During our New Zealand trip, there was one activity that caught our eye: a helicopter ride through Mount Cook and landing atop the Tasman Glacier. We’ve never flown in a helicopter so experiencing a ride through New Zealand’s tallest peak sounded enticing! For our flight, we booked the “Tasman Experience” with INFLITE Experiences. The 35-minute helicopter ride includes a scenic flight through the Tasman Valley, up through the Hochstetter Icefall, and a landing on the Tasman Glacier.
But first, we need to graciously thank INFLITE Experiences for its amazing customer service! We almost didn’t get to do the helicopter ride due to my scheduling gaffe. We were staying in Wanaka for a day and a half and I thought it was ok to stretch our visit one more day. That extra day, however, was supposed to be the date of our helicopter flight; I had completely forgotten and only realized it upon checking our booking. When we called INFLITE Experience and told them what happened, they just told us to come back the next day and they would accommodate us. Not only were we able to catch our ride but the weather was perfect compared to the poor conditions the day prior. We were very lucky thanks to the generosity of the company and left a hefty tip for the company.
We were rescheduled for a morning flight with only two other passengers. They also had never ridden a helicopter, so within the group, there was collective excitement and slight nervousness. When the helicopter arrived, it made more sense why only four passengers were scheduled; the chopper was only big enough to fit 6 passengers, including the pilot. At least we already did the charter plane flight in Milford Sound and figured it might be a similar ride.
But the helicopter ride was not at all similar to the charter plane. Instead of moderately turbulent movement, the helicopter felt like a smooth yet powerful machine that effortlessly cut through the air. Within seconds of takeoff, we were already hundreds of feet above the ground and flying high over Tasman Lake.
As the helicopter ascended, we moved from bare mountain faces to blanket snow covered caps. The landscape around us was simply stunning and I just snapped tons of photos of the views we had. The formations of the snow were amazing with huge crevasses and unusual shapes and patterns. Just as astounding was when we saw two hikers navigating through the snow-covered mountains and around the crevasses that could easily swallow them up.
After about 15 minutes in the air, we landed in the middle of the Tasman Glacier.The snow intensely reflects the sunlight, so we were advised to wear sunglasses to protect our eyes. Our pilot gave us about 10 minutes to wander around and talked a little bit about the glacier. The pilot said often times, skiers will take a helicopter to the top of the glacier and ski all the way down to the bottom. It was an impressive experience to be on top of a glacier that’s existed for 2 million years!
Unfortunately, the Tasman Glacier may not be around for that much longer. The glacier has been receding up to half a mile a year and is projected to disappear in as little as one or two decades. It’s a common trend affecting many of the world’s glaciers. On our flight back to the airport, Mat got to ride in the front of the helicopter to get the upfront views. We got to see what the Tasman Glacier terminal looks like today and comparing it to 30 years ago, it is staggering how much ice has been lost.
It’s pretty sad to see the plight of our glaciers today and whether or not we are able to preserve them is seriously in doubt. If we cannot slow or reverse the current trends, then we’ll face the prospect of travelers not being able to enjoy this amazing experience on top of a glacier. Hopefully, that won’t be the case for our future.
Here is the info for our flight:
Location: Mount Cook Airport, New Zealand
Company: INFLITE Experiences
Price: “Tasman Experience” $339 NZD ($245 USD), other experiences range from $199-999 NZD
Getting there: From Queenstown, it is a 3-hour drive Northeast to Mount Cook
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9 comments
Oh my goodness this whole experience looks INCREDIBLE!!!!
I’m moving to NZ’s North Island this July, and hoping to spend a few months later on exploring the South. The Tasman Experience is firmly on my list of things to do now – I can’t believe how cheap it was for you?!
It’s definitely really sad to see first-hand the effects of global warming on the glaciers, I really hope that we as a species wake up soon.
This is what you call a memorable experience! There’s something about helicopter rides that scare me, but this one looks amazing. I’m a stranger to New Zealand, so seeing your photos inspires me to visit!
Breaks my heart to hear about treasures like the Tasman Glacier being lost. 🙁 So very sad to witness. On the bright side, though–those VIEWS! Wow, those are absolutely amazing… and exactly why I want to go to New Zealand! Love the idea of a helicopter ride–it’s totally on the lsit.
What a lovely photo blog, and I can see the helicopter ride was totally worth it. We visited Mt Cook too but obviously we couldn’t go to the place you did because it’s accessible only by either helicopter or a grueling snow hike. I have flown in a helicopter before, in Dubai and I can only imagine that experience, over snow-clad mountains!
That looks insane!!! Photo’s are incredible!! As if they rescheduled you that easily, so nice of them. This is going to the top of my list of things to do when we get to New Zealand next year!
These are some amazing shots, which bear testimony to the fact that you guys had an amazing experience out there. Have never sat in a helicopter till now, but wouldn’t mind hopping in one, specially when the views are so breathtaking.
The helicopter ride definitely looked like an enjoyable, once-in-a-lifetime experience! I probably should have done it when I was in New Zealand. The scenery all around is so picturesque and breathtaking. I’m sure you enjoyed yourselves tremendously!
OMG!!!! This is what dreams are made up of. I have been to New Zealand and absolutely loved its gorgeous landscapes and snowscapes. However, I couldn’t fly over Mount Cook and Tasman Glacier. This is now high on my list.
What an incredible experience. I never had a helicopter ride till now. The landscape is simply breathtaking. you have taken some of the breathtaking shots. I so wish to experience mount cook tasman glacier helicopter rid now. Thanks for sharing it . Excellent post.
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