The Solo Scale:

---

New Zealand’s South Island is filled to the brim with incredible natural sights. Not all of them happen to be mountains, sounds, or fantastic wineries. Though, there’s plenty of those and I can’t recommend them enough. Just outside of Picton lies Blenheim and within the town is the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. While this might not be everyone’s ideal stop, it’s a fantastic slice of history.

The town itself is often a stop for many winery tours. If you have time (and you’re a fan of aviation or military history), this is a fantastic stop. After I’d taken my short bus ride from Picton to Blenheim, I arranged a taxi to drop me off at the Aviation Centre while also arranging for a pick-up. This was super helpful as I didn’t have a car and Blenheim is big enough that I didn’t want to do the walk.

I gave myself a full two hours to explore the museum. However, I probably could have done it in ninety-minutes. Due to a sensitivity to loud noises, I opted to give the extremely realistic 360-degree Stalingrad Experience video a pass. If you do see it, the technology it uses is truly stunning.

In general, there are two main exhibit areas:

WWI – Knights of the Skies
WWII – Dangerous Skies

For those interested in the history of aviation, this museum is a fantastic immersion as you look at incredibly preserved artifacts, recreations, models, artwork and more. The exhibition space is large and there typically aren’t many others there. That lets you to linger at artifacts as long as you like. At the entrance/exit, there’s a small gift shop and café for quick bites.

Of course, there’s more than just the museum if your timing is right or you have the right qualifications. There’s air shows, you can purchase a flight in some more unique planes, or you can simply see the planes that people use the airpark for.

For details on how to visit, what to see, and prices, check out the Omaka Aviation website here.

---