Sky’s the limit with Oceanview Helicopters – Caloundra

As born and bred Brisbaners, we’ve been to the Sunshine Coast more times than we can count, however seeing it from 1,000ft above was a truly breathtaking experience.

We were fortunate to enjoy a helicopter flight over the Coast on a beautiful Sunday morning, departing just one hour from Brisbane city. Our drive from Brisbane was as beautiful as always with pine trees lining the highway and the Glass House Mountains in the distance. We arrived at Oceanview Helicopters, situated on the outskirts of Caloundra – a picturesque seaside town worth a day of wandering in its own right. After a quick briefing from our flight captain Mark, we headed through the hanger and out to the runway. The hanger was an aviation dream filled with a variety of aircrafts both new and restored vintage. A great photo op for aviation fans!

It was a perfect day for flying, the sun was shining and there was just enough wind to give us some great ocean waves to watch from above. One of the best parts of a helicopter flight is the ease; within what seemed half a minute, we in the copter and up in the air. Our flight path was destined for the Sunshine Coast, although we got a great view of the Glass House Mountains in the distance as we ascended and descended. We’ve been told the flight over the mountains is spectacular in its own right, however we’re also pretty keen for the private vineyard tour option (hopefully you’ll see us write about that one someday).

Flying directly along a coastline is such a cool experience, as out one side of the helicopter is earth and the other, ocean. Flying over the deep blue meant we could see the wave formations and how the colour of the water changed at different depths. We also got some great views of cliff faces that you can’t see when on land.

Mark did an excellent job of telling us about the region and some significant landmarks like Fort Bribie, the old war coastguard stations situated on the shores, this is something we’d never knew about or discovered on our previous Coast trips. There were quite a few of these stations but they really spread out, so it would be a mission to see them all on foot.

Our flight covered a lot of ground in such a short amount of time and despite there being a bit of wind, the flight was smooth and landing a breeze. If you like to be as close to the action as possible, the captain can opt to remove the doors, but be warned – the wind is fierce so if you’ve got long hair, tie it back, and leave your loose fit clothes for the beach.

I’d recommend taking a helicopter flight at the very start of your trip to the Sunshine Coast, Queensland as it gives you a great perspective of the place you’re about to explore. But it’s also an all too worthwhile experience for those who have visited the coast many times like ourselves; it gives you a greater appreciation of the beaches you’ve come to love and you see the landscapes like never before. Oh, and make sure you take plenty of photos before, during and after your flight – Mark won’t mind 😉