Air New Zealand Air Points - Most scenic flight in NZ

I have a 2 day layover in AKL in a few weeks - not enough time to do any serious touring, but enough time (for me anyways) to wear out a city. I intend to come back to NZ in the future to spend much more time on the ground, but it doesn't work out on this trip....so I might fly around for a bit to see NZ from the air. My question is this....what is everyone's vote for the most scenic flight in NZ?

Hmm it has come up before but from memory the following destinations
Picton (on Sounds Air from WLG)
Hokitika (although the two trips I have taken have shown nothing but cloud)
Queenstown
Wanaka
Also WLG on a Nor'easter or Nor'wester will give you a jolly good landing especially in a B1900:eek:

Milford Sound from Queenstown. But you need much longer time to be sure it will even operate - if the weather is bad (which it often is in Milford Sound being located in middle of mountains and one of the wettest rainforests in the world) then flights will not operate.

Consider a trip to Great Barrier Island (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Island). Flights stay low over the Auckland harbour, and it's a lovely destination for a day/overnight.

Great Barrier Airlines and Fly My Sky (formerly Mountain Air) both fly there.

I've recently travelled through the southern Island and I second Kiwi Flyer's opinion that probably the most beautiful landscape is in the milfor sound area.

BTW, the weather is a "condicio sine qua non" to have a great experience.

Luke

Maybe do a AKL-ZQN-AKL and hope the weather is clear, when it is you get great views of the southern alps.

Yep, being from the deep south myself, (so I'm biased) I'd have to say AKL-ZQN would be very hard to beat. Weather a bit up and down this time of year of course, but if you hit a clear winter blue sky day, wow amazing.

I would be temped to bus or shuttle to Wanaka (about an hour give or take) and fly back out from there if possible.

Cheers
TiggerK

Yep, being from the deep south myself, (so I'm biased) I'd have to say AKL-ZQN would be very hard to beat. Weather a bit up and down this time of year of course, but if you hit a clear winter blue sky day, wow amazing.

I would be temped to bus or shuttle to Wanaka (about an hour give or take) and fly back out from there if possible.

Cheers
TiggerK

Any tip on which side of the aircraft to sit for landing in ZQN and then departure from ZQN?

Flying into ZQN good views on both sides but better on the right. Flying out of ZQN the views are not as spectacular but I prefer left (to see the alps for as long as possible).

Milford Sound from Queenstown. But you need much longer time to be sure it will even operate - if the weather is bad (which it often is in Milford Sound being located in middle of mountains and one of the wettest rainforests in the world) then flights will not operate.

Second or third this. Flew it return a number of years ago and we were lucky to do it on a cloudless day towards the end of winter, and combine it with a cruise on the Sound. Absolutely spectacular, but beware of the the sand flies.

An interesting approach into the Milford Sound airstrip also if I remember rightly.

Second or third this. Flew it return a number of years ago and we were lucky to do it on a cloudless day towards the end of winter, and combine it with a cruise on the Sound. Absolutely spectacular, but beware of the the sand flies.

An interesting approach into the Milford Sound airstrip also if I remember rightly.

We did this flight from Wanaka and it was spectacular. And it was a rare sunny day...albeit windy...in Milford Sound, which made it even better.

Although since this is FT, maybe the OT wants to know about commercial flights...

I like the flights in/out of Wanaka to CHC as the plane is small, you fly relatively low and get great views from all angles. (you can see out of the cockpit window - interesting on landing!!). Wanaka airport is interesting as well being a good size, but only a really small area for the ANZ bit!!

After driving both islands, I have to agree with those mentioning ZQN. Absolutely beautiful mountains, and Milford Sound was incredible!

Not the "most scenic" but for less than NZ$100 you can do a 45min intro flight (you get to be the Pilot for most of the flight) in a Cessna from Ardmore Airfield south of Auckland... weather dependent again, but I got some great views of the harbor and city on my flight..

tht