Milford Sounds Helicopter Flights, New Zealand

Milford Helicopters Introduction

Milford Helicopters offers Milford Sound helicopter flights and is owned and operated by Jeff and Natalie Shanks in Te Anau. Our Milford Sound sightseeing helicopter flights are operated by professional staff who have a wealth of aviation experience in New Zealand's rugged South Island.

Chief Pilot, Jeff Shanks, has been flying in the Fiordland area since 1986. His counterpart, Sean Mullay, has been a commercial helicopter pilot since 1992, flying in the Southland area and on the West Coast until 1998 when he commenced working for Milford Helicopters.

Milford Helicopters was formed in 1988 with one helicopter based in Milford Sound, and in 1996 a second helicopter was purchased, also
based in Milford Sound.

Milford Helicopters is the only aviation firm that bases its operations from Milford Sound, and undertakes all types of commercial work, hunting and fishing trips.

Our Milford Sound Helicopter Flights

Sutherland Falls – Sit back and enjoy Milford Sound sightseeing as the helicopter flies you up the Arthur Valley following the Milford Track. Land at the top of Sutherland Falls on the edge of Lake Quill. Then cross the McKinnon Pass to view the Clinton Valleys and return to Milford via the Joes Valley and Lake Ada.

Mitre Peak – Depart the helipad and fly over Milford Sound to the Bowen Falls. Fly to the famous Mitre Peak and the Pembroke Glacier. Return to Milford via Harrison Cove.

Glacier Galore – This Milford Sound helicopter flight will take you to the Bowen Falls, the Harrison Valley and past Lake Never Never, then it's on to the breath taking Tutoko Glacier, landing if weather permits. Return to Milford via Turners Pass and the Age Glacier.

The Grand Tour – Combine Mitre Peak, Sutherland Falls and Glaciers Galore scenic flights and you have the Grand Tour. Follow the Arthur's Valley to the Sutherland Falls to your first Landing. Then fly to the Tutoko Glacier, landing if weather permits. Return to Milford via the Harrison Valley and Mitre Peak.

For further information about our Milford Sound helicopter flights, please contact us.

About the Milford Sound

Described by Rudyard Kipling as the "eighth wonder of the world", Milford Sound is the majestic jewel in the crown of New Zealand's tourist hotspots.

The best known of all the fiords of the South Island's West Coast, it measures approximately 17 kilometres from the head of the sound to the open sea, and is the only one accessible by road.

A highlight is Bowen Falls, breathtaking as it hurtles 165 metres into the sea, flanked by sheer rock cliffs and dwarfed by Mitre Peak. It is sights such as this that make Milford Sound truly spectacular after rain, of which it receives an astonishing seven metres of each year.

Dolphins, crested penguins and fur seals are permanent residents around the entrance of the sound, and it is possible to view aquatic life at an underwater observatory.

For divers there is also the chance to see black coral at relatively shallow depths. Milford Sound is also the finishing point for the world famous Milford Track.

For further information about our Milford Sound helicopter flights, please contact us.