Hang ‘N Glide in Omarama New Zealand

When traveling New Zealand you may think of a flight in terms of getting from the North to South Islands, or from Auckland to Christchurch or Queensland. But you probably won’t associate the notion with hang gliding, paragliding, helicopter riding, or soaring in sailplanes. Yet that’s precisely what many who visit Omarama New Zealand come to do.

Omarama is hang glider heaven, thanks to optimal atmospheric conditions of mountain thermal winds, powerful Norwest Wave, wind blown ridges, frontal systems, sea breezes, and valley convergences. The combination of any two of these weather phenomena makes for unparalleled soaring, a paradise for unpowered aircraft. Sometimes all of these conditions occur in the same day.

Expert local pilots guide tourists through glider flight lessons and breathtaking vistas around lakes and mountains. Gavin Wills Mountain Soaring is an internationally recognized gliding school known for innovative teaching and spectacular soaring.

Omarama, New Zealand is one of the best gliding sites in the world. Its name is Maori for “Place of Light,” which refers to the exceptionally clear sky that’s also of interest to astronomers. It’s the site of world gliding records and an official gliding club, and was host to aviation celebrity Steve Fossett, NASA, and the 1995 World Gliding Championships.

At the end of the day, Omarama, New Zealand accommodations are plentiful to ground the soaring traveler. Hotels, self-catering motels, campground parks, backpackers, farmstays, homestays, B & B’s, and even airfield chalets offer wide choices. Hang in one of these places at night, and glide in the morning, nestled in the South Island’s Southern Alps.

When eyes are not turned skyward, you can literally count sheep at Buscot Station Backpackers New Zealand, an working sheep and cattle farm homestead. Merino sheep and cows dot the landscape among spire-like Clay Cliffs separated by deep, narrow ravines and canyons.

Besides sky-bound adventures, fishing, horseback riding, hiking, rafting, jet skiing and snow skiing (in winter) offer other exhilarating nature encounters within this small farmtown setting. Fly fishing courses will snag rainbow trout as well as fishing enthusiasts.

So when in Omarama, New Zealand, keep your eyes to the sky, hang around and glide through aerial adventure, and more on your New Zealand vacation. Many of the “birds” you’ll spot there are likely to be attached to manmade, motorless wings, silently soaring.