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
Would riding a helicopter through Mount Cook be a once-in-a-lifetime activity for you? Then be sure to save our pin for the time you visit New Zealand:
