Winery & Waterfall Tour
- $490 pp
- 45 minutes
Fly from Wollongong to Silos Estate Restaurant. A coastal scenic flight one way and rugged mountain terrain, majestic waterfalls, ominous gorges and dramatic rocky cliff faces on the way back. See the rolling foothills of the historic Kangaroo Valley, the wood and iron Hampden suspension bridge and the quaint villages of Berry and Jamberoo.
Tour Highlights
- From Kiama to Gerringong and then Silos Estate for lunch.
- Return from Silo’s via the mountains, waterfalls and gorges of the Great Dividing Range
- A packed 45 minute flying schedule of spectacular mountain and ocean views
- Experience the unique thrill of a helicopter take-off and landing
- Only minutes flying time from base to the golden beaches and rugged mountains of the Illawarra
Itinerary
- Kiama Blowhole
- Gerringong
- Berry
- Silos’ Estate Restaurant
- Kangaroo Valley
- Carrington Falls
- Macquarie Pass
Additional Info
Headsets are available for all passengers inside the helicopter so that they can talk to eachother and share the experience while flying.
Feel free to engage your friendly pilot for his informed narrative and commentary
Customers should allow 1 hour in total for the whole experience including check-in, safety briefing, photo opportunity around the helicopters, boarding, flight time and then disembarking after flight.
Free tea and coffee facilities as well as a comfortable viewing lounge overlooking the helipad is available for all passengers as well as for family and friends spectating on the ground
Safety is paramount. All safety processes and procedures as required by Touchdown Helicopters and the governments Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) are strictly adhered to in all aspects of conducting this scenic flight.
Detail
Our outbound route toward the renowed Silo’s working vineyard and restaurant is via the scenic coastline of the Illawarra’s south coast. We’ll join the coastline at Kiama where you’ll have a birds-eye view of the famous blowhole and fishing harbour. The coastline south of Kiama, as we track towards Gerringong, is as spectacular as it is dramatic. Having seen the meandering, rolling, Kiama to Gerringong walking track from the air, you’ll want to make that the next item you tick off your bucket list. The architectural masterpieces built as homes in some of the hill and valleys just off the coast are a sight to behold and a dream residence for most.
Soon we turn towards the picturesque village of Berry. Famous for its arts and crafts shops and its cafes, Berry is also home to the famous Silo’s Vineyard and Restaurant. Its hard to resist the temptation to look down but every now and then make sure you take a look up and out to capture the full panorama of the mountains and rolling foothills in which Berry was originally settled back in 1822. This is some of the most beautiful countryside in Australia and a real treasure to behold. Before long we are on final approach for Silo’s, established way back in 1870, long before a helicopter was ever considered in the minds of rational people, but now a means of transport to bring guests to sample their “honest and fresh, farm style food” and their selection of wines fermented from grape vines hand pruned and picked on the premises.
After a couple of hours for lunch, wine tasting, contemplation and a relaxing walk around the grounds, it is time to head home. But the adventure is not quite over yet. You’ve seen the coast now to capture a brief look at the dramatic canyons, gorges and waterfalls of the Illawarra Escarpment.
As we depart from Silo’s we turn to fly over the centre of the picturesque village of Berry. Famous for its arts and crafts shops and its cafes, you can look down to see the swarms of people milling around, walking the streets, browsing the shops and enjoying this warm, welcoming countryside village. Every now and then make sure you take a look up and out to capture the full panorama of the mountains and rolling foothills in which Berry was originally settled way back in 1822.
As the helicopter continues to rise up leaving Berry and Silo’s behind, you will be able to catch glimpses of the distant Kangaroo Valley as well as the Fitzroy and Wingecarribee Reservoirs out to the west. To the north you will see the whole of the Illawarra laid out before you with Lake Illawarra at its centre. Strain your eyes some more and you might just be able to make out the distant jagged skyline of Sydney over a 100 km’s away. And passing underneath is some of the most beautiful green, lush, countryside Australia has to offer, sitting side-by-side with ancient rainforrest, tucked underneath the sandstone cliff faces of the Great Dividing Range.
As we track homeward bound and back over the Illawarra Escarpment, keep a lookout for the tree top walking platform and viewing tower of the Illawarra Fly. Give a wave to the tourists as you fly over the mountain ridgeline and down into the Illawarra coastal plains. This is an ideal time to look up and take in the full majesty of the Illawarra Region, a land caught between the mountains and the sea.
