GISBORNE SCENIC FLIGHTS

The Gisborne region boasts an impressive array of natural beauty. A region of diverse landscapes, that in the space of a short flight, you can view primeval native forests, stunning rivers, and deserted beaches seldom seen by many of the locals.

Gisborne, the first city in the world to see the sun each day. The Maori name for the district is Tairawhiti which means “The coast upon which the sun shines across the water”. Kaiti Beach, near the city, was where the Maori immigrational waka, Horouta, landed; and is also the first European landing place in New Zealand.

Captain Cook set foot here 6 October 1769 during his circumnavigation of NZ in the Endeavour. From here they sailed south before turning at Cape Turn Again to head north where they stopped for five days to undertake repairs and take on water at a small cove (now named Cook’s Cove) near Tolaga Bay.

Tolaga Bay is located 52 km north of Gisborne along State Highway 35 and has the longest pier in NZ at 660 metres in length.

Before Tolaga Bay and just out of Gisborne of State Highway 35 is the small coastal community of Whangara, the setting for the film whale rider. Local iwi (Ngati Kanohi) believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale.

Further inland you will discover the splendour of Te Urewera National Park & Lake Waikaremoana. This is the North Island’s largest untouched native forest, and spiritual home of the Tuhoe people – known as the “children of the mist”. The lake is perched 610 metres above sea level, contains about nine cubic kilometers of water and reaches depths of 256 metres. Legend has it that the lake was gouged out by a powerful Taniwha (water monster).

Popular Scenic Flights Include:

Cook’s Cove
Flight follows the coastline north over Whangara, the setting for the film Whale Rider, Tolaga Bay Wharf, Cook’s Cove, the sea caves of Pourewa Island and back.
The flight takes approximately 50 minutes and costs $265 for up to 3 people.

Lake Waikaremoana
Flight takes you across the Hangaroa River up through the scenic Tiniroto area to the Te Urewera National Park that encompasses Lake Waikaremoana.
The flight takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes and costs $387 for up to 3 people.

City Scenic
A half hour scenic over Gisborne’s beautiful beaches and the Poverty Bay Flats. .
The flight takes approximately 30 minutes and costs $169 for up to 3 people.

The flights are conducted in our Cessna 172 and are not limited to the above locations. Twin engine aircraft are also available on request.