New Zealand was first discovered about 1000 years ago by the great Polynesian navigator Kupe who sailed here from his homeland Hawaiki. He named the islands Aotearoa, or “Land of the Long White Cloud”. Kupe returned to Hawaiki and left instruction on how to get here. About 400 years later Maori arrived back in Aotearoa with seven great canoes and began to populate the North Island. Fly the length of the Long White Cloud on this tour.

This tour includes all the highlights of our seven and eleven-day itineraries plus an interesting look at the North. This tour starts at one end of the country and finishes at the other. It therefore makes very good use of your time in New Zealand.

The somewhat less mountainous North Island has a central volcanic plateau – still active with boiling mud pools, geysers and steam vents. It is also a major center of Maori art and culture and you will be able to enjoy some of the best of this. Take your time in the modern museum of New Zealand (Te Papa) in Wellington. Visit the warm wine and fruit growing regions of the East Coast. Fly north to remote East Cape, then to the Coromandel Peninsula and Hauraki Gulf. Still further north fly the 90 mile beach to Cape Reinga (the very northern tip of New Zealand) and enjoy the semi tropical areas of Northland and the Bay of Islands.

For pricing and availability on this tour please click here to go to our enquiry form.

Day One  
We will personally collect you from Queenstown Airport and transfer you to our base. Introduction to Geordie Hill Station, and your accommodation. Familiarisation flight, local area, Wanaka. Aircraft familiarisation 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 to 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 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 and 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) Visit local vineyards. Or walk in Aspiring National Park. Visit Mt Cook National Park. Join in station activities, mustering, checking stock, or go for a four wheel drive trip on the station.

Day Six
Flight around Mt Cook and glaciers. Option of a Ski Plane flight onto the Tasman Glacier, or walk in the Hooker Valley, Mt Cook National Park, Mountain flying. 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 Seven
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 Nine
Fly the West Coast rain forest and glaciers. Lunch at Franz Joseph Township, which sits under one of the coasts most spectacular glaciers. Fly north where the rain forest gradually gives way to farm land and horticultural use at Motueka. Stay the night on the edge of the Abel Tasman national park at Motueka or Marihau. Evening Free.

Day Ten
Today is a free day in the Abel Tasman national park. Take the water taxi to Awaroa Lodge for lunch. Sea Kayak in the Awaroa bay. Or walk a section of the Abel Tasman track. See the wonderful bays and beaches of the park from the water. Stop at seal colony enroute. Return to spend the evening in Marihau, or Motueka. Dinner at a fine local seafood restaurant.

Day Eleven
Fly via the Marlbourgh Sounds to Wellington. The sounds with many interesting bays, coves and beaches are also known for their marine farming. An alternate is to visit Kiakoura. Kiakoura is unique as the sea is very deep even close to shore. Whales and numerous other marine wildlife can be seen only a short distance from shore. Warm currents supply a plentiful food source to keep these marine mammals here all year. Option to take Whale Watch boat trip to see whales and dolphin in their natural habitat. Or sometimes you can see them from your own aircraft. Lunch Kiakoura then fly to Wellington, the capital city.

Day Twelve
Morning in Wellington. The city is built on a great natural harbor. Visit the modern national museum of NZ known as Te Papa and perhaps also the parliament buildings and the Beehive or parliamentary offices. Afternoon flight to Napier.

Day Thirteen
Free day in Napier. Enjoy the warm coastal town with its unique art-deco architecture. Napier is known as the Art Deco Capital of the world. Rebuilt in the early 1930s following a massive Richter 7.9 earthquake. Subsequent fires destroyed most of its commercial heart. By the end of the decade, Napier was the newest city on the globe. Nowhere else can you see such a variety of buildings in the styles of the 1930s - Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission, and above all Art Deco, the style of the 20th Century. Napier's Art Deco is unique, with Maori motifs. Napier is enhanced by palms and the angular Norfolk Island pines. It is bounded by fertile fruit and grape growing plains, dramatic hills and the shores of the South Pacific. In Napier, you can enjoy the legacy of its brave rebuilding and savour the spirit of the optimistic Art Deco era. Also a great wine-growing region surrounds Napier and vineyard tours are available.

Day Fourteen
Depart Napier and fly the Hawkes Bay coastline to Gisbourne, and one of Captain Cooks early landing sites. Fly via the remote East Cape with many spectacular beaches, cliffs, and small remote Maori villages. As we go north we will start to see more volcanic features in the landscape. Flying inland we enter the highly volcanic Rotorua lakes district This is a center of Maori culture and art. Perhaps enjoy a soak in the naturally heated hot pools. Evening at Rotorua.

Day Fifteen
Spend your day in Rotorua as you wish. Visit the Geysers and boiling mud pools of the volcanic area or the well-known Agridome, which showcases NZ agriculture. In the evening visit Tamaki Maori Village, an in-depth Maori cultural experience and Hangi feast outside the city. Embracing protocol the Tamaki Maori Village takes visitors on a cultural journey back onto the marae (Maori Village) where the life force of our country's indigenous people is strongest. Enter into a world of ancient Maori and proud warriors. Let the local tribes people walk you through time to learn of the pride of the Maori, "our story" through song and dance. See, learn and taste food being prepared and cooked the ancient way as the night unfolds to a relaxed, informal, friendly and fun atmosphere of feasting and entertainment.

Day Sixteen
Today you will fly over the lush green plains of the Waikato and past Auckland the “City of Sails” and host to Americas Cup yacht racing. Fly on into northland and the semi tropical Bay of Islands. A spectacular group of Islands and harbours, this area offers fishing, sailing, diving, and golf. Or just relax.

Day Seventeen
Free day in the Bay of Islands. The Dutchman Abel Tasman landed in 1642, charted part of the coastline and named it Staten land, believing it was part of the Australian continent. When his mistake was discovered the country was renamed Nieuw Zeeland. In 1769 James Cook came to New Zealand, extensively charted both North and South Island and gave the Bay of Islands its present name. Enjoy an outing by comfortable fast catamaran among the islands or possibly some fishing and sailing.

Day Eighteen
Fly to the northern most point of the country, Cape Reinga. See the magnificent ninety-mile beach. Fly south again over ancient Kauri Trees and the Hokianga Harbour to land on Waiheke Island.

Day Nineteen
Waiheke Island is in the Hauraki Gulf and is connected to downtown Auckland City by quickcat ferry, which takes about 35 mins. The island offers beaches, native bush, walking and a number of wineries, vineyards and café’s. Your Flyinn tour concludes, however we suggest you take an extra day or two to enjoy Waiheke and nearby Auckland city. Transfer to Auckland International airport for your departure.

Note: a possible alternative is to visit Great Barrier Island (With a little less time in Rotorua or Napier). Great Barrier is remote, rugged and untamed. It has a real ‘island atmosphere’, beautiful beaches abound and there is some great hiking and fishing to be had. This has been very popular over the last two seasons.

For pricing and availability on this tour please click here to go to our enquiry form.

Flyinn provides the full range of services required for you to undertake this itinerary. Full host and guide services are available throughout your tour. All accommodation, breakfasts, first class dinners with best NZ food and wine, Stewart Island boat tour with nature and fishing, sheep station tour at Geordie Hill, transfers, air taxi, water taxi. Dart River jet adventure. Maori cultural visit and Hangi feast in Rotorua. Also includes the complimentary use of car or 4wd vehicle at Geordie Hill. Your accommodation on the station is in a separate house or cottage with all facilities. This is comfortable and private. Breakfast is provided here on a self-serve basis. Room is serviced daily. Drinks and dinner at Geordie Hill are at the main Station homestead. Accommodation while in the North Island will be at selected high quality hotels, apartments, and motels. Breakfast is included but six dinners in the North Island are not included. This is intended to give you some extra personal choice among some of the many fine café’s and restaurants that are available.

Ten percent deposit is payable to confirm booking. Credit cards are accepted for the deposit. The balance is payable on arrival. This is payable by bank draft, direct credit (Wire transfer), or travelers cheques. The only extras will be optional tourist activities, lunches, and minor incidentals.

Please note, for this tour you will be travelling with all of your baggage in the Cessna 172, as we do not return to base at the conclusion of the tour. Keep this in mind when packing and bring only soft-sided bags if possible

This itinerary is intended to be flexible to allow for weather. It will be conducted as the weather allows, and days will be swapped to make the best use of weather in any location on any particular day.

A New Zealand guide is provided as required for cross-country, bush and mountain flying. This is to be at our discretion. You will have the use of the aircraft on your own as pilot in command for local flying. This use is also at our discretion.