Things to do in Mackenzie District

We booked this Mount Cook and Tasman Glacier helicopter experience at the last minute, a day before the scheduled flight and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of our trip! Our pilot, Josh, was fantastic – friendly, professional, and made us feel safe from start to finish. Even the staff that oriented for the pre-flight (forgot her name). The flight offered breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks, turquoise lakes, and the stunning Tasman Glacier. Landing on the glacier was absolutely surreal, and Josh even took a great photo of us to remember the moment. Everything was well-organized, and the pilot’s commentary during the flight made the experience even more special. If you’re visiting Mt Cook, don’t miss this - it’s worth every minute and every dollar!

You can experience two types of aircraft in one trip! Take a helicopter up to Mount Cook, where you'll witness the stunning blue of the glacial lakes – it's truly dreamlike. Enjoy walking on the snow atop Mount Cook, and then return via ski plane for a wonderfully fun experience!

The tour guide thoughtfully prepared hot chocolate with marshmallows and blankets for us, so we could lie on the grassland and watch the Southern Hemisphere's starry sky. They explained the names of each star and how to find the South Celestial Pole. It was a night full of knowledge and romance ☺️. They also gave us reusable cocoa cups, and every time I see that cup, I remember the starry sky that night ☺️☺️.

It’s an amazing experience! The tour will provide stars information and knowledge to us before we admire by ourselves. And we can see the stars and planets by the telescope. It’s really amazing and stunning!! We can see the Milky Way in the dark sky and we can also take pictures of the galaxy! It’s a memorial experience.

The experience felt magical and expertly guided. The view of the night sky was breathtaking. The guides were incredibly knowledgeable, explaining constellations, planets, and the stories behind them in a way that was both fascinating and easy to follow. Using the powerful telescopes made the stars and galaxies feel closer than ever. This was the highlight of my trip—an inspiring, peaceful, and truly world-class stargazing adventure.

I really recommend joining their tour! The pre-trip instructions at the beginning were very detailed. All the equipment was complete and clean, so you didn't have to bring anything with you. The helicopter seats and groups were carefully arranged (the seats for the outbound and return trips were swapped), and the helicopter was also very new. The on-site glacier tour guide was friendly and professional 👍, and took us to explore the ice cave. We were lucky that it was sunny that day, but the temperature was still very low. It would get hot after walking around. It is recommended that you bring sunglasses, the sunlight is very glaring and the ultraviolet intensity is off the charts, so be sure to apply sunscreen! I think this trip is worth it, the icebergs are magnificent and full of memories💯

So happy, so worth it, so much fun! A must-try experience. The driver and tour guide provided a very dedicated introduction. Another highlight was the glacier helicopter experience, simply amazing. Once we were on the glacier, the instructor led us with great reassurance, you could see the instructor was very experienced. We walked for about an hour or a little more, which was actually quite sufficient because it was a bit tiring. Also, it's not really that cold on the glacier, so you don't need to wear too many clothes.

The Taiwanese tour guide was articulate and engaging. They were attentive to safety, weather conditions, and appropriately discouraged excessive light pollution. We were lucky to have excellent visibility, making my first naked-eye view of the Milky Way an unforgettable experience. We also viewed Saturn later, and the ring system was fascinating. Highly recommended.

Highly recommend the Lake Tekapo Petting Zoo experience! It's a quick 30 minutes but so worth it. Our guide, Joy, was awesome – she gave us a warm introduction to all the animals and even offered to help us take photos. A fun and memorable stop for anyone visiting Tekapo!