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Pacific Trailways Blog

 
A destination to get carried away about travel and adventures. Keep up to date with all our news, latest trips, best photos and unique experiences on the Pacific Trailways Blog.
 
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The New Zealand Experience

Written by Pacific Trailways on August 26th, 2016.      0 comments

What does the NZ experience offer that is different?


Touring NZ with a bird's-eye view
New Zealand’s ever-changing landscapes are ideal for air touring by DC3. It is often said that New Zealand is "the world in one compact country" and that is certainly true. From stunning coastal scenery to soaring mountain peaks, pleasant green farmland to unique native forests, volcanic features, glaciers, fiords and deep picturesque lakes, New Zealand offers air tour passengers a visual experience that cannot be replicated using any other form of transport

NZ Nature As It Should Be
New Zealand is home to about 4.5 million people and around a third of them live in Auckland.  The balance are scattered around the two main islands and the whole country has an area about two thirds the size of California. Large uninhabited areas have flourished under nature's management, with a little help from the Department of Conservation of course.   
 
milford-sound-cruise
 
Extensive national parks and a light industrial footprint have gifted New Zealand amazing woodlands that grow as nature intended. In other picturesque areas, rolling green countryside is home to New Zealand’s famous sheep. Stunning beaches frame New Zealand’s beautiful South Pacific coastline and an array of sea life, dolphins and whales are often near the coast - close enough for those fabulous photo opportunities.

Escaping the daily grind of life and enjoying nature as it was intended is surely one of the most invigorating yet restful of leisure activities. And a tour of New Zealand will offer nature at her glorious and relaxing best. 


A haven for Trampers
Hiking or "tramping" is a favourite pastime of New Zealanders.  No dangerous snakes, big cats or bears mean you can relax and enjoy the view, the fresh air and the exercise. There is always the option to customise your DC3 air tour should you wish to add a hike, bike or kayak experience to your already incredible New Zealand tour.
 
Some of the best places in the world to hike are right here.  Options include: Franz Josef Glacier, Milford Sound, Tongariro National Park, Routeburn Track, Fiordland National Park.

Contact us for custom air tour information.
 
milford

New Zealand Aerial Photography
New Zealand is a photographer’s dream, and even better from the air.

The DC3 will often be flying at only 1500 to 3000 feet (around 500 to 1000 metres) and about 140 knots (280 kilometres per hour).  This ‘low and slow’ characteristic is the big advantage of the air tour experience as it offers a unique perspective on the New Zealand landscape. Take a moment to view the photos on our website to see how spectacular New Zealand is from above. The air tour offers breathtaking views that photographers simply cannot capture in any other way. And all of this from the comfort of the classic DC3 aircraft and with the expert knowledge of the accompanying tour guides to deliver you a truly remarkable experience.  This is something to share for years to come.


The DC3 Tour Experience
Some experiences are unique to our Pacific Trailways DC3 Air Tour:

- Whale watching from a DC3 along the Kaikoura Coast
- Landing and taking off from grass runways
- Operating from quaint small airfields
- Transfer coaches driving right up beside the DC3 aircraft at some smaller airfields
- Cruising along spectacular coastlines at lower altitude, to see parts of NZ you will not see in any other way

dakmot

This is just a small idea of all there is for you to enjoy.  There are many aspects of the tours that will leave you wanting to book your next air tour before you leave for home. The expert knowledge, the small group experience, the nostalgic flights and the incredible scenery, wildlife, history, and culture of our great country are only a few of the many reasons your DC3 New Zealand Air Tour will be truly memorable. It’s all here for you! 
 
 

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29 October 2015

NZ Air Tours You Won't Forget.

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward" ­ Leonardo da Vinci

 

What a pilot sees in a day, most people won't see in a lifetime. Now you can experience the  tour of a lifetime with the iconic DC3 air tour and Pacific Trailways. See the most spectacular views in New Zealand, in the most spectacular way possible. Do something different!

 

New Zealand Tours

Touring New Zealand is no doubt one of the most relaxing, exhilarating and beautiful holidays you can have in your lifetime. Normally you choose your destination, choose the mode of transport, sit back and soak up the scenery. You experience the wildlife and history of the place only to find yourself longing for more time to experience more places. 

 

Create “The Envy Factor”

The new DC3 tours will offer the guest a unique vacation in New Zealand as they fly in the classic DC3 to experience the best way of seeing  the most spectacular countryside views you could imagine. These tours offer the chance to visit Northland including the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga attractions. Other new DC3 tours visit Coromandel, Tauranga, Rotorua and Gisborne.

 

These tours include:

● DC3 Glory Days Retro Rotorua Weekender 3 days

● DC3 Peak & Lake New Plymouth/Taupo Weekender 3 days

● DC3 Classic Northland 4 days

● DC3 Coromandel/Bay of Plenty/East Cape/Gisborne 5 days

● DC3 Gourmet Journeys South Island Air Tour 13 days

● DC3 NZ Airtour and Omaka Air Show 13 days

The unique DC3 air tours of some of  New Zealand's finest tourist attractions makes a vacation of a lifetime possible. Experience some of New Zealand's finest attractions such as The Coromandel, with its beautiful beaches, native forests and relaxing atmosphere, or the Bay of Plenty with golf courses, the best beach in NZ and the spectacular Mclaren Falls Park. In the North, visit the northernmost accessible tip of North Island that leads to the point where two seas meet, and where the Maori spirits leap from an 800 year old tree into the ocean to return to their ancestral homeland.

The New Zealand 13 day air tour 2017 will leave you saying to your friends how you saw some of New Zealand's most beautiful beaches and only marine volcano­ white Island ­ plus the geothermal wonders of Rotorua, all on the first day of your tour.Later in the tour you will see the Fiordland region and even the beauty of Stewart Island on an adventure never to be forgotten.

 

Comfortable Touring

With our unique travel packages you will be staying in 3.5 to 5 star hotels and traveling on a DC3 that first flew in 1944 and has now been refitted to provide her passengers with a comfortable cabin with large windows, ideal for viewing and photo opportunities. The seats are from a Boeing 767 and provide ample comfort for the tour flights. Safety is the very first priority and your DC3 operator has earned a 5 year “ Airline Operating Certificate”. Your crew are experienced professionals operating to the highest standards.

Countless photo opportunities and endless talking points await you on your journey, maybe to Hokitika and onwards by coach to visit a jade gallery, try your hand at gold panning and of course, Monteith's Brewery. This is just one of the days you can experience with Pacific Trailways DC3 air tours.

 

Visit New Zealand

You could experience an aerial view of  Franz Josef Glacier then Fox Glacier and our highest mountain, Aoraki Mt Cook. Visit Wanaka, Te Anau and  take a luxury coach trip along New Zealand's most scenic mountain road and onto Milford Sound for picture taking before visiting the Underwater observatory in Harrison Cove.

 

What Touring Is Supposed To Be Like

We could write about every day's adventure and all the possibilities and sites you will see. But the best way to see this dream is not through words, the best way to see this dream tour is in our aircraft, in the luxury coaches and with the guidance and commentary of the best tour guides available. The best way to to see this dream is to live it!

 

Visit our website for all the details and the air tour itineraries.


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23 October 2015

Pacific Trailways Make NZ Holidays Special.

Adventure holidays don’t have to be adrenaline fueled.

 

Let's be honest, New Zealand is an amazingly diverse country, it has landscapes to take your breath away, waterways to thrill you or relax you, and seascapes to explore and discover a whole new world.

As a holiday destination, whether you are a native New Zealander or a visitor to this fine country the options are limitless. Relax, seek thrills, explore. Go by air, rail, by road or sea, you choose, it's your NZ vacation after all. 

You can choose to relax whilst kayaking in Milford Sound, Fiordland or maybe enjoy a peaceful stroll in Abel Tasman National Park along the golden beaches. Discover the rock 
carvings in Mine Bay, Lake Taupo whilst taking a swim, or visit Hobbiton Film set where the Lord Of The Rings was filmed and discover your inner Hobbit.For the wine lovers amongst us, Waiheke Island offers up some must try Vineyards like Mudbrick, Stonyridge, and Cable Bay.

We have cities with every kind of dining experience, we have culture, beaches, history, and glaciers. We have hot springs, and we have lakes to sit, relax, and stargaze by such as Lake Pukaki at Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.

So, how do you choose your New Zealand adventure? where do you start on your tour of all things NZ?

 

The adventure of a lifetime ­ Do Something Different!

 If you feel really adventurous then join us on the air tour of a lifetime as we go on a 13 day DC3 flight adventure staying in some of the finest hotels and visiting almost every major tourist attraction there is, from Auckland, to Rotorua, to Wellington, Blenheim, the west coast, Wanaka, Milford Sound and Stewart Island­ with mini breaks in Queenstown and Dunedin. Then returning via Ashburton and Christchurch before landing back at Auckland, exhausted but hopefully full of awe and with enough conversation to keep you going til you return again.
 

New heights for New Zealand tourism

There are other less adventurous adventures of course, shorter tours in the DC3 make the experience no less special and the destinations are simply stunning. What better way to discover this amazing country than in the best seat possible, with glamour, nostalgia and romance aplenty. We can take you on a journey across the South Island, the Bay of Plenty, New Plymouth and Northland to mention a few.There are even a few places, sometimes off the tourist trail that are well worth a visit. These include Coromandel, Tauranga and Gisborne, places you are sure never to forget.
 

Tours for people who like to stay grounded

As well as the DC3 air tour we cater for the more traditional holiday maker, the weekend breaker and the girly weekender. 

Please free free to contact us for more information on our tours. We are always happy to answer all questions and hope to see you soon for the NZ vacation you will never forget.


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Freephone within NZ: 

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0275 311405 (Mobile)


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+64 9 2989180

General enquiries
info@pacifictrailways.co.nz

Steve Reeve (Managing Director)
steve@pacifictrailways.co.nz