Garden City Helicopters, a division of New Zealand private aviation company GCH Aviation, has launched heli winery tours to the Waipara Valley, one of New Zealand's premier wine regions.

Taking off from Christchurch, passengers can leave the car behind and fly into five wineries, all with different personalities and unique wines in the beautiful North Canterbury Waipara Valley wine region right on the doorstep of Christchurch city.

Caroline Blanchfield, group marketing manager for the GCH Aviation Group says 'Between the Vines' is a new helicopter experience offered by Garden City Helicopters, and while it is targeted at Christchurch locals looking for a new experience on their doorstep, it is also likely to add a new dimension to a Christchurch 'stay and play' experience for Australian visitors when the Trans-Tasman corridor opens in a few weeks' time.

She says: “If you think about who else might like to do this trip, it will be a marvellous experience for conference partner programmes or corporate reward and incentive programmes to offer to their clients. We want to create something that is not currently being offered in this format, showcasing different wineries that offer their stories along with their wines, and something that will get people experiencing five boutique wineries during a late morning or afternoon without having to drive.”

Collaboration continues to be the key for GCH Aviation in developing new helicopter experiences. GCH Aviation's Christchurch operation, Garden City Helicopters has worked closely with the team at regional tourism organisation Visit Hurunui to identify the wineries that align with its product.