Day One
We will personally collect you from Queenstown Airport and transfer you to our base. Introduction to Geordie Hill Station, and your accommodation. Familiarization flight, local area, Wanaka. Aircraft familiarization and grass strip operation. Validation of foreign PPL and issue of NZ Certificate. Perhaps visit the Alpine Fighter collection and New Zealand fighter pilots museum.
Day Two
Fly via Te Anau, the Wilmott Pass and the Milford Track to the world famous Milford Sound. Spectacular deep fiords and rainforest running up onto weathered peaks abound. Many high mountain tarns and lakes feed waterfalls, which fall vertically hundreds of feet into the fiords below. Land at Milford Sound. Take a walk and view the Bowen falls, and absorb the magnificent atmosphere. Fly to Big Bay, and land on the vast beach (depends on tide). Lunch at Milford or Big Bay. Back to Geordie Hill via Aspiring National Park, (Mt Aspiring is known as the "Matterhorn" of the South, flanked by pristine glaciers) and lakes Wanaka and Hawea.
Day Three
Fly to Stewart Island. Route via the Nevis or Kawarau river Valley and the "Remarkables". Land on a strip mid way with a great little coffee shop for morning tea. Fly on to Mandeville Airfield and visit Croydon Aircraft Company and see vintage aircraft and their restoration. Option to fly a Tiger Moth. Bush walk or Museum visit on Stewart Island. Overnight at Stewart Island. Small lodge or bed and breakfast accommodation. Dinner at Church Hill Café and Restaurant where they serve fresh local seafood, and good NZ wines.
Day Four
Morning boat trip with local identity and fourth generation island fisherman. Visit nature reserve on Stewart Island by boat (Bush and Native Birds, Sea lions, Penguins, large sea birds) and opportunity to fish for Blue Cod. This will be cooked on board for lunch. Afternoon flight home to Geordie Hill via the Catlins coast. A very beautiful coastline. It has numerous deserted beaches, cliffs and forest. Finally we follow the massive Clutha River back into Central Otago and the tussock grasslands.
Day Five
Options day. Explore the local resorts of Queenstown and Wanaka by car. (Use of a station vehicle – car or 4wd is included) Do some hiking in the Aspiring National Park. Or a day trip by aircraft to Dunedin.
Day Six
Fly to St Bathans. Explore this old gold mining town; still much in its original state. Visit the historic hotel. Then to Glenorchy to travel the Dart River by jetboat. This is a mighty river and mountain experience. The jetboat is a NZ invention able to travel in very shallow or swift flowing water. The spectacular scenery in this is popular the film industry. Return to Geordie Hill via Shotover or Motutapu River valleys.
Day Seven
Flight around Mt Cook and glaciers. Option of a Ski Plane flight onto the Tasman Glacier, or perhaps a walk in the Hooker Valley. Land at Franz Joseph or Haast for lunch. Explore Landsbourgh river valley, and Makarora. Visit the "Dingleburn" a remote high country property. Land on some interesting backcountry strips. Wonderful lake, river, and mountain scenery.
Day Eight
Use the morning to see a little more of Geordie Hill and station life. Or perhaps some extra strip flying. Test your skills on one or two more challenging local strips. Depart to Queenstown.
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Much of what you will see and do on this tour is difficult or impossible to achieve by other means of transport. Make the most of your flying skills and see more of New Zealand, and many “Lord of the Rings” locations
