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The DC3 Experience

Written by Pacific Trailways on September 1st, 2016.      0 comments

The Experience Overall



New Zealand Beauty
New Zealand is no doubt one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The countryside seems to roll on over the horizon forever with spectacular views leading to the far-off blue skies and seas. Beaches and coastal areas whisper and invite you to stroll, swim, play and relax. The ocean calls you to discover the spectacular wildlife that lives in abundance in the New Zealand waters.  
 
KaikouraCoastline

 
Exploring New Zealand
Discovering New Zealand by land or by sea has always been the traditional method of exploration. Now, however, there is a different way, a better way. A unique experience awaits as you take to the air on a classic DC3 airliner and discover NZ, her attractions and her beauty via a "low and slow" flight, taking in some spectacular aerial views and visiting some amazing destinations along the way. The DC3 has been rebuilt and refurbished to exacting standards to ensure guests enjoy a safe and unique touring experience of the New Zealand coastline and countryside. 

 
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The Ultimate NZ Tour
The air tour concept is simple yet unique. Take a classic DC3 airliner, restored and maintained to the highest standards, fit comfortable seats from a Boeing 767 and visit New Zealand's favourite tourist destinations and scenery in the best way possible. The small air tour groups of 24-26 people may well share an interest in the classic DC3 aircraft and her fascinating history. However for others the DC3 is simply a great way to do something different and see NZ in style from above. Past experience tells us that many people who have shared a DC3 NZ air tour have become good friends afterwards. This is an exclusive touring experience and we are confident that guests will recall the fun and adventures for many years to come.

Low altitude cruising allows for spectacular views flying from one destination to the next, each carefully chosen to add value and interest to the tour.  Information about the places we visit is unobtrusive but always available, both on the plane and on the tour coaches en route to the points of interest we visit. Each overnight stay will be in a 4 or 5-star hotel where you can relax, reflect on the day just gone, socialise and anticipate the day to come.  
 
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Some experiences are unique to our Pacific Trailways DC3 Air Tour such as:
  • Whale watching from the DC3 along the Kaikoura Coast
  • Landing and taking off from grass runways
  • Cruising along spectacular coastlines at a lower altitude to see parts of New Zealand you will not see in any other way!  
  • Operating from quaint small airfields
  • Having transfer coaches drive right up beside the DC3 aircraft at some smaller airfields
 
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The air tours will certainly appeal to those with an interest in the DC3 aircraft and its history but the tours are designed to provide wider general interest as well. Tour guests from all walks of life are well catered for. While it is not all the DC3, by the end of the journey you may well fall in love with her as much as we have.

Unique DC3 Air Tour Experience
The DC3 air tours are operated by Pacific Trailways in conjunction with Fly DC3 NZ.  The air tours depart from the DC3 terminal at Ardmore Airport in Auckland.  Your crew for the tour consists of a tour director, two very experienced pilots and a flight attendant to look after an average of 24-26 guests.

Enjoy Your Flight
The tour ‘atmosphere’ is convivial and fun, but behind the scenes the crew and tour director work hard to maintain a high level of professionalism, customer care and service. We aim to deliver the best possible touring experience and hope you will take home some long lasting memories of New Zealand, her history, her people and her beauty.


For more information on any of our DC3 Air Tours of New Zealand please contact us.
 

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29 October 2015

NZ Air Tours You Won't Forget.

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward" ­ Leonardo da Vinci

 

What a pilot sees in a day, most people won't see in a lifetime. Now you can experience the  tour of a lifetime with the iconic DC3 air tour and Pacific Trailways. See the most spectacular views in New Zealand, in the most spectacular way possible. Do something different!

 

New Zealand Tours

Touring New Zealand is no doubt one of the most relaxing, exhilarating and beautiful holidays you can have in your lifetime. Normally you choose your destination, choose the mode of transport, sit back and soak up the scenery. You experience the wildlife and history of the place only to find yourself longing for more time to experience more places. 

 

Create “The Envy Factor”

The new DC3 tours will offer the guest a unique vacation in New Zealand as they fly in the classic DC3 to experience the best way of seeing  the most spectacular countryside views you could imagine. These tours offer the chance to visit Northland including the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga attractions. Other new DC3 tours visit Coromandel, Tauranga, Rotorua and Gisborne.

 

These tours include:

● DC3 Glory Days Retro Rotorua Weekender 3 days

● DC3 Peak & Lake New Plymouth/Taupo Weekender 3 days

● DC3 Classic Northland 4 days

● DC3 Coromandel/Bay of Plenty/East Cape/Gisborne 5 days

● DC3 Gourmet Journeys South Island Air Tour 13 days

● DC3 NZ Airtour and Omaka Air Show 13 days

The unique DC3 air tours of some of  New Zealand's finest tourist attractions makes a vacation of a lifetime possible. Experience some of New Zealand's finest attractions such as The Coromandel, with its beautiful beaches, native forests and relaxing atmosphere, or the Bay of Plenty with golf courses, the best beach in NZ and the spectacular Mclaren Falls Park. In the North, visit the northernmost accessible tip of North Island that leads to the point where two seas meet, and where the Maori spirits leap from an 800 year old tree into the ocean to return to their ancestral homeland.

The New Zealand 13 day air tour 2017 will leave you saying to your friends how you saw some of New Zealand's most beautiful beaches and only marine volcano­ white Island ­ plus the geothermal wonders of Rotorua, all on the first day of your tour.Later in the tour you will see the Fiordland region and even the beauty of Stewart Island on an adventure never to be forgotten.

 

Comfortable Touring

With our unique travel packages you will be staying in 3.5 to 5 star hotels and traveling on a DC3 that first flew in 1944 and has now been refitted to provide her passengers with a comfortable cabin with large windows, ideal for viewing and photo opportunities. The seats are from a Boeing 767 and provide ample comfort for the tour flights. Safety is the very first priority and your DC3 operator has earned a 5 year “ Airline Operating Certificate”. Your crew are experienced professionals operating to the highest standards.

Countless photo opportunities and endless talking points await you on your journey, maybe to Hokitika and onwards by coach to visit a jade gallery, try your hand at gold panning and of course, Monteith's Brewery. This is just one of the days you can experience with Pacific Trailways DC3 air tours.

 

Visit New Zealand

You could experience an aerial view of  Franz Josef Glacier then Fox Glacier and our highest mountain, Aoraki Mt Cook. Visit Wanaka, Te Anau and  take a luxury coach trip along New Zealand's most scenic mountain road and onto Milford Sound for picture taking before visiting the Underwater observatory in Harrison Cove.

 

What Touring Is Supposed To Be Like

We could write about every day's adventure and all the possibilities and sites you will see. But the best way to see this dream is not through words, the best way to see this dream tour is in our aircraft, in the luxury coaches and with the guidance and commentary of the best tour guides available. The best way to to see this dream is to live it!

 

Visit our website for all the details and the air tour itineraries.


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23 October 2015

Pacific Trailways Make NZ Holidays Special.

Adventure holidays don’t have to be adrenaline fueled.

 

Let's be honest, New Zealand is an amazingly diverse country, it has landscapes to take your breath away, waterways to thrill you or relax you, and seascapes to explore and discover a whole new world.

As a holiday destination, whether you are a native New Zealander or a visitor to this fine country the options are limitless. Relax, seek thrills, explore. Go by air, rail, by road or sea, you choose, it's your NZ vacation after all. 

You can choose to relax whilst kayaking in Milford Sound, Fiordland or maybe enjoy a peaceful stroll in Abel Tasman National Park along the golden beaches. Discover the rock 
carvings in Mine Bay, Lake Taupo whilst taking a swim, or visit Hobbiton Film set where the Lord Of The Rings was filmed and discover your inner Hobbit.For the wine lovers amongst us, Waiheke Island offers up some must try Vineyards like Mudbrick, Stonyridge, and Cable Bay.

We have cities with every kind of dining experience, we have culture, beaches, history, and glaciers. We have hot springs, and we have lakes to sit, relax, and stargaze by such as Lake Pukaki at Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.

So, how do you choose your New Zealand adventure? where do you start on your tour of all things NZ?

 

The adventure of a lifetime ­ Do Something Different!

 If you feel really adventurous then join us on the air tour of a lifetime as we go on a 13 day DC3 flight adventure staying in some of the finest hotels and visiting almost every major tourist attraction there is, from Auckland, to Rotorua, to Wellington, Blenheim, the west coast, Wanaka, Milford Sound and Stewart Island­ with mini breaks in Queenstown and Dunedin. Then returning via Ashburton and Christchurch before landing back at Auckland, exhausted but hopefully full of awe and with enough conversation to keep you going til you return again.
 

New heights for New Zealand tourism

There are other less adventurous adventures of course, shorter tours in the DC3 make the experience no less special and the destinations are simply stunning. What better way to discover this amazing country than in the best seat possible, with glamour, nostalgia and romance aplenty. We can take you on a journey across the South Island, the Bay of Plenty, New Plymouth and Northland to mention a few.There are even a few places, sometimes off the tourist trail that are well worth a visit. These include Coromandel, Tauranga and Gisborne, places you are sure never to forget.
 

Tours for people who like to stay grounded

As well as the DC3 air tour we cater for the more traditional holiday maker, the weekend breaker and the girly weekender. 

Please free free to contact us for more information on our tours. We are always happy to answer all questions and hope to see you soon for the NZ vacation you will never forget.


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Freephone within NZ: 

0800 TOUR NOW 

(0800 868766)

0275 311405 (Mobile)


International:

+64 9 2989180

General enquiries
info@pacifictrailways.co.nz

Steve Reeve (Managing Director)
steve@pacifictrailways.co.nz