For Christmas, my parents gave Mark and I a voucher for a scenic helicopter flight with Helipro. The voucher had 6 months validity, and we debated whether to go before LJ arrived (no need for sitters, but it could be uncomfortable for me) or after. In the end, we went with before, especially when we had a run of really excellent weather that meant we could book nearly a week in advance and still expect sunshine!
Saturday morning rolled around and we dragged ourselves out of bed at a surprisingly ungodly hour for what we were used to, before taking the car into town. There were several events on that weekend, so we parked a bit out of the way in a building rather than try and find an on-street carpark. Walking through to the outer T of Queens Wharf, we stopped to watch the start of a Dragon Boat race as they had a "give it a go" day on, a trial run for the festival a couple of weeks later.
On checking in, we were informed that we had been upgraded from a City Panorama tour to a Harbour Experience tour - we certainly weren't complaining! (It was twice the price and twice the length and we didn't have to pay the upgrade. Very nice)
We put on our life-vests (around our waists. What waist, I hear you ask) and walked out to the chopper with another couple who were on the flight with us. The pilot asked for a volunteer to sit in the front, and after everyone looked at each other for a moment, I volunteered. Its all about the quick and dead around here!
Getting in to the chopper was tough for me with my huge belly and a lifevest in a bag around my waist. I gave Mark my handbag and clambered up on to the chopper platform and heaved myself into the front seat. What a view!
I reached behind me and held Marks hand while we took off. I was so excited, and a bit nervous. We flew over the city, seeing parliament and the university, before heading across the airport (flying over a landing 737), over the top of the ferry towards Wainuiomata, and back up to Petone before following the motorway home. I have photos showing both my parents house and our neighbours (we are tucked in behind it).
The flight was fantastic, pure and simple. No other words are really required. The weather played ball and we could see for miles all around. The city looked stunning. I finally got around to taking the helicopter flight I had missed out on back in high school when I did Air Cadets. It was totally worth the wait.
