Where to Stay and Play in New Zealand

Soar over New Zealand’s national parks, glaciers, mountains and lakes from the seat of a helicopter on one of The Helicopter Line’s scenic flightseeing tours. Available from five iconic locations— Mount Cook, Twizel, Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier and Queenstown—the tours mostly operate on AS350 Squirrel helicopters with an open cabin plan for optimal viewing.

On the 35-minute Alpine Scenic Flight from Twizel, for example, guests fly over the rugged Ben Ohau Mountain Range and into the towering Neumann Range before making a snow landing on the Glenmary Glacier for a picture-perfect photo-op. Rates start at $360 per adult; $252 per child for the Alpine Scenic Flight. For more information, visit helicopter.co.nz.