PictonNZWaitohi · Marlborough Sounds
Aerial view from beneath an aircraft wing across the islands and waterways of the Marlborough Sounds.

Activity

Scenic flights

The Sounds from above — fixed-wing from Picton Aerodrome at Koromiko, helicopters from Blenheim.

Photo: Schwede66 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Pelorus Air flies scenic trips over the Marlborough Sounds from Picton Aerodrome; Precision Helicopters runs scenic and heli-lunch flights to Sounds lodges from Omaka, Blenheim.

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At a glance

Cost
See operators
Departs from
Picton Aerodrome, Koromiko (Pelorus Air); Omaka Airport, Blenheim (Precision Helicopters)
Picton Adventure Airport terminal at Koromiko, with the airfield and a light aircraft visible behind it.
Picton Adventure Airport terminal at Koromiko, with the airfield and a light aircraft visible behind it. CHCBOY / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

About Scenic flights

The drowned-valley shape of the Sounds only fully makes sense from the air, which is the case for a flight. Pelorus Air is the Picton-side operator, flying from the aerodrome at Koromiko on the road to Blenheim.

Operators

Listed alphabetically by category, with no ranking implied. Each was confirmed as trading from its own website on the date shown at the foot of this page; prices, departure times and seasons change, so follow the link for current detail.

  • Pelorus Air — Scenic flights over the Sounds for 2–15 passengers, aerial photography, charters and remote-airstrip drop-offs for trampers. Picton Aerodrome, Koromiko. pelorusair.com
  • Precision Helicopters — Scenic and heli-lunch flights into Sounds lodges, D'Urville Island and Abel Tasman. Based at Omaka, Blenheim; serves Picton. precisionhelicopters.nz/scenic-flights

Know before you go

  • Both bases are a drive from Picton township.

Photographs

A Sounds Air Cessna 208 Caravan landing at Picton-Koromiko airfield, with wooded hills behind.
A Sounds Air Cessna 208 Caravan landing at Picton-Koromiko airfield, with wooded hills behind. Phillip Capper / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Aerial view of the drowned river valleys of the Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds: a network of drowned river valleys reaching inland from Cook Strait. Schwede66 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Aerial view of geometric vineyard blocks covering the Marlborough plains
Marlborough's vines from the air, near Blenheim. Insertcleverphrasehere / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Long Island lying low and forested in Queen Charlotte Sound
Long Island, a wildlife refuge and marine reserve in Queen Charlotte Sound. Herewhy / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sources for this page

Location: OpenStreetMap contributors via Nominatim (Picton Aerodrome, Koromiko; feature).

Facts on this page were checked against the sources listed on 29 September 2026.

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