You, being the traveler you are, and a few of your friends have been planning a camping trip on New Zealand’s South Island, specifically to Quintin Lodge. Quintin Lodge is typically accessed by hiking along the 33.5-mile (54-kilometer) Milford Track trail, but, lucky for you and your friends, Quintin Lodge also has its own airstrip. And you’re the one with the pilot’s license! So, the role you play on this trip is a critical one.

Starting your trip from your home in Westport along the scenic northwestern shores of the South Island, you have agreed to rendezvous with your friends at Lake Tekapo.

Once you have finished stargazing at the Mount John Observatory just above the beautiful, vibrant turquoise water of the lake below, you will load yourself and your friends in your aircraft of choice to begin the journey toward the lodge.

You will make two stops at a couple of the more scenic airstrips (Gorge River and Martins Bay) along the western shores of South Island before making one final mid-journey stop at Milford Sound for some last-minute supplies and, of course, photos of the surrounding fjords. Afterall, this is Fiordland National Park!

Finally, once you’ve gotten all the supplies you need, you’ll make the last leg of the trip to Quintin Lodge Airstrip, but be extremely cautious! While the wilderness is stunning and the promise of a well-deserved vacation in the rainforest is making your group anxious to get there, these mountains move for no one. It will certainly be a challenge to make it to the lodge, so be prepared!

You may use whatever aircraft you wish on this trip. There are no restrictions. However, we strongly advise choosing one that’s right for the job! The LONGEST runway on this trip is just about 4,200’, and that’s at your starting point of Westport! As for the airstrips you’ll land at, the runways range between just over 1,100’ to about 3,100’. And you will be traversing over moderately-high terrain and through extremely narrow and twisting fjords. So, once again, choose wisely!

Note: This achievement was created in celebration of the Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update XII - New Zealand release, but you may complete the flights in any simulator of your choice!