland forests are thick with beech…... Read more
Wild and rugged Southern Fiordland is rich with history – this was the land of Māori, gold miners, whalers, conservationists, explorers and madmen! Our History of Fiordland package takes you to some fascinating spots. As you fly over those gorgeous towering peaks, lush rainforest and glacier-carved valleys, we’ll bring to life the human history too. In particular, Dusky Sound, Preservation Inlet, Mt Sparrman and Puysegur Point all have rollicking tales. Tamatea/Dusky Sound Flying over Dusky…... Read more
When you’re this close to Fiordland, to what is described by Rudyard Kipling as the Eighth Wonder of the World, then making the most of every moment counts. The drive from Queenstown to Fiordland is as unforgettable as the destination itself – and as you go deeper into the wild, rugged and remote landscapes will surprise you at every bend. Carved by glaciers 100,000 years ago, this natural wonderland full of ancient rainforests, the deepest…... Read more
Ancient rainforests, deep black fiords, and rock-carved glaciers - the incredible landscape of Milford Sound certainly makes you sit up and pay attention. For nature loving kiwis, exploring this part of our backyard, a remote wilderness that feels like an otherworldly place has been on the top of many bucket lists. Now, more than ever, the call of the wild is ever present – with the freedom to explore and discover new destinations, something we…... Read more
Fiordland is a bucket list destination with a variety of world-class experiences to match. With its striking glacier carved landscape, Fiordland is dominated by the snow-capped Southern Alps, sheer cliffs, granite peaks and deep lakes. A natural wonderland to discover, here’s our four favourite experiences in Fiordland and why they should be on your must-do list too! 1. Scenic flight for a picnic on remote Fiordland mountain top As a World Heritage Site that is…... Read more
