This trip report is a slightly unusual one by a.net standards. On Saturday, November 30, my mom and I took a flight with Air Safaris in Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, to see the mountains of the Southern Alps. Air Safaris is a professional charter company with a fleet of nine aircraft:

3 GAF Nomad N24As
1 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
4 Gippsland GA8 Airvans
1 Cessna 206 Stationair

They've been flying out of their current Lake Tekapo aerodrome since 1975 and it is the highest elevation airport in New Zealand at approximately 2500 feet. Their most popular flights are called the Grand Traverse, which is an hour-long flight over the Southern Alps, glaciers, Lake Tekapo, etc. This trip report is of our flight in Air Safaris 206 doing the Grand Traverse. Ticket prices were $295 NZD each, which is about $212 USD at the moment.

I scheduled a flight for us at 4pm on Saturday, reasoning that it would give us enough time to drive from Dunedin that morning. We were slowed by a flat tire that had to be replaced that morning, but we did have time to stop and see the Moreaki Boulders on the way to Lake Tekapo, making the drive with time to spare. There were other people going at the same time as us but instead of flying all 8 of us together in the Grand Caravan they took 6 others up in a Gippsland Airvan and my mom and myself up in their 206.

Our pilot, Tom, was an excellent aviator who handled the 206 like a professional that he is. He gave a good running commentary during the flight of the various things that we saw and did a good job of telling us when to expect turbulence. Of course the turbulence didn't alarm me or my mother, but it was the worst I've ever personally experienced (Mom said she's experienced worst over western Massachusetts while working on her IFR rating). You can tell by the video that in some places it was extremely bumpy and in other places it was quite smooth. I had a woman come up to me afterwards at our hotel (the Lake Tekapo Scenic Resort, a very nice hotel) who asked me how I'd liked the flight as she had been on the Airvan that left just before us and almost got airsick. Such is the nature of flying in the mountains, especially in a windy country like New Zealand.

The Lake Tekapo Airport is a private airport owned by the company and is the smallest I've ever been to. The terminal is nicely appointed (with particularly nice bathrooms) and has good views of the ramp. There's an area where you can walk outside and see the action and it makes me think of what small airports must've been liked decades ago in the US. The staff members were all very friendly and do a great job on the ground and in the air.

Video: (including the airport, takeoff, scenery, turbulence, and landing)

Lake Tekapo Airport
Grand Traverse Part One
Grand Traverse Part Two


Sign from the road:


Other sign.


Lake Tekapo Airport terminal


Hangar with something dismantled in it and a homebuilt that has only flown three times--apparently the pilot keeps landing it too hard and the gear can't take it.


Air Safaris' Grand Caravan


One of Air Safaris' Nomads


The other people leaving in their Airvan.


Our Cessna 206, ZK-FJH


206 from the rear.


206 panel including the original Navomatic autopilot. I think Air Safaris bought this 206 new from Cessna in either 1975 or 1976.


Ready to board.


No need for a mechanical tug for this aircraft.


Our pilot, Tom, was highly skilled, both in flying aircraft and in dealing with people.






Riding the wave. Check out the rate of climb indicator.


Other side of the panel.




Coming up on Mount Cook.




Known by the Maori as Aoraki, the Cloud Piercer.


I forget which glacier this is, Franz Josef, Fox, or Tasman glacier.


Heading back in.


Mt. John Observatory


The town of Lake Tekapo.


The 3100' runway is off in the distance at 2500' elevation.