Thread: Kaweka/Kaimanawa helicopter operator recommendations

Originally Posted by Pop Shot

Helisika is reasonably priced depending on exact location and numbers. Cheeky 10% off for NZDA members too.

Not at all reasonable one bit. I recently spoke to someone who can fly to kawekas from taihape Airport direct to Manson block for 300 dollars cheaper then helisika and a much much longer flight. Fck heli sika .

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I also flew into otutu hut with Chris For 850 plus 50 for hut tickets for 2 of us and to fly to a close hut called otutu Island with helisika would cost us 2730
For the same amount of nights that's just plain thievery. I did tell Chris he was too cheap though . I will not fly with helisika .

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Hi all
I do know of an operator who is at the moment doing the numbers on offering a service from the southern end of the park. There are CAA rules around this that have to be satisfied and getting a base close to the FP is also important. Give it a month and hopefully some news maybe available.

I've had trips into the Footy field for years, and regard them as some of the most memorable trips of my life. The country, the deer, the mates - it's all been fantastic, and I was looking forward to more to come.

Unfortunately, Helisika have covered themselves in something over the Waipakihi road deal, and it isn't glory. I'll not use them again, and it pains me to say it, but unless they use their influence as a partner in this venture to facilitate public access to the road - and given their communications so far they don't seem at all interested in doing so, I'm done with them.

I don't think the loss of my business is going to hurt Helisika, and I doubt Mr Orr is concerned about my one trip a year. This sort of publicity is poison for a business though, and I hope is not going to be a one week wonder.

One very important lesson I have learned owning a business is that if you do a good job the client might tell one person - or might not. Do a bad job, and they'll tell everybody they know.

Tell everybody you know.

Originally Posted by Ruger7mm

Hi all
I do know of an operator who is at the moment doing the numbers on offering a service from the southern end of the park. There are CAA rules around this that have to be satisfied and getting a base close to the FP is also important. Give it a month and hopefully some news maybe available.

Thats good to know handy to have someone close for a quick lift

If I still lived in HB id be walking from Makahu . Nothing better than living out of a pack in the KFP . Heaps of tracks huts and campsites. Good hunting and easy to get around . Get fit and save money .

Originally Posted by Nathan F

If I still lived in HB id be walking from Makahu . Nothing better than living out of a pack in the KFP . Heaps of tracks huts and campsites. Good hunting and easy to get around . Get fit and save money .

Cant like this enough

I’m in there most weekends and the tracks are first class

Originally Posted by Phill243

Not at all reasonable one bit. I recently spoke to someone who can fly to kawekas from taihape Airport direct to Manson block for 300 dollars cheaper then helisika and a much much longer flight. Fck heli sika .

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Midwest in Taihape would be worth a call, they are bloody good to deal with.!!

Bugger , I have $1000 credit with Helisika that I won and now i read that they are a bit of a rogue bunch!

Anyone have any tips for what block to head into? I don't mind throwing more $$$ in if it means access to a far better block!

Cheers

Originally Posted by Nathan F

If I still lived in HB id be walking from Makahu . Nothing better than living out of a pack in the KFP . Heaps of tracks huts and campsites. Good hunting and easy to get around . Get fit and save money .

Bang on

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Originally Posted by Lauries Hut

Yeh mate all in good fun.

I don’t fly-hunt a lot. But with Helisika, the flights are already on the very upper end of the spectrum. But when you add landing fees, and daily hut fees it ends up quite and expensive trip.

Fair enough you’ve got a private block, and there’s certainly value in that.

Interesting; we flew in with Heli sika about 5 years ago. Expensive then, but its a case of take it or leave it, so we took it. Great trip and plenty of animals.
Machine hire was one cost, hut use was another, and fair enough - someone has to maintain them, but then I questioned the "landing fee". It was a per day fee and I couldn't get my head round this because they were only landing twice; once to drop us off and then again to pick us up. Turns out its not a "landing fee", its a bloody "land fee" thats paid to local Iwi. Sorry Iwi, but no more of my hard earned cash!
Plenty of other options available these days

Fark helisika, nothing but problems with them. This roar after chris stopped flying we were forced to go with them. Some young prick pilot said we had to much gear and go put stuff back in the Ute , We had flown in the week before with Steve woods, same gear same machine no problems, I ended up re packing the 500 and shit loads of room to spare, fulla was gutted when I told him to take notes on how to pack properly,

I’d rather drive 2-3 more hours to the southern end if somebody else started up.

What happened to Lakeland Heli??

Originally Posted by Hunteast

What happened to Lakeland Heli??

Lakeland were effectively tied up with Air Charter in as much as Air Charter held the land leases, and Lakeland serviced the helicopter blocks. So when Air Charter lost their land lease to Tongariro Aviation, the Lakeland heli blocks went to Helisika. Subsequent to that Tongariro Aviation stopped operating and Helisika got the airplane blocks as well.

thanks for that info. Lakeland did alright in the public land price wise with their machine? Or so i thought?