This New Zealand helicopter elopement over Mildord Sound was the last day of Gab and Max’s multi day adventure elopement. It was the perfect way to close out their epic South Island adventure.
We spent day one of their New Zealand elopement hiking the famously beautiful (and famously brutal!) Ben Lommond track. Because we hiked so much steep terrain on day one, we opted to be whisked away by a helicopter and passively enjoy the views for day 2.
The mix of hiking and heli tours meant seeing a massive amount of the island from just about every angle imaginable. It was the perfect balance of adventure and sightseeing.
The helicopter ride was 3 hours in total. We spent 2 hours in the air and 50 minutes on the ground across 3 locations. We chose to book with the Milford Sound Tour with the Helicopter Line tours in New Zealand because they offered to stop in multiple locations on top of the sound.
Check out Gab and Max’s full tour below for an idea of what your New Zealand Helicopter Elopement over Milford Sound could look like!
New Zealand Helicopter Elopement over Milford Sound: secluded beach landing
After some good sleep following our massive Ben Lommond hike the day before, we met at the heli tour company around 09:30. It was just us, three others and the pilot on the flight.
Early in their elopement planning process, they knew they wanted to see Milford Sound. However, the drive from Queenstown is about 4 hours one way. To save time and see more of the peaks and glaciers, a helicopter charter gave us access everything we wanted to do.
For both of them, this tour was an exciting opportunity. Although Max works on airplanes in the military, he’d never been in a helicopter before! It was the perfect opportunity to try something new and see New Zealand from one of its best angles.
We boarded the helicopter, had a quick safety briefing and crossed our fingers for good weather. Our first destination was an impressive glacier, but due to cloud cover, we diverted and headed to a secluded beach instead.
After landing, the pilot left the helicopter on and we had 10 minutes to explore. The beach was completely empty except the 6 of us and a scattering of ruins.
New Zealand Helicopter Elopement: Milford Sound landing
Our next stop was our main destination: Milford Sound. As we flew back, we were able to pass through all of the sound. The views of the bright blue water below, settled at the bottom of this glacially carved valley, left us stunned. We watched kayakers and boaters drift past below as tiny dots.
Once we arrived at Milford Sound Airport, the pilot shut off the helicopter and gave us 30 minutes to explore. We followed a little trail to the iconic beach at the mouth of the sound. From here, Mitre Point is visible smack in the middle of the horizon, towering above the water to a sharp point.
30 minutes exploring Milford Sound is lightning fast when you want to stay for hours. We ended up sprinting back to the helicopter to take off for our final landing!
New Zealand Helicopter Elopement: Glacier landing
For our last landing, we finally made it to a glacier - although not the larger one we initially planned on flying to in the beginning. The contrast of the higher, rockier peaks covered in snow rounded out the day perfectly.
All in one day, we flew from Queensland to Milford Sound and saw three incredible locations and countless more from above.
If you’re similar to these two and want to see multiple remote locations in one day,consider a New Zealand helicopter elopement over Milford Sound. There isn’t a faster and more comfortable way to see the South Island!
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