South Pacific
Helicopters

the flight of your lifetime - discover Kaikōura from a whole new perspective. 

Fly with us for an one-of-a-kind adventure and experience Kaikōura's amazing marine wildlife, its picturesque landscape and meet some of the people that make this coastal town the special place it is.

Introduction

Featured 
EXPERIENCES

Check out some of our favourite tours! We offer epic whale watching experiences, scenic discover tours of the region, adventures you didn't dare to dream of before and indulgent experiences that take your taste buds on a journey of their own. 

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    Whale Watching Flights in Kaikōura

    Discovery - 30min Experience

    Experience the majesty of a whale in its entirety from an aerial perspective while enjoying a 30-minute adventure filled with breathtaking coastal and mountain vistas. Marvel at the stunning…

    from NZD 475

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    Whale Watching Flights in Kaikōura

    Ocean Safari - 45min Experience

    *With coastal landing* Experience the magnificent wildlife and scenery of Kaikōura from the comfort of a helicopter and discover sperm whales from top to tail in their natural habitat!

    from NZD 795

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    Whale Watching Flights in Kaikōura

    Premier - 60min experience

    *With alpine landing* A flight experience that highlights the absolute best of the beautiful coastal town of Kaikōura. Spot wonderful marine creatures such as whales and dolphins on your way to the…

    from NZD 1250

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    Whale Watching Flights in Kaikōura

    Ultimate Adventure - 80min experience

    *With alpine landing* Our longest and most exclusive tour - The Ultimate Adventure. It is an incredible experience, capturing everything Kaikōura has to offer, from mountain ranges to the Pacific…

    from NZD 1,495

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    Kaikōura Scenic Flights

    Pacific to Peak

    Arguably the best scenic views in New Zealand, our Pacific to Peak experience takes you up to secluded alpine landing with stunning 360-degree views of the Seaward Kaikōura Ranges, the Kaikōura…

    from NZD 350

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    Indulgent Experiences

    Heli-Gin Meet Mt Fyffe Distillery

    This is the ultimate gin lover experience. Relax, sit back & enjoy a scenic flight around the Peninsula & Kaikōura Seaward Mountain ranges, taking in the stunning scenery from above. Daniel, our…

    from NZD 3,800 up to 5 pax

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    Indulgent Experiences

    Middlehurst Station Experience

    Let us whisk you away for lunch in high-country paradise - Middlehurst Station.
    With 16,000 hectares of land in the Awatere Valley, enjoy a scenic flight through both the Seaward and Inland Kaikōura…

    from NZD 2,400pp

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    Indulgent Experiences

    Whales & Hapuku Kitchen

    Your experience with South Pacific Helicopters takes you on a journey above one of New Zealand’s most unique marine life canyons. Owner & Chef Fiona Read, will greet you from your flight and take you…

    from NZD from 1,650pp

See More Experiences

Fly with
Confidence

South Pacific Helicopters is a locally owned and operated company based in the beautiful town of Kaikōura. 

Dan and monique 27 2 2024 16

The wife and husband team, Monique and Dan Stevenson first opened this company in October of 2016, just a few short weeks before a major earthquake struck Kaikōura, completely cutting off access to the town, and changing the landscape forever. 

The South Pacific Helicopters Team played a crucial role of restoring and rebuilding access to the town of Kaikōura. One year and one day later, roads reopened to Kaikōura, and tourism returned to the town.

The team's goal is to share the beauty of Kaikōura with its many visitors, as well as educate around local marine wildlife. With every tour we convey our passion for this beautiful place and offer exceptional customer service to provide one-of-a-kind and unforgettable experiences.

 
About Us

 

Our
Fleet

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  • Fabulous experience,

    saw a glimpse of a Blue Whale AND had a GREAT viewing of a Sperm Whale. You cover so much more ground than on a boat so you're more likely to spot something. Pilots are fantastic and they are a top notch business!

    Eve L
    Auckland, New Zealand

  • Even better than expected

    It was incredible to see the detail of the whale and how it moved in the water. Viewing it closely from above gave us a perfect view. The dolphins were a bonus.

    The trip up to Mt Fyffe that followed was fantastic as we could see the details of the landscape from the sea, to the flat farmlands and then the hills and snow-covered mountains. Flying up to the peak and being able to get out of the helicopter and walk about.

     

    Desi Lorand
    Auckland, New Zealand

  • Absolutely Fabulous

    An amazing experience- seeing the whales from up above gives you a whole different perspective on their size and beauty. Dan was fantastic and made you feel very relaxed and safe. Highly recommend- in fact you would be mad not to do this!

     

     

    Lynn M

  • Helicopter heaven!

    We did the Aftershock tour with pilot Dan, and a bit of whale spotting added on. It was incredible to fly over the quake affected coastal area, then inland below the snow covered peaks (spotting wild deer) to land at the fabulous sea green Lake Hapuku. A highlight was weaving up the bush clad valley to Ohau waterfall, and also to see the size of a whale from above. This is a once in a lifetime experience that blew us away - we loved it!

     

    Lois M
    Arrowtown, New Zealand

  • Heli-Gin tour

    This is a new (April 2022) package being offered by South Pacific Helicopters and Mt Fyfe Distillery. And it was fantastic!!

    We started with an approx 30 min scenic flight over Kaikoura and then to the Mt Fyffe Distillery where we picked up the distillery owner and flew to Mt Fyffe for our gin experience! Justine Schroder, proud owner of Mt Fyffe Distillery, explained why she set up the distillery and how she makes her gin. It was fascinating learning how she got started and arrived at the current two varieties - and both varieties were superb.

    Neil
    Christchurch New Zealand

  • Best Ever Whale Watching 

    The BEST EVER! Only my 2nd time in a helicopter and we were treated to an amazing experience viewing the sperm whale!!! Daniel was excellent pilot and gave us great info on the whales…even made a few of the details up for fun!
    Would highly recommend!!!

    Janelle C
    Auckland, New Zealand

  • Fantastic Heli Experience

    We were the lucky winners of a trip to Kaikoura, which included a 30 minute Helicopter Ride with South Pacific Helicopters in February 2022. We were welcomed the minute we walked into the building by the team. This was the highlight of our trip, the pilot Dan, did a stop on the hilltop, informed us about the environment, coastline and gave us an amazing, incredible, flight over Kaikoura on a perfect day. Thanks to Dan & all the team for truly an awesome experience.

    Dianne Sloper

  • After shock Flight !!

    What a brilliant way to see the changed landscape of Kaikoura coast and surrounding area after the 2016 Earthquake.
    Would recommend this trip as something special. Daniel(pilot) was a wealth of knowledge about the area and fault line, certainly made for a great flight.
    A special peek into a slice of New Zealand history.

    John M

  • Heli Picnic on Mt Fyffe

    Fantastic pilot who made the whole experience fun and interesting.
    set up lovely picnic on Mt Fyffe. Amazing views

    Lesley A

  • Definitely a bucket list hit. A must do.

    Timing was impeccable - we saw two whales - and your service was super friendly and knowledgeable. Daniel you are a charmer! We felt so safe so the experience was focused on the view. What a great way to see our second home from the air. Thank you! What a birthday treat !

    Annelies

  • Family

    A wonderful trip to Mt Fyffe for the two boys. It was the highlight of their holiday. We went out over the ocean and spotted a pod of dolphins before flying over the hills. Beautiful views from the top

    Janet D
    Auckland, New Zealand