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From the experience of taking flight in a floatplane or helicopter, through to the thrill of exploring our stunning lakes district, vibrant geothermal reserves and remarkable volcanoes, Volcanic Air has an option for everyone.

Volcanic Air is a proud member of the:

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Lakefront Drive, Rotorua City Lakefront, Rotorua

+64 7 348 9984 | show

[email protected] | show

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Adventure, North

Our 60 minute Cruizer's Trek will take you through swathes of native NZ bush, so you can experience birdsong and animals, as well as the famous silver ferns. This trek includes a higher outlook point for even better views of Lake Rotorua.

Adventure Playground - Horse Trek & Clay Shooting Combo

Get the most out of the Adventure Playground with a great combo deal. This is one of our most popular combos as it lets you experience our venue in two contrasting styles. The excitement of a Clay Bird shoot, followed by a sedate, scenic horseback experience. By combining a 1 hour Rotorua Horse Trek with a Get Started Rotorua Clay Bird Shooting package, not only do you double your fun, but you also make a great saving!

Adventure Playground - Triple Pass

If you’re thinking about doubling your fun, why not triple it with a Triple Pass. Our Triple Pass includes the same amazing 1-hour Rotorua Horse Trek and Clay Bird experience as our Horse & Clays combo, with the addition of a 1 hour 4×4 Self Drive Buggy experience. Get the best out of your visit and don’t miss one exciting bit of our 750-acre playground. And don’t forget those unmissable Rotorua views.

ROTORUA FLIGHT EXPERIENCE

Experience the romance of landing and taking off in a floatplane with panoramic views of Rotorua from above. Great for a first time experience of flight.

• Duration: 15 Minutes (approx.)

FLOATPLANE CRATER LAKES FLIGHT

Join us to view Rotorua beyond the crater rim. Enjoy spectacular views of our hidden lakes district, distant volcanoes and local geothermal activity in this captivating over view of this local area

HELICOPTER CRATER LAKES FLIGHT

Join us to gain an appreciation of our lakes that only an aerial view can offer. Beyond the Rotorua hills lies a stunning lakes district, native forests and distant volcanoes.

MOUNT TARAWERA/WAIMANGU VOLCANIC VALLEY

Our most popular scenic tour! Mt. Tarawera erupted in 1886 creating an 8km long volcanic rift along its summit the magnitude of which is only fully appreciated when viewed from above.

• Duration: 40 Minutes (approx.)

MOUNT TARAWERA LANDING AND GUIDED WALK

Fly to the site of the largest eruption in New Zealand’s living memory. Landing on Mount Tarawera offers a privileged view of spectacular craters and domes formed by the 1886 eruption.

MOUNT TARAWERA LANDING/ GEOTHERMAL PARKS

Combine the thrill of landing on Mount Tarawera with a flight that includes spectacular aerial views of our stunning crater lakes, the renowned Tarawera Falls and the vibrant Waimangu and Wai-O-Tapu geothermal reserves.

• Duration: 60 Minutes (approx.)

FLOATPLANE MOUNT TARAWERA / ORAKEI KORAKO LANDING

Combine a flight over the stunning volcano of Mount Tarawera, aerial views of our local lakes and geothermal reserves with a floatplane landing on the Waikato River to explore Orakei Korako "the hidden geothermal valley"

• Duration: 150 Minutes (approx.)

MOUNT TARAWERA/ ORAKEI KORAKO DUAL LANDING

• Duration: 3 Hours (approx.)

ROTOITI THERMAL POOLS BY FLOATPLANE

Experience a flight in one of our floatplane's & experience taking off from the water for yourself. After taking in the scenery we will gently touch down on the waters of Lake Rotoiti to enjoy the thermal baths of Manupirua Bay.

• Duration: 2 Hours (approx.)

LAKE SIDE PICNIC BY FLOATPLANE

Make memories that will last a lifetime with this spectacular combination of a scenic floatplane flight and a picnic on a secluded beach on the shores of the pristine Lake Rotoiti. Pack your own picnic or we can provide one!

• Duration: 90 Minutes (approx.)

MOUNT TARAWERA/ WAIMANGU VOLCANIC VALLEY PLUS HOTPOOLS

• Duration: 180 Minutes (approx.)

FLOATPLANE CRATER LAKES FLIGHT PLUS HOTPOOLS

• Duration: 140 Minutes (approx.)

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Volcanic Air Safaris

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Close to Distinction Rotorua Hotel, on the Rotorua City Lakefront, Volcanic Air Safaris delight in providing you with a fantastic flight experience, offering exceptional service, and a team of highly qualified pilots.

Experience the thrill of the helicopter or the elegance of the floatplane, and view some of the most dramatic geothermal scenery & activity New Zealand has to offer. There is no better way than to view this magical region than from above, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the heritage and history of Rotorua.

For more information on Rotorua's attractions and to book activities and adventures please contact Distinction Rotorua or speak with our reception team upon arrival, who will be more than happy to assist you.

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Volcanic Air

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Hours: 8:00a, - 5:00pm

Based on the shores of Lake Rotorua, Volcanic Air offers the most comprehensive range of scenic flights and air tours in the region. Established in 1992, we have carried over 100,000 satisfied customers to experience our local volcanoes, geothermal reserves and lakes district and from both the air and the ground. Volcanic Air operates a mixed fleet of both helicopters and Rotorua’s only floatplanes. The versatility of these aircraft allows us to visit remote destinations that are hard to reach by other means. Our region is unique, and the diversity of its landscape is quite remarkable. We combine spectacular scenery with informative and interesting commentaries about an area that is considered as the cultural heart of New Zealand. Look no further than Volcanic Air for the best scenic flights Rotorua has to offer.

Volcanic Air is conveniently located on the Rotorua City Lakefront within walking distance of many of our major hotels, cafés and restaurants.

From the first experience of flight through to the thrill of exploring our stunning volcanic and geothermal environment we have an option for everyone.

Our landscape combines crater lakes, ancient national parks, vibrant geothermal reserves and remarkable volcanoes , a combination of scenery that isn’t duplicated anywhere else in the world!

Helicopter and Floatplane options combine spectacular aerial views of this unique region with the opportunity to land on the remarkable volcano Mount Tarawera, its historic summit only directly accessible by helicopter. Both Helicopter and floatplane tours offer combinations which land at and explore Orakei Korako “the hidden valley” and Waimangu “volcanic valley” both active and iconic New Zealand geothermal environments.

All tours combine dramatic landscapes with informed commentaries full of this regions rich culture, history and geology.

“Join us for a moment in time that will last with you forever”

Location & Directions

Lakefront Drive, Rotorua City Lakefront, Rotorua, New Zealand, 3010, New Zealand

Cancellation Policy

CANCELLATION POLICY 1. Should cancellation occur within 30 days of the date of travel a 25% cancellation fee will apply. 2. If cancellation occurs within 7 days of the date of travel a 75% cancellation fee will apply. 3. If cancellation occurs within 48 hours of the date of travel a 100% cancellation fee will apply. Should PB&DV Holdings Ltd trading as Volcanic Air cancel the booking due to unsuitable weather conditions or for circumstances beyond our control, then a full refund will apply.

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Volcanic Air Safaris Ltd

Service Description

Based at the Rotorua City Lakefront, Volcanic Air Safaris offer an extensive range of Floatplane and Helicopter scenic air tours, which provide the opportunity to overview the spectacular natural features of Rotorua and the wider Bay of Plenty region. The major theme of our published tours is “volcanic”, focussing on the many crater lakes and geothermal attractions of the area, with specific emphasis on the dormant volcano of Mt Tarawera, Hells Gate / Wai Ora Spa , and to the active offshore volcano of White Island – a specialty being Helicopter landing on the latter with time to explore this awesome natural attraction. Further focus embraces packages by Floatplane or Helicopter into the Hidden Valley of Orakei Korako and with an adventure jetboating tour of the Rangitaiki River. Centrally situated at the Rotorua City Lakefront we provide complimentary transfers from Rotorua City hotels and motels.

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Volcanic Air

Scenic flights over Mt Tarawera volcano, Rotorua

White Island eruption: Heroic Volcanic Air pilot Tim Barrow speaks out

It was like a scene from Armageddon - grey, dusty and hard to breathe.

But heroic Rotorua pilot Tim Barrow from Volcanic Air says he would ignore the rules again in a heartbeat and land on a freshly erupted White Island if it meant saving lives.

It is thanks to the actions of Barrow and six other private helicopter company staff members that 10 people survived the horrific tragedy on Monday that killed at least six people.

But the word "hero" doesn't sit right with Barrow. He said he simply did what needed to be done, he knew the island well and assessed that, while there was a risk, it was one worth taking.

"My assessment was just to get in there and get the job done. My view was the island had done its thing, it had blown its top at that stage and if there was any opportunity to get those people out then we would try."

Barrow said fellow Volcanic Air pilot Brian Depauw was on the island near the beach with tourists when the volcano erupted.

Depauw's helicopter (pictured) was badly damaged and has been left on the island.

Barrow said Depauw instructed his four German passengers to get in the water with him. Two did and as a result, they didn't suffer any injuries, and were later transported back to shore by a White Island Tours boat. But two chose to stay on the island and were severely burned.

About 10 minutes after the eruption, Barrow, who was at the Rotorua base, was radioed about the eruption. Barrow made the decision to get in his helicopter and fly to the scene, with crewman and fellow pilot Graeme Hopcroft.

Thanks to aerial communications set up by fellow pilot John Funnell, who was in a fixed-wing aircraft above the scene, Barrow was able to hear what had unfolded.

He knew Mark Law from Kāhu had chosen to fly to the island to help in the rescue, despite emergency services at that stage being prevented from doing so.

Barrow said he made the call to join Law and his men to help.

"We did a reccy (reconnaissance) from above to assess the conditions ... Talking to Mark he assessed the conditions as well. I determined it a worthwhile risk to fly in and land on the crater floor.

"It was carnage when we got to the centre. It was steamy, it was quite hard to breathe. The gas masks were invaluable. Once we got into the centre of the crater, there were bodies and victims. There were injured in various states obviously in distress. The sole focus was to get those alive off the island."

Barrow was directed to one of the survivors who was in a pretty bad way. The person - Barrow was unsure if they were a man or woman - was burnt and covered in ash.

With help from Hopcroft, they carried the person on their shoulders to their helicopter before heading into the crater to get more survivors.

"There were a number of victims injured in close proximity."

Between the three men with the Kāhu crew, Barrow, Hopcroft and two other Volcanic Air crew members that arrived shortly after - pilot Sam Jones and crewman Callum Mill - the seven men carried 12 survivors to three of their helicopters.

He said Jones and Mill did another "reccy" of the island to ensure there were no remaining survivors before heading back to Whakatāne.

Barrow said one of his two badly injured passengers died on the way to hospital and it was his understanding another passenger in a Kāhu helicopter also died en route.

Barrow said he tried not to get emotional about what he had witnessed and the gravity of the event.

"We were on a mission, to be fair. The sole focus was to get back to the mainland because I knew our passengers were in a critical state."

Barrow said despite breaching Civil Aviation rules by landing on an area with volcanic activity, he wouldn't change his decision if faced with it again.

"When something like this is happening, as much as we are trying to be safe, we are not pulling the rule book out ... We knew there were lives at risk.

"I wanted to get out there and assess the conditions. I know that volcano pretty well. I have been operating there since the early 90s. My visual assessment was it was safe to land given the wind direction."

When asked how he felt about being a hero he said: "I'm pretty averse to that word. It's what you do. There were a team of guys all on the ground working together as a team."

He said while it was great they could save 10 lives, it was still devastating.

"It's the people that are left behind that's the hard part."

Barrow said he understood the emergency services decision to not go on the island and he would not criticise any individuals.

"They have processes they have to follow. I am not sure they are always the right ones. We assessed the risk for ourselves."

He said like Kāhu, he had offered emergency services their help to retrieve the bodies in the coming days if needed as they had the knowledge of where they would be.

He said he couldn't speak more highly of his team and they were all now taking a breather and some time off.

"They were incredible. Some of them saw things they shouldn't have seen ... We are concerned for them, we are deeply concerned for the families of the victims and the survivors. Goes without saying really."

He said he was unsure what the company's future on the island would be and no doubt that would be well thought out.

Thankfully for Volcanic Air White Island tours was not the only part of the business, he said.

"We have a team here we want to continue to support. We are a part of the Rotorua tourism family. It is a great community and how that is moving forward we will see in the weeks and days to come."

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Our office is conveniently located on the Rotorua City Lakefront, within walking distance of many of our major hotels, cafes and restaurants. Volcanic Air offers scenic flights in both Helicopters and Floatplanes. From the first experience of flight through to the thrill of exploring our stunning volcanic and geothermal environment we have an option for everyone. Enjoy some of New Zealand’s most diverse scenery (Rotorua’s pristine Crater Lake District, active and dormant volcanoes, vibrant geothermal reserves, stunning waterfalls, natural hot pools, native bush and rural farmland) all complimented by your pilot/guide’s first-hand knowledge of the regions unique geology, culture and history – served, of course, with a good measure of kiwi hospitality!

Volcanic Air offers a wide variety of tours, or the option to charter one of our aircraft around New Zealand. “Options are only limited by your imagination and sense of adventure!”  For charter enquiries, please email us your contact details and some introductory information about your plans and we will get in touch shortly.

We are here to answer any questions you may have – send us a message below, email directly or call our office.

Contact Details

Free Phone:

0800 800 848

+64 7 348 9984

[email protected]

Lakefront Drive Rotorua City Lakefront Rotorua New Zealand

PO Box 640 Rotorua, 3040 New Zealand

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