Earnslaw Burn Helicopter Tour Review: Worth the Splurge?

Okay, so you’re thinking of dropping some serious cash on the Earnslaw Burn Helicopter Tour? Maybe you saw some incredible photos online, or perhaps a friend mentioned it’s a ‘must-do’ in New Zealand. Actually, either way, you’re in the right spot. This review is all about helping you decide if this splurge is really worth it, or if your money is better spent elsewhere. We will look at everything from the amazing views to that rather nice picnic lunch they keep promising.

What Makes Earnslaw Burn so Special?

First thing to understand is why Earnslaw Burn has become kind of famous. Think of it as a hidden paradise tucked away in Fiordland National Park near Queenstown, New Zealand. What makes it unique? Those glaciers. These glaciers have carved their way through the mountains over, that is to say, literally thousands of years, creating dramatic icefalls that cascade into a bunch of milky blue streams and pools. You get a landscape that honestly looks straight out of a fantasy film, something a bit like Lord of the Rings. In fact, some scenes for those films were actually filmed here, if I remember rightly.

You see, one other cool part about Earnslaw Burn is that it is nearly inaccessible, I mean really inaccessible, by land. There aren’t any handy roads or even well-marked trails that will get you there. The only easy method, well, when I say “easy” I still mean paying a lot of money is by helicopter. This exclusivity certainly increases that adventure feeling because you feel as if you’re discovering, or re-discovering, a really special, really secret place, rather than just walking a standard trail along with a whole horde of other tourists, as can happen on so many New Zealand trips.

The Helicopter Flight: A Bird’s-Eye View

Now, I’ll talk you through this flying bit. Getting into a helicopter is kind of cool, especially when you know it’s all for a special purpose, for this case Earnslaw Burn. Usually the flight from Queenstown isn’t overly long. But honestly, those minutes in the air become one of the main attractions. You climb high very fast, leaving the regular scenery, of farmland and normal mountain views behind.

It almost seems like you’re suddenly looking at a different reality. You will begin to see the glaciers in the distance, shining like really massive diamonds in the sun. As you get closer, the detail starts becoming absolutely astonishing: those cracks in the ice, that turquoise water, the just rugged rock faces – is all breathtaking. Flying over those mountains, over those ridges and those valleys does give a sense of great scale too, that I wasn’t necessarily anticipating before this journey. It’s one thing to view the mountains from down below but it is very another to swoop through them in this thing almost like some sort of metallic dragonfly. Plus, your pilot normally knows a whole heap of info about the landscape, and the history and about the local environment that just really makes things even better.

Landing and Exploring: Walking Amongst Giants

Right, let’s get onto one of the major advantages to taking this kind of helicopter flight – actually touching down right inside this majestic environment. Touchdown! is really the correct word because you are barely above any sort of regular piece of land; this is raw nature at its most powerful. You will notice that as soon as the chopper switches off and the blades have all stopped whirring, a silence sort of drops that feels both peaceful and possibly a bit scary too. Depending on which tour you take and the weather on any given day, you get a chance to walk around a little. Some tour companies will actually allow a short guided walk, where someone who knows where is a good place to stroll, that knows a bit more about the local stuff points things out.

Other than that, there are options to discover everything yourself. Honestly, standing next to waterfalls fed directly from glaciers feels pretty great, in a slightly spiritual type of way, I think. Looking up at huge ice formations towering over your head really shows the power of mother nature at her absolute strongest. Make certain you get heaps of photos. Those are, after all, the memories that can last an extremely lifetime. That, as a matter of fact, and hopefully more.

The Picnic: Lunch with a View

I suppose, one of the big draw cards of a helicopter tour must be that kind of promises of a luxury picnic. Most tours state you will get served with food at some picturesque area and it is nearly always really good advertising. Generally, picnics can vary significantly depending upon the tour company that you have chosen.

Some can give you kind of basic sandwiches and water. Others almost, may include fancy cheeses, crackers, smoked salmon, fruit, and that wine or some sort of bubbles. The main draw is certainly the whole idea of munching out when surrounded by such beauty, but the truth, in this case is, the food is hardly ever as amazing as where you are. Still, it provides an extremely nice touch and of course provides a chance to sit for a while, just pause, to let it all soak in.

Is the Earnslaw Burn Helicopter Tour Worth It?

So, for that big question, does it all really pay off? The helicopter tours definitely can be really expensive, that is, so if it’s worthwhile can boil down to, well a few things really. Number one; your budget and two; what you expect to get for this trip. It could be that if money isn’t such a big problem, the tour must be a very unforgettable experience. The views from up high, plus the exclusivity of basically flying to a somewhat inaccessible place just creates memories which is to say, hopefully lasts forever.

But if cash is actually tight, then I would really start taking into account different stuff. There is still a tonne to explore in the New Zealand area which really does not demand dropping numerous hundreds, or possibly thousands, of bucks on a helicopter ride. Have a real hard look at, honestly, the priorities; how important this once-in-a-lifetime experience, versus maybe a regular wonderful trip somewhere. Obviously, that only you know. So consider all pros and cons rather thoroughly before doing a final deal.

The Earnslaw Burn Helicopter Tour actually gives something seriously spectacular; not merely, just another sightseeing tour but an experience to behold, but honestly it might only really makes sense when money isn’t really an issue. It all just boils to weighing up everything, ensuring your travel funds have stretched as far, or as wide, as needed.

Oh yeah, here is a tip from me. Make certain to research those different tour companies prior to booking because those inclusions do just really vary enormously!

Important Points to Remember:

• Unique Landscape: Earnslaw Burn offers stunning glacial scenery that’s hard to match.
• Exclusive Access: Reaching it by helicopter makes the experience more special.
• Cost Consideration: Evaluate your budget carefully before booking.
• Tour Variations: Shop around to see, well that is to say, what is actually included in different packages.