Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted to go for a helicopter ride – and in particular, a Seaworld helicopter ride.

I very nearly experienced my first Helicopter ride 25 years ago, when the hubster and I were on holiday in New Zealand. We were meant to fly to the top of Franz Josef Glacier – alas, the weather turned bad so it was cancelled, and we couldn’t re-schedule as we were leaving the next day.

I was so disappointed!

So when it came time to write my sort-of “bucket list” for the Festival of 50, a helicopter ride was a priority! Like many items on my list of 50 things, I wasn’t sure if it would actually happen, but figured I could dream … special thanks to Mr 22 and Miss 20 for presenting me with two vouchers for a Seaworld Helicopter ride, as one of my birthday presents!

Why a Seaworld Helicopter Ride?

It could just as easily have been a scenic helicopter flight in Bali when we were there for my birthday, but I really wanted to go somewhere local. It felt much more meaningful having a bird’s eye view of  a place that I’m already familiar with.

The Seaworld helicopter is also enclosed (good for those afraid of heights, like me) and fully air-conditioned.

What were the views like?

Amazing! Although – if I was being nit picky, I would have to say I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get a window seat. Passengers are assigned certain seats to ensure the weight is distributed evenly, and I ended up piggy in the middle. Luckily the hubster didn’t mind me leaning all over him as I craned my head to see out the window!

How many passengers?

A minimum of 3 passengers is required so we knew we would have company. There was a couple in the front, and a fellow in the back with us; another passenger could have squeezed in as there was an extra seatbelt and headset, which weren’t in use during our flight.

What did you have to do to prepare for your helicopter ride?

The kids bought the tickets through Groupon, so all I had to do was call to make a booking. Once we arrived, we were weighed (luckily nobody can see the results!), and had to watch a short safety video much like what you see on a plane.

So – how was it?!

The pilot lifts off gradually, but it was still a very weird feeling going straight up! He was a bit of a character, diving towards the water at one point, which was a bit of a laugh – definitely lost my tummy that time.

But other than that, it was quite smooth and really not that different to being in a car – except you are wearing a headset and in the air. It’s not even that loud.

To be honest, it could have been a bit more exciting if we’d had an open door on the chopper – maybe next time!

How long was your flight?

We had a 15 minute ride and it passed all too quickly.

What did you see?

We flew south overland to Burleigh Heads, before banking to head out over the water to return to Seaworld.

We saw gorgeous beaches and lots of high rises (of course!), a large turtle swimming as we were coming in to land, and a dark shadow under the water which our pilot said is a ship wreck from the late 1800’s. No sighting of whales or sharks, but he did say they often see dolphins.

We also couldn’t believe how many waterways we flew over – according to our pilot, there are over 400 km of canals on the Gold Coast – that’s more than Venice and Amsterdam combined!

Oh – and from the air, Chevron Island is in the shape of a heart .

Would you recommend a Seaworld helicopter ride to others?

Definitely! The attendants were really polite and helpful in every way, even taking photos of us in front of the Seaworld helicopter.

Have you ever been in a chopper – either to get somewhere, or for a scenic flight?