Exploring the Southern Alps with Air West Coast
One of the main attractions of South Island, New Zealand is the famous Southern Alps which run on the western side of the area. With Mt Cook, the Westland National Park and 3000 glaciers, the area is rich with natural scenery and beauty. One way of seeing all these is through the Tranz Alpine train, which runs between Chrishchurch and Greymouth, however, for a faster and a clearer view of these, Air West Coast offer its planes to take passengers up in the air for a closer look at these wonders.
In comparison with the duration of the journey on Tranz Alpine train, Air West Coast’s charter flights offer a faster way of reaching back to Christchurch which, just like the train trip, covers the natural scenery on the way. Air West Coast offers three routes to Christchurch – Mt Cook, Milford Sound and the mountain passes. Each of these offers a different view of New Zealand in different durations.
The first route, which is through Mt Cook, helps people arrive at Christchurch in 2 hours. During the flight, the natural scenery of the West Coast can be viewed with much clarity in comparison with the Tranz Alpine train. Passengers have the option of using a helicopter to land above the glaciers to get a closer view of these natural wonders.
As for the Milford Sound route, this flight is much longer as it lasts up to 4 ½ hours, yet, the scenic flight, too, provides a closer look of the Southern Alps, in comparison with the Tranz Alpine train. During the flight, the natural beauty of New Zealand will unfold before the passengers as they travel along the Alps to Milford Sound, past Mt Cook and the glaciers, then cross the Alps to fly over the Canterbury plains to Christchurch. Optional extras on this flight include a cruise with lunch on Milford Sound, which can be book before leaving Greymouth, and a helicopter flight to a landing on the glaciers.
The last route, which is through the mountain passes, is the quickest way to Christchurch, for the flight only lasts for ¾ hour. This flight will suit the needs of executives and others who want to arrive at the city much faster after experiencing the Tranz Alpine train. Also, no compromise on scenery is made, for even during this short flight, passengers will still get to see New Zealand’s wild beauty from the air.
Air West Coast also provides scenic flights along with chartered flights, thus, even those who want to have a better look at the most prominent features of the Southern Alps can hire the services of the airline. Whereas the Tranz Alpine will show the mountains from a far, the scenic flights will allow passengers to view the jagged peaks of the Southern Alps, thus be able to see Mt Cook’s slopes and the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers. Also, the Westland National Park can be viewed on this 1 ½ hours flight, thus passengers will be able to appreciate the whole area much better.
Air West Coast’s flights are as safe as the journey on Tranz Alpine train, for the planes are tested regularly and are maintained in order that they give their best performance. Enjoying New Zealand’s Southern Alps does not need to be done from a distance, for with the flights offered by Air West Coast, many can enjoy going close to the famous peaks and the glaciers to marvel at the workmanship of the Deity.
